Front suspension and steering

[Fillupamerica]

The front end suspension on my 1988 cargo van is very bad and bouncy. When you hit bumps in the road you definitely feel it. I would appreciate any recommendations for brands and part numbers. Things I plan to fix:

Upper ball joint
Lower ball joint
Stabilizer bar link
Shock absorber (Which brands are the best ones to use? There's about 20 different brands on rockauto)
rack and pinon (or sway bar retrofit??)
tie rod ends
power steering pump


Some questions on redoing front suspension and steering:

1. The rack and pinon leaks at the gear component where the steering bar meets the rack and pinon (what is this thing called? Can this be stopped with Lucas brand leak stop? Can it be rebuilt with a gasket kit? Easier to find a whole new rack and pinon?)

2. The power steering pump whines terribly (could it be fixed by rebuilding the pump?)

3. Can the whole power steering system be done away with by retrofitting a sway bar from a Toyota truck or 4runner? Is there a sway bar that fits these vans?

4. There is a lot of play in the inner tie rod ends that attach to the rack and pinon. Is this normal? Could this be why my van really likes turning left?

[ninz30]

It's easier to replace the rack and pinion. The reason the PS pump whines, is because there isn't enough ATF in the system due to your leaky R&P. I would replace the R&P and get an alignment done.

[timsrv]

I've had the power steering whine on 2 of my vans. In both cases it was a plugged up screen inside the power steering fluid reservoir. Here's a thread:

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?214-Power-steering-system-noise

I wouldn't recommend disabling the power steering. The bevel gear on these vans isn't the greatest. Taking away power steering puts more stress on it.

Here's a thread on ball joints:

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?123-How-to-replace-your-ball-joints-in-about-2-hours-(2wd)

Discussion on brands:

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?2295-Aftermarket-Tie-Rod-Ends-and-Idler-Arm

When it comes to shocks I like KYB. Gas-a-Just shocks are mono-tube and the GR2 is a twin tube design. Mono-tube is a superior design, so IMO these would work better (if you can find them). They will also be more expensive.

I haven't had issues with the rack yet (knock on wood). Hope I don't anytime soon. Tim

[Fillupamerica]

All right, so everything is going rather nicely. Today I'll check that screen on the power steering reservoir, and perhaps that will do it. It leaks at the Rack and Pinon gear, where the steering arm meets with the r&p, what do you think of Lucas oil leak stop? Think a few bottles of that would help this out?

Is there a good forum on how to replace the tie rod ends? I've looked on youtube and seen some good things, but the closest I've found is for a 4runner, which is a bit different. I wonder if I'll have to rent that specific tool from an auto parts store. I believe it's the tool that screws the inner tie rod down into the r&p.

I replaced the shocks and OMG what a WORLD of difference while driving. Wooo hoooo!!!!!

One thing I'd like to see about is how tight or loose my torsion bar is, but I can't figure out how to adjust that. Nor can I find the forum or blog on here about how to do so.



Another question, not related to steering or this forum: When I cold start the van, especially after a really damp night (i live RIGHT by the ocean in Southern California) it takes the van a good 5-8 minutes to warm up, and in the process the van is misfiring. But once warm, it's good to go ALL day and for a few more days until another cold and moist night comes. Almost as if water builds up somewhere and until the van is warm enough to dry it out, it misfires. Could this be fixed with a new distributor cap, wires, and spark plugs?

[timsrv]

Not sure what Lucas claims, but most of the stop leak products for steering systems work by chemically attacking the rubber parts and making them swell. I personally would never subject my equipment to this, but it most likely works............for a while. If I were trying to get a bit more use from something before junking it, perhaps I might try.

Regarding rack and tie rod questions, I'm not the person to ask, but I did a quick search and came up with a few threads. Perhaps posting your questions in one of these threads will help.

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?658-Steering-rack-options

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?382-steering-issues

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?820-Another-Rack-inquiry-maybe-with-a-little-twist

I just did a search here using the terms "torsion adjustment" and came up with several informative threads. Here's one of them: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?256-How-to-lower-or-raise-torsion-bar

Your problem regarding the misfire could be contamination of the distributor cap and/or other ignition related parts. I sprung a leak at my upper radiator hose a couple years ago and my distributor cap & wires got wet. This in turn caused a misfire. I replaced the hose the next day and all was fine again...............unless it was raining or humid out. The 1st start of the morning on those days was difficult. if the van started at all it would run like crap for the 1st 5 or so minutes (until heat from the engine & ventilation from the fan dried things out). In thinking about it I realized that antifreeze doesn't completely evaporate, it leaves a residue behind. In times of high humidity, water molecules were attracted to this residue and formed a "dew" in these sensitive areas. I could have probably washed/dried the cap & wires, but they were old so I replaced. That completely resolved the issue. Tim