What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

A small air horn with a built in compressor for the folks out there on the road not paying attention.

 

Big Brown Truck brings the best stuff.

 

Too bad Denver only got very little snow..

 

That's got to be good for three inches of road salt at least.

 

Show me the air horn you installed and how you installed it. I have been wanting to do this to my 4Runner for a long time.

 

Back in the day I had air horn mounted to the Rago light bar bracket.

 

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary - This means you may not get the same results as others do.
FWIW= For What It's Worth - Maybe you can use the given information, or maybe it's worthless. Only you can decide.

 

The horn:

$30 FARBIN Air Horn for Truck,Compact Train Horn,Electric Car Horn 12V 150db Super Loud with Wiring Harness and Push Button Switch for Any 12V Vehicles

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9KY1S4X

there is a short video along with the pictures on the Amazon website. You can see how loud it is.

 

Here is your answer because obviously….Well nevermind.


Short answer: yes, there’s real-world evidence of people damaging steering components by yanking on the steering wheel — but it usually takes repeated abuse, body-weight loading, or shock loads, not a casual tug.

Here’s the breakdown, with data points and actual experiences rather than internet folklore.

What people actually break (and how)
1.
Tilt / telescoping mechanisms
Most commonly damaged part.
What fails:

• Tilt pawls and locking teeth
• Telescoping lock sleeves
• Tilt motor gears (on power columns)

How it happens
•Using the steering wheel as a grab handle to pull yourself into the vehicle
•Pulling hard while the column is unlocked
•Jerking the wheel during off-road articulation

Evidence

• Toyota, GM, Ford TSBs exist for loose or sagging columns traced to driver entry loads
• Fleet vehicles (police, delivery vans) show accelerated tilt wear from repeated use as a handhold
• Multiple dealership tech reports note: “Column loose due to driver pulling on steering wheel during ingress/egress”

This is so common that many owner’s manuals explicitly warn against it.


2.
Steering wheel frame deformation
Rare, but documented.

What fails

• Magnesium or steel wheel frame bends
• Airbag mounting points loosen

How it happens

• Full body weight used repeatedly (especially tall trucks/SUVs)
• People “vaulting” themselves up using the wheel

Evidence

• NHTSA crash investigation notes include post-incident inspection findings of bent steering wheels where no collision occurred
• Body shops have documented bent wheels in trucks owned by elderly or mobility-limited drivers who used the wheel as a support bar

This usually shows up as:

• Wheel no longer centered
• Airbag cover not sitting flush
• Slight vibration at speed

3.
Clock spring (spiral cable) damage
Indirect but real.

What fails

•Internal ribbon cable fatigues or tears

How it happens

•Steering wheel pulled while turned to lock
•Sudden jerking forces transmitted through the hub

Evidence

• Clock spring failures are over-represented in vehicles where steering wheels are used as grab points
• Toyota and BMW tech training materials specifically mention non-steering loads as a contributor

Symptoms:

• Airbag light
• Horn or steering wheel controls intermittent

4.
Steering column bearings & shafts


Uncommon, but possible.

What fails

• Upper column bearings
• Intermediate shaft play

How it happens

• Repeated shock loads (off-roading + pulling)
• Vertical loads the system was never designed for

Evidence

• Off-road forums (4Runner, Tacoma, Jeep) have multiple teardown photos showing brinelled bearings traced to steering wheel loading
• More common in body-on-frame vehicles with long column angles

What doesn’t usually break

To be clear:

• Tie rods, racks, steering gears → almost never affected
• EPS motors → very unlikely
• Steering wheel splines → extremely rare unless abused

The damage almost always lives above the firewall, not below it.



Manufacturer stance (this matters)
Nearly every OEM says some version of:

“Do not use the steering wheel as a support for entering or exiting the vehicle.”

Why? Because:

• Steering systems are designed for rotational torque, not vertical or lateral body loads
• Safety margins exist, but they assume incidental loads, not repetitive use

Practical takeaway

• Occasional pulling won’t destroy anything
• Repeated body-weight loading absolutely can
• Damage is usually progressive, not catastrophic

If someone says “I leaned on my wheel once and it broke my steering rack” — yeah, that’s nonsense.

But if someone uses it daily as a grab bar? Totally believable failure mode.

YMMV FWIW

 

Get the boomblasters - plenty of sounds and choices.
https://www.boomblasters.com/product/dukes-dixie-sounds-car-horn/

 

FYI, Banks now has an iDash Stealth Pod for 4Runners.

 

Mickey Thompsons mounted and road force balanced.

 

Those will be my replacements in about 20k more miles.

 

How loud are they? I'm eyeing them but the ones on my boss's truck are loud! He bought them used and they're cupped so who knows how that affects them.

 

The cupping will add a lot of noise depending on the severity.

 

Windshield saga Pt II.

This is from the estimate I got from the dealership that I go to:

• OEM replacement glass: $732.85
• Moulding: $ 37.01
• Sensor Recalibration: $690.00 WTF?!!!
• Install Labor: $250.00

Total (w/tax): $1,781.07

My insurance deductible: $100.00

 

Can it be used as a grab handle?

 

Once?

 

My Bosses currently have 30,578 miles on them and I estimate a good 3,000 miles are over desert terrain, around 5,000 miles on forest service trails, +15,000 highway miles and the rest just easy city miles.

Thing I've observed regarding treadwear is that my rig has a good +450 lbs of permanent add-on weight, rising to well over 700 lbs all geared up for a trip or around 600 lbs with work gear. I normally run the tires at around 38-40 psig in summer and 32-35 psig in winter. After just now measuring tread depth I've come to the conclusion that, for my rigs present dry weight that the winter pressures have really affected treadwear. Keep in mind that I *should have* upped the tire pressure to around 36-38 psig because there has been no snow in my regular driving area (only a few trips to higher elevations to find some) and I'm seeing a good 0.05" difference between the center and outer sections of the tread width (0.17 nom at the outer edges and 0.22" nom at the centers.)

There doesn't seem to be any signs of cupping but the rubber compound (and treadlife!) has really taken a hit with the summer and desert heat. I already see signs of groove cracking (which leads to tread separation) and can confirm that my tires are just now starting to vibrate at highway speeds.


I think it's time for some new shoes for Photon....after I get the windshield repaired that is...


Front Profile

Front Side


Rear Profile

Rear Side


I probably could have gotten a ton more miles out of these tires if it weren't for the groove cracking. As for noise, these tires were absolutely quiet for the first 15,000-20,000 miles and smooth as glass (even with a conventional, not Road Force, balancing). Now I can hear about maybe 50% of a fresh set of mud terrains worth of road noise and vibration, almost to the point one might think it's the wheel bearings going south.

 

Looks like a decent amount. Last time I was Texas, this shut down the area I was in for a day and a half.

 

Very nice! Were you able to see the road force numbers? On the fence between BB and KO3's. I'm about 3 months out. Show some more pics if you can.

 

They are quiet and smooth as glass! Wish I would have done them sooner.

 

The tire tech was cool (maybe because I walked across the street and bought him a coffee) and let me watch the process on one of the tires. 12 lbs of force and 2oz of weight. He said all 4 were under 16lbs.

 

for anyone wondering (like I was) --
Axel Fabrication & Repair there is a new fancy website (not in any SEO rankings) https://axelfab.com/
related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPwIZsDm8-g

 

Nobody cares.

 

But still, I read it.

#nerdy

 

How much easier is it to change the oil on that crosstrek?

My wife has an outback. Oil changes are done in 15 minutes.

 

I have the same clunk on the passenger side front. Always been there.

Did you get rid of the clunk with the 2R kit?

 

But cared enough for a reply.
I for one appreciated the time and effort @Saker took to help the curiosity of @pursuitofnow. The information was well layout and clear to digest. TLDR; using a steering wheel for as a long term ingress aid is detrimental to the steering wheel and related components. Factors like driver's mass and pull force will most likely accelerate the damage to the components. If you use your steering wheel as an ingress aid, just be aware how often and how aggressive those usages are.

Also I learned:
Brinelling and spalling are distinct bearing failure modes: brinelling is permanent, shock-induced indentation (plastic deformation), while spalling is the flaking or pitting of material caused by sub-surface fatigue. Brinelling marks often lead directly to premature spalling.