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3rd Gen 4runner rack’n pinion to older style?

JK13

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Member Number
2137
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50
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Boise
Howdy Yall 🤙🏻

Just picked up a sweet 99 SR5 last night. It’s a solid rig but the steering rack is leaking. I’m trying to think ahead cause the eventual plans for this rig is a SAS, am I nuts to go ahead and retrofit a 2nd gen steering box with the stock IFS?

It make’s perfect sense in my mind, add a idler arm and center link and call it a day. I assume I’d tryn adopt either a 3rd gen tierod, unless the 2nd gen ones are close? Idk, there is more research on the specifics but I figured I’d run it past yall to see if there’s anything else I forgot.
 
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So your going to completely scrap the 3rd gen steering from behind the wheels, the steering shaft goes through the firewall and makes a hard 90 to the rack.

You need a new steering shaft a new box mounted to the front of the frame, then cobble something together, scrapping the rack, and creating a front mounted steer setup.


Bus full of nuns will die.

Do it and document it, I want to see.:flipoff2:

I have both sitting at the house 97 SASSED high steer, and a stock 01.

A quick look I don't see it.
 
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Stingray said:
So your going to completely scrap the 3rd gen steering from behind the wheels, the steering shaft goes through the firewall and makes a hard 90 to the rack.

You need a new steering shaft a new box mounted to the front of the frame, then cobble something together, scrapping the rack, and creating a front mounted steer setup.


Bus full of nuns will die.

Do it and document it, I want to see.:flipoff2:

I have both sitting at the house 97 SASSED high steer, and a stock 01.

A quick look I don't see it.
Click to expand...

we are a bit low on tech recently... so don't discourage. :flipoff2:
 
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Not possible to run the steering box with stock knuckles. Would need to fully fab front steering and do a lot of work. Best to just find a junkyard rack and run it till time comes and sell the stock stuff. Here in SoCal stock 1st g taco and 3g 4runner front suspension parts sell easily since if it failed on you it fails on lots of them and good used parts saves people money and sell easily, here atleast
 
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TTMotorsports said:
Not possible to run the steering box with stock knuckles. Would need to fully fab front steering and do a lot of work. Best to just find a junkyard rack and run it till time comes and sell the stock stuff. Here in SoCal stock 1st g taco and 3g 4runner front suspension parts sell easily since if it failed on you it fails on lots of them and good used parts saves people money and sell easily, here atleast
Click to expand...
This is a much more encouraging answer,:beer:
 
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I converted a 1st gen taco to front steer with a box BUT it was a full custom long travel setup. Luckily I was able to get SAS steering shaft cover for the tacoma to let the shaft go forward flatter to run the IFS box on side of frame which than operated swingers inside the frame, this also required custom radiator and no core support because it was a full prerunner aka race truck
 
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Yeah most LKQ pick your parts have 1 or more 6 lug taco/4runner for parts. $60 bux once you get the 90 day warranty refund after you install and make sure it work correctly + a whole $5 back for the core, aka scrap metal they recycle.
 
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Slander said:
Well for one thing the tie rods on the 1999 are on the backside of the knuckle
Click to expand...
Lol, shit. There is the thing i missed :homer:

Stingray said:
So your going to completely scrap the 3rd gen steering from behind the wheels, the steering shaft goes through the firewall and makes a hard 90 to the rack.

You need a new steering shaft a new box mounted to the front of the frame, then cobble something together, scrapping the rack, and creating a front mounted steer setup.


Bus full of nuns will die.

Do it and document it, I want to see.:flipoff2:

I have both sitting at the house 97 SASSED high steer, and a stock 01.

A quick look I don't see it.
Click to expand...
Yeah as I was sitting by the lake puffin a doobie, not actually looking at the rig, I figured:
Adapt/extend steering shaft and mount box as far forward as possible without chopping the front body mount
Match location on other side of frame and fab a mount for the idler arm
Add (custom) center link
But yeah, tie rods on the back of the knuckles fucks that plan

Love your 3rd gen btw

TTMotorsports said:
Not possible to run the steering box with stock knuckles. Would need to fully fab front steering and do a lot of work. Best to just find a junkyard rack and run it till time comes and sell the stock stuff. Here in SoCal stock 1st g taco and 3g 4runner front suspension parts sell easily since if it failed on you it fails on lots of them and good used parts saves people money and sell easily, here atleast
Click to expand...

Haven’t tried sourcing good used parts in Boise yet, when I lived in NorCal I always knew Sac had what I needed. But I’m sure thats the route ill end up going.

YotaAtieToo said:
No way I would put the effort into it if SAS is the plan. You should mount the box with the SAS to make sure it works correctly with the axle you're installing.

A good used rack should be easy to find.
Click to expand...

In the past, I had luck just mounting the box as far forward as possible. But good point regardless to save potentially fabbing shit twice…

Thanks for the replies yall :beer:
 
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JK13 said:
Lol, shit. There is the thing i missed :homer:


Yeah as I was sitting by the lake puffin a doobie, not actually looking at the rig, I figured:
Adapt/extend steering shaft and mount box as far forward as possible without chopping the front body mount
Match location on other side of frame and fab a mount for the idler arm
Add (custom) center link
But yeah, tie rods on the back of the knuckles fucks that plan

Love your 3rd gen btw



Haven’t tried sourcing good used parts in Boise yet, when I lived in NorCal I always knew Sac had what I needed. But I’m sure thats the route ill end up going.



In the past, I had luck just mounting the box as far forward as possible. But good point regardless to save potentially fabbing shit twice…

Thanks for the replies yall :beer:
Click to expand...

$200 gets you an Amazon bolt in to get you by
 
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The knuckles don't have the steering arms on them... The arms are actually on the lower ball joints. The knuckles LBJ mounts looks symmetrical enough that you may be able to swap the ball joints left to right, which puts the steering arms to the front. I think the Ackerman will be fucked up but nothing about this would be super accurate anyway.

But other than that I think it would work.
 
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Knuckle shape is side specific on the upper ball joint. Not possible to switch to front steer running factory components on the tacoma

1st gen taco knuckles.jpg
 
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