Steering rack bushings

suprageezer

New Member
Aug 27, 2005
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Southern California
I'm am also getting ready to replace my rack, pump, and hoses, can you post the manufacturer of your poly bushings, and a part number?
Thanks
 
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agp1183

New Member
Oct 31, 2006
23
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Lansing, MI
well, my car never had bushings, and the poly ones are uncut rings, can I cut them and slide them in or do i have to slide them down the rack from the tie rods or something?
 

spinningheadboy

Ich bin gegan alles
Apr 1, 2005
440
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16
idaho
agp1183 said:
well, my car never had bushings, and the poly ones are uncut rings, can I cut them and slide them in or do i have to slide them down the rack from the tie rods or something?

Cut them the same as stock(You can see the line on the polys where to cut). I've installed poly's myself. Very tight.

cwd
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
16,757
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Fort Worth, TX
it's UBER easy if the engine is out of the car...

it's a %^$^& with the engine in though... quite a few of the fasteners are on the top...where the engine is...

it's one of those let's-make-it-easy-for-the-assembly-line-but-a-major-bitch-for-the-average-mechanic-to-do things they pulled. Kinda like the starter.
 

flubyux2

Madd Tyte JDM yo ®
Apr 2, 2005
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st. pete, fl
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lol... i concur.

i think im in need of some bushings. i seem to have alot of tram-lining in my car as well as some noise from the front end going over bumps. you guys think the bushings could be the culprit?

my steering linkage, wheel bearings and ball joints all seem to be tight. i have no play in the wheels; on the toe-axis nor the camber-axis.

any movement i put on the toe-axis moves the entire linkage and transmits to the other wheel. so idk...
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
16,757
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42
Fort Worth, TX
if you've ever replaced the pressure line on the PS with the engine in the car you'll be wishing all sorts of bad stuff to happen to the toyota engineers and their family...

get the front in the air, and then turn the steering wheel so it locks. Now have a buddy push on the tire to try and steer it. see if the rack moves back and forth...
 

flubyux2

Madd Tyte JDM yo ®
Apr 2, 2005
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st. pete, fl
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ill try that next time i go up to my friend's work. my steering wheel didnt lock solidly. there was a few degrees of play in the column and when i pushed and pulled on the tires, i could hear the steering wheel hitting the steering lock. the rack didnt SEEM to move, nothing blatantly obvious but i may have just missed it anyways.
 

spinningheadboy

Ich bin gegan alles
Apr 1, 2005
440
0
16
idaho
You really don't need much movement in the rack to make your front end seem loose. My old bushings were shot due to a bent subframe. The rack only moved half an inch, but that was enough to make the steering feel very loose at times. The poly bushings that Ronnie makes work very well. I have his front poly subframe bushings as well. Pulling the rack is a pain, but I've done it a few times now, and it's worth the effort.

cwd
 

tekdeus

Pronounced Tek-DAY-us
Jan 23, 2006
2,115
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Vancouver Canada
www.bitrontech.com
Just wanted to confirm: can the poly bushings be installed with the rack in the car? What exactly needs to be taken apart? Just wondering if this is worth the trouble of doing it by myself.

P.s. I recently replaced the intermediate steering shaft, and that was the worst job ever! Had to cut the old one out it was so seized.
 

ms07s

TORGUE!
Sep 29, 2007
1,083
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Memphis,Tn
Yes, I did this on mine about a year ago. I would say its easier than the pressure line, but in no way quick or fun. The real PITA is getting the bolts started with the new bushings in place as they have no give. However, no more sloppy steering is well worth the effort!

Unbolt the retainer plates for the bushings, remove stock bushings(whats left of them), install ploy bushings, bolt down plates (PITA), done
 

Asterix

Lurker of Power
Mar 31, 2005
463
32
28
Vienna, VA
ms07s;1310259 said:
Unbolt the retainer plates for the bushings, remove stock bushings(whats left of them), install ploy bushings, bolt down plates (PITA), done

Yea, total PITA. I was able to get the passenger side one in, but I've tried twice to get the driver side one in without success. On my first try, I stripped the back nut because the top strap doesn't move back far enough to get the bolt in straight. The second time (with a new strap and bolt) I tried for over an hour and gave up. I even tried clamping the thing in place for a while with long 1/4" bolts, but that strap still wouldn't go back enough to get either bolt in.

The strap is 45515 here:
http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/EPC/291210/catalog.aspx?F=4505&P=3

Also, be sure the tab on 45515 fits under the little strap for it. Of course, you can't see any of this from below while you're trying to smash everything into place...

Asterix
 

adampecush

Regular Supramaniac
May 11, 2006
2,118
3
38
Edmonton
From my experience, any difficulties in installing the bushings resulted from having them poorly aligned on the rack. There is one and only one position that they can be installed, and if they are off-rotation even by a little bit, it will make your install hell. Credit this to the lack of give that the bushings have. (comparably, the stock rubber bushings will deform a little bit to compensate for poor alignment)
 

ms07s

TORGUE!
Sep 29, 2007
1,083
0
0
Memphis,Tn
^^ Indeed! It took me a few tries before I got the DR side in properly. And you absolutely can not bolt one side down all the way, and then do the other side. You have to get each bolt started before torquing any of them down.