Clearance in the steering rack or somewhere(?)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by OptimusPriustus, Aug 12, 2023.

  1. OptimusPriustus

    OptimusPriustus Active Member

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    Whenever i start the car and turn steering wheel while manouvering out from tight parking space i feel tiny bump in the steering. Almost like there is some slack/clearance in the system. And I only feel it once which really make me wonder. ICE on or off does not seem to influence (pwr steering is electric so that is no wonder). Dealership has never reported anything when they have serviced the car. Annual inspections (required by local DMV) have also passed without complaints and those guys are pretty picky when it comes to brakes, steering, suspension.

    i know this is not uncommon. There still is no clear root cause that we would be aware of?
     
    #1 OptimusPriustus, Aug 12, 2023
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    A common suspect would be the tie rod ends.

    Annual inspections are looking for the ones that are dangerous and may not notice ones that have a "tiny bump" problem.
     
    #2 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Aug 12, 2023
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Inner rack ends have been weak links in many Toyota vehicle rack and pinion steering systems in my Corolla they would do this sometimes very quickly The inner rack end will be moving in its housing clunk clunk clunk just barely jogging the steering wheel If you pull the tie rod ends and whatnot out of the vehicle many times it'll be the left side and you can literally feel it when you reach up and grab the threads of the rack and still attached to the rack and just gently pull it side to side dunk dunk dunk dunk. Pretty simple to replace and then in the old power racks there was a big adjustment internal nut what was it like 24 mm you undid the 26 or 28 mm lock ring and then you have this box end looking wrench with the hex sticking out of the wrench that would stick into the rack adjuster this adjusted a half circle piece against the rack itself to keep it sliding in the assembly without any free play I think that was done away with I don't know 2000ish I'm not really positive of that when they did away with that fitting.
     
    #3 Tombukt2, Aug 12, 2023
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What’s the miles on it? Do you encounter a lot of speed bumps and/or rough roads?
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Aug 12, 2023
  5. OptimusPriustus

    OptimusPriustus Active Member

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    141k miles and not much speed bumps. Half the year smooth tarmac and the other half all kinds of ”unevenness” because of snow and ice..
     
    #5 OptimusPriustus, Aug 12, 2023
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
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