2003 Tacoma Steering Rack mount

[Dirt Yota]

Wasn’t sure what section for this so figured suspension and steering go together, enough.

Stuffed it a while back pretty good on passenger side, rack appeared to skip some teeth internally and was ready to be swapped.

Took old rack out, went to put new OEM rack in with a fancy billet rack mount…

-2003 Tacoma
-bent rack mount and stud
-passenger side upper stud/bolt for D bushing

Try to remove and hope nut isn’t fubar and I can get a new one in or hammer that shit straight and send it?

Just before pulling old rack


Upper stud very happy to see me


333 Fab billet bracket told something ain’t lining up


Stock bracket/mount lines up haha




Any suggestion or past experience and tips for this one

 

[Turboyota]

I’d try using heat(MAPP gas or smoke saw—oxy acetylene), get the area around the studs red hot and try to bend them back to stock~ish location. After that invariably DOESN’T work, cut the entire face of the stud plate off and make a new one.

Cut here and replace with a beefier plate with nuts welded to the back side.


Use the rack to tack that motherfucker in place, verify everything is level, cycle the suspension with the coilovers removed, and once you’re sure it’s location is legit, burn that fucker on.

 

[Turboyota]

Slip a tube over the stud and bed down once the area around the base of the stud Orange hot…

 

[Dirt Yota]

I’d try using heat(MAPP gas or smoke saw—oxy acetylene), get the area around the studs red hot and try to bend them back to stock~ish location. After that invariably DOESN’T work, cut the entire face of the stud plate off and make a new one.

Cut here and replace with a beefier plate with nuts welded to the back side.
View attachment 40712

Use the rack to tack that motherfucker in place, verify everything is level, cycle the suspension with the coilovers removed, and once you’re sure it’s location is legit, burn that fucker on.

Ugh I run a zip tie/duct tape only shop here… we don’t do fab work in this garage hoping a lil heat and a pipe will do the trick!

 

[Dirt Yota]

View attachment 40713

Slip a tube over the stud and bed down once the area around the base of the stud Orange hot…

Gonna give her a try. Hopefully yota gods smile down upon me!

 

[the bodj]

Ugh I run a zip tie/duct tape only shop here… we don’t do fab work in this garage hoping a lil heat and a pipe will do the trick!

I know a guy that can get you squared away

 

[Dirt Yota]

I know a guy that can get you squared away

Do tell… do they make house calls?

 

[Dirt Yota]

It’s straight but…

nut is no longer attached


Slid a small piece of pipe on tweaked stud, applied light pressure as tester for feel and fucker popped off! Didn’t get to use torch.

So I guess fab work is required! As I figured it would be.

Trucks funds are low as it is apparently not a family priority (even though 2.5 out of 4 think it is) but I’ll update with pics once sorted out.

Open for ideas, suggestions like Turboyota gave above if anyone has some or has done this already.

 

[Turboyota]

Scalp this fucker and thru bolt it.

 

[the bodj]

Do tell… do they make house calls?

I’ll message you my number. We can probably work something out lol

 

[the bodj]

Scalp this fucker and thru bolt it.

View attachment 40748

I replied before reading the rest of the replies.

Definitely do this. Sawzall will make quick work of it (use the Diablo metal blades. Milwaukee torch blades are garbage). Then use a drill next size up to get rid of those threads, put a bolt from outside in, use a box end wrench to hold the nut inside the cavity (lol), tighten away. When you’re done, cut it all off and TTB swap

 

[Dirt Yota]

Scalp this fucker and thru bolt it.

View attachment 40748

I may give this a whirl. That would be a quick temporary fix to get into shop. One would assume can/will bend again…right.

 

[Dirt Yota]

I’ll message you my number. We can probably work something out lol

Still interested in a proper fabbed fix/strengthen for this.

 

[desert_steve]

I'd try what turboyota suggested, should be fairly straightforward.

If thats not "it", I think Tommy makes some kind of badass wazoo swing set steering for this platform?

 

[4xFoorOffroad]

@sdecurti had to rebuild the whole mount previously:

Local Legend Post in thread 'The 4 lives of a 1997 4runner'

Oct 1, 2023

Hammerd down on the rebuild. Didnt want the truck down for long with dez season upon us. Tore it down quickly, designed and had @the_fablab_ cut them out for me.

• sdecurti

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