DIY steering rack repair Toyota Corolla 120

Any unit and mechanism in a car has a certain service life, which can be significantly reduced under constant loads and improper use. One of the elements that is most exposed to wear is the steering column, which is constantly in use due to the turns of the steering wheel. On Toyota Corolla, a knock in the steering column indicates a malfunction in the control system and requires an early search for the causes of its occurrence and, if possible, eliminate it.

As with most modern cars, the Corolla uses the front wheels to control the direction of travel. They are steering, and they are controlled by the steering gear and the drive. The steering column connects the wheels to the steering system.

The features of the steering rack of the Toyota Corolla in the 120 body, as in the 150th, as well as in cars manufactured in 2001, 2002, 2003, are similar, and most often the faults are of the same nature, the diagnostic and repair scheme.

Malfunctions, as well as malfunctions, which most often appear in the steering mechanism, are the occurrence of a light knock. He says that the bushings have worn out, which, due to the backlash, create a slight tapping. Replacing this component can be done by hand and does not cause great difficulties.

The second element, which often fails during operation and which you can repair yourself, is the lower crosspiece.

Another reason to pay attention to the steering mechanism is the deterioration in vehicle handling. This may indicate that the steering rod has worn out - it has been deformed or the threads on it have been torn off.

The steering head is another important element in the system. The cause of its failure can be the ingress of moisture and dust on the gum, as well as its drying out.

The steering rack includes mechanisms such as an electric rack, a column, steering tips, cardan shafts and rods. The failure of any of them is most often determined by the elimination method.

Before you disassemble and start repairing the steering rack on the Toyota Corolla 150 body, you should exclude the malfunction of the tips. For such a diagnosis, you will need an assistant. One person should swing the handlebars easily and not quickly, and the other should check each bearing (model ZZE122 Koyo). In a faulty one, the knock will be felt with the palm of your hand. It is such an element - ZZE122 Koyo - that is original and recommended by the manufacturer for replacement.

The steering rack in a Toyota Corolla (body 120 or 150) of any year of manufacture, even with long-term maintenance and being constantly in operation, fails quite often, which cannot be said about the steering column or the shaft extending from it.

Dampness and salt, constant loads and the presence of dust provide the steering rack on a Toyota Corolla with a shortened effective life. Repairing this element does not always require complete removal of the part. To carry it out, you will need an oiler, as well as a drill and a threading tool (electric or manual).

The machine is driven onto a pit or lift and a high level of light access is provided. In the very same rail, a segment is selected, which can be approached with instruments.

Drilling should be very careful, trying not to damage other parts, going deep only to the required depth.

An oiler is screwed into the prepared thread, and grease is poured into the column. Then you should wipe off the excess from the surface and put on the rubber cap. Most often, after that, the knocking under the steering wheel no longer occurs.

On some models of 2011 with a body of 120 and 150, both the left and right steering wheels are made with a large backlash of the cross, not providing a tight contact, which causes a knock in the very near future after purchase. Also, the disassembly of some models, regardless of the model year of the body, indicates poor fixation of the cross-piece bolts, which can rotate and unwind during operation.

As a rule, knocking appears in most cases after 90-100 thousand kilometers, but at the same time it requires contacting a service station as soon as possible. It is loud enough and heard well, and the steering wheel does not become less tight or poorly controlled.

If it is necessary to replace the bushing, then the following actions should be performed:

• for replacement, you need to remove the steering column shield by unscrewing the bolts and unhooking the latches;
• part of the air outlet is also removed;
• all fasteners fixing the steering column are unscrewed;
• the column itself is removed.

After removing it together with the steering wheel, it should be installed on a prepared surface covered with foam rubber or a rag. The shaft is pulled out and cleaned of old grease, relubricated and reinstalled.

If the cause of the knock is a worn or deformed crosspiece, then it needs to be replaced. For this, the fasteners of the steering column protective cover are unscrewed (all three bolts are removed). The worn cross is removed from the seat, and its surface is wiped from dirt and dust and lubricated. After that, a new element is installed.

If the reason for the knock is in the steering rods, then to replace them, it will be necessary to:

• balloon wrench;
• jack;
• standard puller of ball elements;
• two sets of new steering rods (whatever the body of the car, they are replaced in pairs).

From the side of the replacement, the wheel is removed, and the steering wheel is turned in the direction where the replacement is not performed. The cotter pin is bent and the nut is unscrewed. After all fasteners have been removed, the tie rod end is removed. After that, the traction itself is unscrewed. A new set of parts is lubricated and re-installed in the reverse order.

The knocking noise caused by a failed bearing (original - ZZE122 Koyo) should be eliminated as soon as possible. This is a rather complicated and time-consuming process that should be entrusted to experienced professionals.

Whatever the body of your Toyota Corolla, Fielder or a car of another model, regardless of the year of manufacture and generation, you should pay sufficient attention to the effective maintenance of the car. It is necessary to timely identify malfunctions in its operation, especially those that affect controllability, and, consequently, safety. And if detected, perform timely elimination of problems.

I bring to your attention a photo report on the repair of the steering rack of a 2001 Toyota Corolla, 120th body with a right-hand drive.

The need to replace the bushing was signaled daily by a terrible clang and clatter when driving over small bumps / irregularities (there are plenty of them in our city).

So:
1. We drive the car into the garage, turn the wheels straight. We fix the steering wheel with a seat belt against turning. Car on jacks. Removing the front wheels.

2. Unscrew the stretcher. Bolts and nuts are marked in red.

3. And one more subframe bolt on each side.

4. Unscrew the steering end nuts on each side and unscrew the nuts.

We get such a picture

Then carefully remove the steering tips from the steering knuckle. Ideally a puller. I used a hammer because the tips were going to change.

5. On the right side under the steering wheel, remove the plastic protection. There are two clips (marked in red).

6. Unscrew the bolt securing the intermediate shaft and bend the boot latches (indicated by arrows). We make marks on the shaft!

7. The subframe is lowered by holding on to the ball joints and stabilizer struts.

8. Unscrew the 4 bolts securing the steering rack.

10. Remove the boot and unscrew the intermediate shaft. Making labels!

eleven.Unscrew the lock nut with a gas wrench.

12. With these "thin-nose pliers" the nut is perfectly unscrewed.

13. Remove the anthers from the steering rods.

14. Turn off the steering rods.

The rail is held with a 22 key. The rod is unscrewed with a 32 key. There were no lock washers.

15. Using a gas wrench, unscrew the adjusting nut locknut.

I unscrewed everything together.

16. We remove the spring and the pusher.

17. Pull the shaft out with a little effort by hand.

19. On the left side of the rack housing, behind an aluminum retaining ring, the hero of the occasion is hidden - a plastic sleeve.

20. I removed this circlip using this bolt and two (inserted into each other from the tool kit extension).

With a large bolt head, he hooked on the edge of an aluminum sleeve, and inside he hit the bolt with a metal extension (he hit the extension with a hammer).

The sleeve flew out in 3 light blows.

22. We clean everything. Here you can see the inner bearing.

23. After global cleaning, grease the rail. I used this one.

24. Insert a new bushing. I put the original one. From fluoroplastic, etc. I didn’t find it, maybe they would be more durable, although I don’t know.

We put a retaining ring on top of the installed sleeve.

And press in with a suitable size head.

25. Insert the rail and shaft. We tighten the nut and locknut onto the shaft.

26. Put back the pusher, the spring and tighten the adjusting nut.

27. We fasten the steering rods. I used a thread lock (blue, split).

29. Clamps are perfectly tightened with pliers.

30. We tighten the steering tips (the left and right are different).

31. Reassemble in reverse order + trip to camber / toe.

Symptoms: knocks in the steering rack, manifested when driving through small irregularities (disease of all korollopodobnye with electric power steering).
Diagnosis of servicemen - replacing the rail (in practice, it does not help out for long and costs a lot).
Solution: replacing anything in the rail that can knock. And there are only two places knocking in such rails - the adjusting unit and in the area of ​​the bushing located at the opposite end of the rail (in the case of right-hand drive cars - the left side of the rail). And since nothing needs to be changed in the adjusting unit, all repairs are reduced to replacing the factory bushing with a custom-made one.

Patients: Will VS 2002 1.5 L (electric power steering!)

We climb into the pedal assembly and remove the protection from the steering shaft, unscrew it by hand, and remove it easily:

We completely unscrew the bolt securing the intermediate shaft to the crosspiece:

IMPORTANT! Put the wheels straight, remove the key from the ignition, lock the steering wheel. This is done in order to prevent, after removing the rack, turning the steering wheel by a number of revolutions more than it should be. Otherwise, a break in the wires of the "snail" of the airbag and the resulting malfunction of the latter are inevitable.

We hang out in front of the car and throw off the wheels (front enough).

Next is the removal of the steering rack. It has been proven from our own experience that it is possible to unscrew the rail fasteners without additional disassembly, but pulling out the rail is very time consuming. Do not waste time, twist the stretcher - you will save a lot of time and effort.

But first - the steering tips: take out the cotter pin, unscrew the nut, hit the place indicated below with a sharp, biting hammer blow, and the finger falls out by itself (we do it with both sides

We unscrew the subframe, 4 bolts to the body, 3 bolts in the area of ​​the rear engine mount and 3 nuts in the same place.

After that, the subframe, together with the rack, gently (if you planned to unscrew the last bolt correctly) lowers and hangs on the levers and the anti-roll bar. Everything - the rail at a glance: unscrew:

We remove and carry to the workbench

Let's start disassembling it:
1) Remove the rubber boot.

2) Take the 12 key and unscrew the bolt shown in the photo.

3) Remove the intermediate shaft.

4) Unscrew the lock nut (used a gas wrench)

5) Unscrew the clamping cup of the rack shaft.

6) Then we put on and fix the intermediate shaft again, then take out the entire shaft with the bearing with a light blow with a copper hammer on it.

7) Turning the rail over, disassemble the adjusting unit: unscrew the lock nut with a 41 key

8) Then we unscrew the adjusting cup using any flat object, take out the spring and the pressure piston.

9) Remove the left anther, very carefully so as not to break (we draw inside along the circumference of the anther with a non-sharp object)

10) Unscrew the left rod from the rail using keys 29 and 22.

11) On the back side, we loosen the large clamp and detach the boot.

12) Take the rolling pin out of the rail, put it aside.

13) We look at the rail from the left end - we see an aluminum hold-down washer, behind it is the notorious bushing.

14) We hook the washer with a hook and knock it out, then take out the sleeve.

Here it is - the sleeve, because of which all the ailments. )

For left hand drive

Modifying a pre-made PTFE bushing according to the attached drawing.

15) On the new sleeve, we make a longitudinal cut necessary for its compression and setting in place. We orient the cut in the direction of the car's movement - in this direction the rail experiences the least stress.

16) Lubricate the sleeve and gently straighten the sleeve, check the fit of the sleeve with the free end of the rolling pin.

17) Press in the aluminum washer with a suitable head. Insert the rolling pin into place. We insert the shaft into place, for this, with a 22 key, we swing the rolling pin around its axis and at the same time push the shaft - at a certain moment the gears are aligned and the shaft falls through. We tighten the clamping sleeve of the shaft until it stops, we counter it with a lock nut. We assemble the adjusting unit, tighten the adjusting cup until it stops and release it by 90 degrees, counter nut with a counter nut. Subsequently, the tightening torque can be adjusted on the machine after a test drive with a certain skill, the mechanism must be tightened until the steering wheel returns to the straight position when exiting the turn. Pull into place, anthers into place, tighten. Rail for stretcher, stretcher for cars. Near the rear (in relation to the rear of the car) fastenings of the subframe to the body there are holes on the body and on the subframe, the combination of which excludes the removal of the caster. (holes in the photo)

Tips to the levers, set the wheels straight, the steering wheel is straight from the very beginning. We pull everything in and climb into the salon. There we loosen the upper crosspiece, move the shaft between the crosspieces up and put the lower crosspiece on the intermediate shaft. We are tightening everything. Subsequently, you can similarly align the steering wheel if, when driving straight, the steering wheel looks slightly to the side.

Quite expensive and time-consuming tuning with the replacement of the steering column of the Toyota Corolla 120 can be done both at a service station for cars of the Toyota family, and in your own garage with your own hands. But, before embarking on "all serious", you need to make sure that the cause of extraneous knocks that give off to the steering wheel and the body is precisely the malfunction of the steering rack.

In the experience of motorists described in the article, there are also easier repair methods.

Switch off the engine and start shaking the steering wheel from side to side with a swing of about 5-7 cm. If you hear a tapping sound, then the reason is the steering system mechanisms. However, if the knock resembles, as it were, a tapping somewhere very close under the steering wheel, then this is the sound of an electrical loop. You shouldn't pay attention to it.

The steering mechanisms of Toyota Corolla include a steering column, cardan shafts, as well as the steering rack itself with rods and tips. It is better to determine the failure of an individual mechanism by the elimination method.

First you need to exclude the malfunction of the handpieces as the cause of the knocking. An assistant is needed here. When he gently shakes the steering wheel on the sides, you need to alternately grab the tips with your palm. In a defective hinge with a large backlash requiring repair, the sound will be felt with the palm of your hand.

The steering column itself or the shaft extending from it to the rail practically fail very rarely.The steering rack suffers much more with high mileage. In addition, it rusts a lot from damp and salt. This can also cause its premature failure.

One of the cheapest ways to restore the Toyota Corolla steering rack is to repair it without dismantling it. For this operation, you need to stock up on an M6 grease nipple with a rubber cap for it and 400 g Mannol grease.

The figure shows two grease fittings with caps, but one must be selected for this repair. One for which there is both a drill and a tap.

Next, you need to drive the car into a hole, organize a good lighting at the location of the steering rack. In the rail itself, choose a place where you can get close with a drill, a threading tool and a syringe press.

In the selected place, we first drill a hole, then we try to extract as much as possible from it the chips and metal crumbs formed during drilling. To do this, you can use a vacuum cleaner and all kinds of wire hooks with strips of rags.

Moreover, we do the drilling very carefully so that after the moment of passing the rail body, the drill does not go deeper and does not damage other parts.

We cut the threads and screw the oil can into the hole. To prevent spontaneous unscrewing of the oiler during further operation, you can apply a thread lock to its threaded part before screwing in. This composition is sold in any car dealership. Buy the smallest volume of those offered.

Then, using a syringe press, fill the column with grease.

The amount of lubricant for repairs was taken arbitrarily - 400 g. Wipe the surface of the rail next to the oiler, put a rubber cap on it. It is noticed that the steering wheel is getting a little heavier, but the knocks of the rail are no longer audible.

This repair can be considered universal for most cars, both for the Toyota Corolla 120 and for models of the Toyota family of later and higher class models.

And yet, before the decision is made to drill the rack housing, you need to check for play in two more steering gear crosses, which are located in the cabin under the steering wheel. Another source of knocking can be a telescopic tube that regulates the reach of the rudder. Quite often, the knocking comes from these parts, and it will be very offensive when, when doing all the work on stuffing grease into the rail, the knocking does not stop.

Sometimes crosses with large backlash are installed directly at the factory, and they begin to knock after a short run. Despite the brand name of the car, sometimes the knock can be caused by the bolts to fix the crosspieces on the shaft. They are often not locked, they turn away and knocks occur in these joints.

It is the steering racks of the Toyota Corolla that begin to knock and usually require repair only after a run of more than 100 thousand kilometers. First of all, the knock begins to be heard when the wheels hit the bumps in the road - potholes and bumps. This sound is quite loud, but with a dull tinge and does not give off to the steering wheel, vibration shocks are not felt with your hands.

For this type of service of the Toyota Corolla 120 steering rack, the recommended lubricant is AZMOL FIOL-1. If we compare it with Litols, then it wins a lot, since it belongs to the NLGI 1-class and is characterized by low viscosity even at low temperatures. In addition, this grease does not contain molybdenum disulfides, which can adversely affect the polymer elements of the steering rack.