Tie Rods - Signs Your Due to Change Them

You have 35" or 37" tires and are hitting trails that need them? If so you can reinforce them slightly with tie rod sleeves: https://dialeddesignsusa.com/products/toyota-tie-rod-sleeves?variant=47913997271357 and carry a spare inner tie rod for the odd rock or tree branch.

 

Not even. Just 33” RTs w/ a moderate -10 offset wheel. And I’ve been mindful of the overall weight of the wheel and tire too. Just 11lbs over OE per wheel. I have been doing more moderate trails though. Original question was more “how to read or differentiate wear in the inner tie rod ball & socket end or the outer steering knuckle. Folks say don’t worry it’s a Toyota and I’m as big a 4R fanboy here as everyone else but big difference rolling with the stock 32” Grand Treks on OE wheels vs some folks out there w/ 35 or 37 MTs with over -20 offsets.

 

I’d really like to hear how the fitment of either Tundra or the LC rack goes. That would definitely be worth considering but I hear / read it’s a not as simple as just dropping it in. I’m new to the game and still learning but something I learned a few months back is being mindful of what you strengthen or upgrade as beefing up the tie rods might just transfer stresses to the next component eg the steering rack. And far better to replace rods than the entire rack. Never thought of upgrades that way. I’m guessing that’s the controversial aspect you’re referring to?

 

Correct. It’s not a simple rack swap, there’s some fabrication involved. I’ll wait until I go with some sort of long travel suspension since it will require longer tie rods anyways. One downside to the LC rack is you'll lose some steering angle. So for the trails I like to run this is a consideration.

And yes it's controversial because I’ll be more likely to break my steering rack with the upgraded tie rods. This is a risk I’m willing to take with my heavy 34s and soon 35s. (Everything is easier to break now... So I'll upgrade what I can)

For what it's worth I've seen a few tie rods bend and require replacement on the trail. However, my buddies with upgraded tie rods don't typically break racks on the trail. At least that I've seen. I think the 5th gen rack is pretty durable... I've only seen one rack need replacement after a few years wheeling. His rack was worn out, not inoperable. It still worked to get him home. This was after years of wheeling on 35s, using factory tie rods that had been replaced multiple times.

 

Thanks for the info. Reassuring to hear that steering assembly is pretty stout, especially since I’m on the milder side of wheels and tires. Probably be a good idea for me to get acquainted w/ DIY tie rod install. Looks pretty straightforward.

 

With 33's the factory tie rods are good to go. Carry an extra on hand but you'll probably never need it unless you do something stupid.

If you make the jump to 34s or 35s its worth considering upgrading the steering rack or at least the tie rods. But understand that you'll be more likely to transfer that energy into the rack: Since you're essentially upgrading what is meant to be a "fuse" in the system.

 

Pages 8 - 22 go through the Mar Rack install.

https://www.marlincrawler.com/guide/rclt-hd-v1.10.pdf

it’s based on the RCLT, so you still have stock spindles / tie rods to deal with.

Even with that I think it gives you a pretty good idea of what’s involved. There’s definitely a level of commitment required

 

Don't worry, you and they are all going to blow the rack before the inner tie rod joint wears out.

 

The Mar-rack is still undersized for big tires. Better to use a Tundra rack - the Tundra is a heavier-duty vehicle than the LC200 so it has beefier suspension and steering components. Nowadays the kits come with shortened intermediate shaft and eccentric bushings, so installation is easier than four years ago. See: https://toyo-steering.com/products/5th-gen-4runner-tundra-kit?variant=42243026387115