Topic: Knuckle/steering

[Toyota+in+Florida]

1979 Toyota pickup 4x4

I have been chasing a problem with my steering for a couple of weeks now. I thought it had something to do with the power steering system. I replaced the power steering pump and disassembled the steering box and cleaned it thoroughly.  After all that i still have a bad vibration in the wheel regardless if the truck is moving or not. I even put a manual steering box on to see if i could get away without the steering but on the test run i kind of wiped out neighbors tulips( I'm proud i missed that mail box ) because it would not turn at all. I mean king Kong would have a difficult time turning this thing. I reinstalled the power steering stuff but i have no idea where to go from here. I greased all the fittings in the linkage so I'm pretty sure that's not it. The vibration should be coming from the high pressure in the pump. So that's were I'm at with the diagnosis.

What on earth could this be? There isn't much left.

[yotaneck13]

factory push pull? OR CROSS OVER ... HOW MUCH LIFT??

[Toyota+in+Florida [OP]]

Its all factory, no modifications have been done to the the steering or suspension.

[yotaneck13]

so if you turn your truck on and jus sit there in neutral your steering wheel vibrates?

[Toyota+in+Florida [OP]]

when the wheel is turned the vibration occurs.

Last night i started it up and cut the the wheel left and right hard several times. After i shut it off i noticed the pump had been spraying fluid out of the front seal (behind the pulley). So I'm guessing i got a bad pump or the pressures are getting so high it is blowing past the seal.  It is enough load on the engine to stall it out at idle.

I also took off the steering stabilizer to check it. It seemed to work fine. I don't have a hammer large enough yet to remove the tie rod ends to see if the problem is in the knuckles. There has to be a reason why the lower part of the steering wont go from right to left without putting an extreme strain on the power steering.

[79yota4x]

mine vibrates if i turn a corner fast  i still have manual steering turing 35in boggers is a pain in the  high steer and power steering soon to come in the next couple weeks.

[highlakestoy]

has the axle been re-built recently? i had a vibration in my old truck and the trunnion bearing on the right side was bad. doesn't explain the pump tough, maybe a bad pump

[Toyota+in+Florida [OP]]

Ok i know its been a while since the posting but i will give the update.

I removed the new PS pump and reinstalled the old pump. I started it up and everything worked like a dream. The only trouble is now there is a popping noise coming from inside the knuckle area in the right front. Again these problems are occuring at a stand still and when rolling. I looked at an 84 manual some and have come up with a new idea. My guess is maybe i bent one of the vertical pins. Could one of these pins being bent or broken cause excessive friction resulting in the power steering to become overloaded?   I tried taking it apart but i could not for the life of me get those acorn washers out to take a look.


As far as i know the axle has not been tampered with.

[Sparkplug]

Is it possible a birfield is broken,a nd that has been the issue the whole time? Maybe its bound up in there and you crushed it? Popping from the front could be rod ends, birf, springs, u bolts, or bushings. You have already replaced the steering system twice, id say check the axle at this point.

acorn nuts are cone washers, smack the side of the arm all around hard, they should pop up, if that dont work put a nut on top and lightly tap it, if that dont work, flat head and chisel it between split in washer

[Toyota+in+Florida [OP]]

Thanks for the ideas. I should have it narrowed down now.  The only way I'm going to find out what is wrong is to tear into it which isn't going to be for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking while its apart i should put a seal kit in.  These Toyota's sure do have the weirdest stuff go wrong with them.