2004 Sequoia steering rack rotted out at the bushing mount under the passenger side foot well. The steering was loose feeling from a worn out big rubber bushing. This play allowed the rack to bounce around and take the paint off the steel tube on the steering rack body and wear the metal down. Failure mode here is corrosion, and the seals were leaking on both ends of the rack, but not bad. I should have replaced the bushing years ago and resealed the rod ends when I first noticed the wet boots, but it wasn't using fluid. Lesson learned. The good news is we didn't get stranded, and just kept a quart in the back in case we heard the pump wining for more fluid. The dealer estimate was $1300 for the part. I did it for about $700 in parts ($300 aftermarket rack) and also changed the steering pump, and tie rod ends, and all the rack mount bushings, with an alignment. The nasty part of this job is the steering shaft connection into the new steering rack. Oh, and that top bolt on the rack that goes into aluminum torque arm that you have to pull from the top side of the cross member, I almost cut the arm off on this one for room to get to it after the rack was out. With all new steering parts, and an alignment, its good. It's an old truck, so I'm not too disappointed. Just another weekend invested.
2004 Sequoia steering rack rotted out at the bushing mount under the passenger side foot well. The steering was loose feeling from a worn out big rubber bushing. This play allowed the rack to bounce around and take the paint off the steel tube on the steering rack body and wear the metal down. Failure mode here is corrosion, and the seals were leaking on both ends of the rack, but not bad. I should have replaced the bushing years ago and resealed the rod ends when I first noticed the wet boots, but it wasn't using fluid. Lesson learned. The good news is we didn't get stranded, and just kept a quart in the back in case we heard the pump wining for more fluid. The dealer estimate was $1300 for the part. I did it for about $700 in parts ($300 aftermarket rack) and also changed the steering pump, and tie rod ends, and all the rack mount bushings, with an alignment. The nasty part of this job is the steering shaft connection into the new steering rack. Oh, and that top bolt on the rack that goes into aluminum torque arm that you have to pull from the top side of the cross member, I almost cut the arm off on this one for room to get to it after the rack was out. With all new steering parts, and an alignment, its good. It's an old truck, so I'm not too disappointed. Just another weekend invested.
- Matt K., Sidney, ME, US