Steering Rack Adjustment?

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2004-tundra-steering-rack-preload-adjustment.74750/
This thread is what im curious about.
Anyone ever try messing with the preload on their racks? Mine has a slight clunk sound when you rock the tire back and forth horizontally. Also steering is loose when im on rough terrains. New rack bushings also, no leaks. Had my friend look under there while I was doing it and it was obvious it was the rack. I was thinking about messing around with this, but I want to know if ya’ll have some updated info on this first.

To my understanding, Tacomas, 4runners, camrys, etc all have this adjustment and are noted on other forums. Not too much information on here about it.

 

I'd look at condition of inner/outer tie rods before messing with that. Also, lack of information on the special service tool or having to fabricate one out of a 27mm hex head bolt/nut would keep me from it. Horizontal slop and clunk points to tie rods as well.

 

Tie rods are good… We pulled the inner boots off and inspected while moving the wheel.
I’m tempted to just steal the right sized hex head bolt from work and tinker with it tonight.

 

Real curious about this myself - please report back on your venture either way ey?

I've done this on steering boxes (my old T100's and Chevy's) but never on newer racks like this. I've had luck with my rack so far with good tie rods, poly rack bushings and new end links - no clunking for me. Have you been under the vehicle and had a buddy give her the wiggle on pavement and you hearing clunks IN the rack?

Is your plan to use some torque wrench or simply snug it up a little and check play/feel?

 

I messed with it a little bit today and yesterday. I got a bolt that was a little bit bigger than the size I needed and grinded it down to fit. Yesterday I turned it the slightest bit with a breaker bar and I gotta say that sucker is pretty tight. Not sure if I should have messed with it since it was that tight, but the results were pretty interesting.

I drove it to work and went over the notorious bumpy *** railroad tracks which my steering wheel shakes like the dickens. Seemed like it was allieviated a tiny bit from adjusting it. Not perfect, so I cranked on the adjustment a little bit more and took it for a test drive. Went over the rail road tracks again and my steering wheel kept straight. Usually its all over the place.

I don’t mind messing with it since putting in a new rack wasnt out of the question, but my curiousity went crazy after reading about it on 4runner and Tacoma forums.

 

Made this to turn it. Hex head goes in the rack and you just turn the nut .