2002 Toyota Tacoma Power Steering Rack Replacement

My 2002 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 is an extended cab, 4 cylinder automatic with 142,000 miles. It developed a leak in the power steering rack. Under the vehicle I would see drops of ATF around the passenger side boot of the steering rack, and had to add ATF to the power steering pump every month or so. Also, I began to experience some irregularities in the steering such as difficulty turning in certain positions of the steering wheel. It was clear to me that the problem was in the steering rack and not the power steering pump. The complexity of rebuilding my power steering rack seemed more difficult than complete replacement. And, the cost benefit seemed to favor rack replacement.

I really benefited from perusing the various Toyota Tacoma forums before I began this large and complicated project. Reading other taco owner’s explanations about steering and suspension issues greatly helped as I prepared for this job. However, I did not find any postings about the complete Tacoma steering rack replacement. So, I am posting my experiences in hopes that other Tacoma owners might benefit.

The following is a step by step description of my job. I am not a professional mechanic nor should any of my steps be taken as gospel. This is simply the way that I was able to successfully replace my power steering rack over a weekend.

PREPARATIONProper study and preparation saved a lot of grief and helped me avoid the typical blue streak of bad language that I usually exhibit when undertaking a large job. I was able to find many websites that explained issues concerning the power steering rack assembly. For example, the steering rack bushing replacement information on the 4x4wire.com website was a good start for understanding the mounting hardware (http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/steering_bushing/). And, a similar posting on Keystonkcrawlers.com was helpful (http://www.keystonekrawlers.com/Mods/Toyota/SteerBushing/TacomaSteeringBush.htm). The factory service manual on the North Carolina Chapter of Toyota Territory Off-Roader's Association website was a major find (http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/2003/index.html).And, the Auto Zone website’s maintenance guide was also very helpful (http://www.autozone.com/addVehicleId,2746301/initialAction,repairGuide/shopping/vehicleSelected.htm). One of the most important things I learned was the proper names for the parts involved.

I shopped around for a replacement steering rack unit. I wound up going with discountsteering.com for $375 plus a core charge. Here is the link to the rack I purchased (http://www.discountsteering.com/addtocart/2002_Toyota/Tacoma/Power_Steering_Rack/80-00697.html). If you decide to go with the original rubber bushings that come with the new rack make sure you get the “D” bushing for the passenger side mount. My new rack did not have this rubber bushing. Also, make sure you have a new O ring for the top of the steering rack. That rubber ring, about the size of a silver dollar, did not come with the new rack, and unless you are a real steady hand, you will need a new one by the time you

remove the old rack. The missing bushing did not matter to me as I took the advice of several Tacoma 4x4 owners and purchased new after market polyurethane bushings from suspension.com (http://www.suspension.com/toyotapickups.htm). By the way, despite what several Tacoma owners and forums say, there is no modification or drilling that needs to be done on the new polyurethane bushings. Just make sure you order the correct set for your exact vehicle.

Finally, I sprayed WD-40 on the mounting hardware, tie rod end hardware, Intermediate Shaft No. 2 connecting bolts, and the two power steering supply line fittings on the rack every day for a few days before I began the job.

TOOLSBesides the normal mechanic’s tools, I needed a 17mm slotted wrench for the power steering pump supply lines and a tie-rod end puller. Of course the job concluded with a torque wrench. Good jack stands were critical to safely accessing the underside of the truck. Safety glasses and good lighting are a must. I would recommend a ½ inch ratchet and sockets for removal of the mounting hardware and tie rod end castle nuts. A rubber mallet was useful.

THE JOBAfter loosening the front wheel lug nuts and safely raising the front end of the vehicle, I disconnected the negative battery cable. Next I secured the steering wheel in the straight forward position by tying it off with a piece of rope to the driver’s side interior safety handle. I removed both front wheels. Under the car I made a bright mark with a yellow colored pencil on the tie rod end threads by the lock nut, and took a measurement from the locknut to the center of the tie rod end where it mounts to the steering arm on the wheel so upon installation I could reset the tie rod ends to the same length. While under there I made bright colored match marks on the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 where it bolts to the Intermediate Shaft universal joint and took a measurement on the intermediate shaft as a backup.

To remove the rack, I sprayed WD-40 on all the mounting hardware, tie rod end castle nuts and lock nuts, and the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 mounting bolts. Here are some pictures of those parts.

This is the passenger side mount and bushing. It has a 19mm nut on top and a 19mm bolt on the bottom.

The middle mount bushing uses a 19mm bolt accessed from above the rack, and the driver’s side mount bushing is a long 22mm bolt and nut with two large washers.

The right side of the driver’s tie rod end has a lock nut that tightens up to the steering rack fitting near the rubber boot which covers the inner tie rod. On the left you can see where the tie rod end connects to the steering arm with a castle nut and cotter pin.

The passenger side tie rod end connects the same way. Don’t forget to put matchmarks on both tie rod ends where they connect to the steering rack, and take a measurement from the locknut to the center of the tie rod end where it mounts to the steering arm on the wheel.

The Intermediate No. 2 shaft goes from the steering column to the steering rack through a universal joint shown here. A matchmark needs to be placed on the shaft where it connects to the top of the universal joint, and a measurement taken (I measured the distance between the top of the universal joint up the Intermediate Shaft where the splines stop).

Back to the tie rod ends, I used a crescent wrench and pipe wrench to loosen the locknuts on both tie rod ends where they attach to the steering rack. I placed the crescent on the steering rack and the pipe wrench on the locknut so I could provide resistance when I loosened the locknut. The tie rod end will naturally try to move when you loosen the locknut, so using two wrenches helps to not put too much pressure on the tie rod. After loosening the locknuts, I removed the cotter pin from the tie rod end and removed the 19mm castle nut. Then, using a tie rod end puller I got from Auto Zone, I removed the tie rod end from the steering arm. Once the tie rod end popped out I unscrewed it from the steering rack. I repeated that procedure on the passenger side tie rod end.

Next, I loosened but did not remove the two 12mm bolts that hold the universal joint to the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 and the steering rack. Again, matchmarks should be made and a measurement should be taken for accurate installation.

Next, I removed the power steering pump supply lines from the steering rack. The factory manual recommends a special service tool. However, I successfully used a 17mm slotted wrench that goes over the tube and then snugs up on the fitting. The location of this connection provides a challenge for removal and installation. I had the best luck working from the driver side of the vehicle reaching through the fenderwell and over the frame. I also accessed these fittings from under the vehicle reaching over the steering rack to fit the slotted wrench on the fitting. I soaked the area with WD-40 and cleaned the fittings as best I could to make access and wrenching more effective. There is not much space to work in, so be patient and take your time in placing the slotted wrench so that you do not round off the fittings.

This is a view from under the hood. The return line (top right) has a rubber hose that can be removed by the clamp if necessary. The pressure feed line (bottom left) is a high pressure hose similar to an air conditioning hose. A 17mm slotted wrench can loosen these lines. You can see this is a tight spot to work in.

This is another view from the top of the power steering supply lines where they connect to the steering rack. Either a special service tool or a 17mm slotted wrench can loosen these. Again, this is a tight spot to access.

I placed a pan under the vehicle to catch the power steering fluid that drained out of the supply lines once they were removed from the rack. I saved the fluid so that I could filter it through a cloth to determine if the power steering pump had any metal filings in the fluid, which would indicate the need for power steering pump replacement. The manufacturer of the new rack required this test to validate the warranty.

At this point an assistant would be helpful. I removed the passenger mounting bushing nut and bolt, the middle mount (accessed from above the rack), and the driver’s side mount that holds the steering rack to the frame.

When lowering the old rack from the vehicle, watch the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 as it releases from the top of the steering rack. I had trouble at this point. The universal joint was fused to the top of the steering rack. Not wanting to forcibly remove the rack from the universal joint, I wound up removing the two 12mm bolts and nuts that hold the universal joint together. The rack came out of the vehicle with the bottom half of the universal joint still attached to the rack.

You can see the old rack out of the truck with the lower universal joint still attached.

Here is a photo of the upper universal joint still attached to the Intermediate Shaft. The power steering supply lines are seen in the bottom of this picture.

I was able to get the lower universal joint off the old steering rack with some gentle tapping from a rubber mallet. In the next photo you can see the rust inside the universal joint where it meets the splines of the steering rack.

Here is the lower universal joint cleaned up and ready to install on the new rack.

If you are able to leave the universal joint intact on the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 then you will not need to perform this step. It is very important to make sure the new rack attaches to the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 without any change in the relative position of the Intermediate Shaft and universal joint.

I then installed the lower universal joint onto the new steering rack. I also replaced the rubber bushings that came with the new rack with polyurethane bushings that were recommended by 4x4wire.com. There are instructions that come with the new bushings. Again, the rubber mallet came in handy to install the bushings.

Here is the rebuilt rack with the new polyurethane bushings and the lower universal joint from the truck. Also note the rubber O ring that sits on top of the new rack just under the universal joint—this part did not come with the new rack, so you will need to make sure you have a replacement. It was very difficult to keep the original O ring in good shape during removal. The orange plugs in this picture are where the power steering supply lines connect to the new rack.

Installing the rebuilt rack was essentially the reverse of the removal. Again, as assistant would be helpful in lifting the rebuilt rack into position. I prepared the mounting hardware and was able to secure the rack into approximate position by placing the rack into the middle mount which can hold the rack in place temporarily.

You can see the center mount provides a space to insert the rack into position.

Also, installing the top of the passenger side mount and running that nut into place without tightening all the way allowed me to take care in positioning the steering rack for connection to the Intermediate Shaft No. 2 universal joint.

Here is a picture of the passenger side mount with the polyurethane bushing. Installing the nut on the top side of the mount helped hold the rack in place for maneuvering the installation to the Intermediate Shaft.

Here is the frame where the passenger side mount and D bushing goes. I used some rust inhibitor to stop any further rusting of the frame under the bushing.

I also partially installed the driver’s side long bolt to help hold the rack in place, yet allow for movement to properly align the rack to the Intermediate Shaft connection.

Here is the long bolt through the frame that holds the driver’s side mount.

Once the new rack was in place and the Intermediate Shaft connected, I went back and torqued the mounting nuts and bolts to specifications (the 19mm nuts and bolts to 123 ft. lbs, and the driver’s side 22mm bolt to 141 ft. lbs.).

Next I installed the power steering supply lines and torqued them properly. Again, this is a tight work space and requires careful work with either the special service tool or slotted wrench (pressure feed to 24 ft. lbs. and return tube to 26 ft. lbs.).

Then I tightened the Intermediate Shaft connection bolts making sure that the universal joint was in the same position as when I removed it.

Then I installed new tie rod ends to the steering rack. As tie rod ends only cost me about 25 dollars on Amazon.com I went with new ones. I took the measurement from the old tie rod ends and installed the new ones to a similar position.

Here is the new driver’s side tie rod end with the cotter pin and castle nut. On the right side you can see the threads where I marked the measurement from the old tie rod end. This showed me how far to screw in the tie rod end to the rack.

On the upper right is the new rack ready for the tie rod installation. On the left is the steering arm for the tie rod end.

Here is another view of the new rack installed before the tie rod end is fitted.

Here is another view of the new rack installed before the passenger tie rod end is fitted.

After screwing the tie rod end into the rack to the matchmark I installed the tie rod end to the steering arm on the wheel with a few taps from the rubber mallet. Then I tightened the castle nut to 67 ft. lbs and installed the cotter pin. You can tighten further up to 60 degrees as needed to line up the cotter pin. To further tighten the tie rod end where it goes into the steering rack, you can actually turn the rack fitting from the inner tie rod end. Be sure to release the boot clip so that the boot does not twist. The rack boots must remain in the normal position.

Here is the new driver’s side tie rod end installed to the new rack.

Here is the new rack and the new passenger side tie rod end installed.

As mentioned earlier, I poured the old power steering fluid that drained through the system into a container with a cloth over the top. I was looking for metal filings or any other signs of fouling.

This picture shows the old fluid with no evidence of metal contamination.

Then I installed the front wheels and filled the power steering pump with ATF. I left the cap off the power steering reservoir. Be sure to carefully review and follow the established steps for proper steering fluid filling and bleeding. I released the rope holding the steering wheel in place and turned the wheel slowly from full right to full left a few times, stopping often to keep the reservoir filled with ATF. You will hear gurgling and see many bubbles in the reservoir. You must continue this step, turning the wheel from lock to lock and filling the reservoir until all sign of bubbles are gone.

Here is a picture of the power steering reservoir with bubbles still apparent after several iterations of full wheel turns and topping off the fluid. It took many repetitions to get rid of the air trapped in the system.

Once the air bubbles were gone, I lowered the vehicle to the ground, tightened the wheel lug nuts, reconnected the negative battery cable, placed the cap on the power steering reservoir and started the vehicle. Then, with the motor running and the vehicle in place, I turned the wheel from full right to full left several times and checked the power steering pump reservoir again for any sign of air bubbles or emulsification.

Here is a view of my power steering pump reservoir with no bubbles after the bleeding process.

I made sure that there were no unusual noises or leaks during the testing of the new steering rack. Once I was satisfied the steering rack had been installed correctly, I went for a test drive. The first thing I noticed was that the alignment was way off. Also, the steering wheel was not in the proper position for straight travel. I immediately took the vehicle to Brake Check for a front end alignment. After that, the vehicle steered and drove properly.

The only issue I have remaining is a soft bump noise that I hear on occasion when turning the wheel full left at a stand still or when turning at a very slow speed, as in pulling into or out of a parking space. I am still working on tracking down that sound. My feeling is that it may be a suspension issue, such as a ball joint, as I also have heard it when making a full stop with the wheels straight ahead. I will report back when I determine the source of that sound. That sound may have been there before, but I had not noticed it among the issues I was having with the old steering rack.

Otherwise the truck handles well and the steering system seems normal. I hope this posting is useful to fellow Tacoma owners.