I have a 05 Tacoma with a 3in body lift and 3in.

Tiny
ANONYMOUS
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA
  • 10,400 MILES
I have a 05 Tacoma with a 3in body lift and 3in suspension lift. It had a small pinhole leak in the hydraulic line off of the rack and pinion (took it off and a shop put it on a machine with air to see where the leak was). You can buy just the hydraulic line for the rack and pinion so I bought a used rack and pinion and took the hydraulic line off of it and replaced the one on the truck. It is not leaking anymore but now when I turn right it is extremely hard. Should I have bled the power steering after replacing this line? Does this sound like air in the line? Thanks for your help!
Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 1:29 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
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The system is self bleeding and if the problem persists after a little driving, the replacement rack is faulty.
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 2:23 PM
Tiny
SUMMERRONNIEBOYETT
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Does it matter that we didn't replace the entire rack? We only replaced the hydraulic line as that was the only thing leaking. Up until we replaced the line the power steering was working fine (kept putting power steering fluid in it as the leak was only a pinhole and only leaked when turning left).
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
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Sorry I misread the last part. While doing the job, debris could have gotten into the lines and this can clog the valve body resulting in the heavy steerin to one side. The other possibility the replaced hydraulic line itself is clogged, kinked or the port was clogged. You need to remove the lines and check for clogging.
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 3:26 PM
Tiny
SUMMERRONNIEBOYETT
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What would be the best way to check for debris and how would I clean it out? The line shouldn't be kinked since it is a hard metal line. Thanks for your help!
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 3:42 PM
Tiny
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Hard metal lines can be kinked, especially when excessive bending occurs. Remove the lines and blow throught it to test if it is clogged. Ensure the port where the line goes in at the steering rack valve body does not have foreign materials lodged. Ensure the opening at tip of lines are round and not damaged.
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 3:58 PM
Tiny
SUMMERRONNIEBOYETT
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I will give that a try. Thank you for your assistance!
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 3:59 PM
Tiny
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You're welcome.
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 4:11 PM
Tiny
SUMMERRONNIEBOYETT
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So my husband drove the truck home and now there is no power steering when turning either direction. He took off the line and the fluid gushed out and he didn't see anything blocking it. His pump and power steering worked fine yesterday until he took the power steering line off of the rack and put it back on. Any other ideas?
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012 AT 9:58 PM
Tiny
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Was the fluid level correct?
Are there any bubbles in the reservoir?
Seems the pump has failed if there are no power assist. Check the reservoir for clogging of the strainer within. You need ot drain the fluid to check.
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Friday, October 26th, 2012 AT 10:01 AM
Tiny
SUMMERRONNIEBOYETT
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It ended up being air in the lines. After we jacked the truck up and turned the wheel from side to side it released a lot of air and the power steering is working perfectly now! Thanks for your help!
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Monday, October 29th, 2012 AT 2:10 PM
Tiny
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You're welcome.
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Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 AT 1:05 PM

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