1997 Toyota Camry steering wheel got hard to turn

BMIN0

MEMBER
1997 TOYOTA CAMRY
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

I replaced driver side hub/spindle/rotor/axle yesterday. After all this works, I asked for wheel alignment (I took my car to a different mechanic due to lifetime alignment). But the mechanic told me tie rod end got crooked and was unable to do alignment without replacement of inner tine rod end. THe mechanic told me the other memchanic (hub etc work) probably mistakenly manipulated tie rod and then subsequently it got crooked. Before hub/spindle/rotor/axle work, I had experienced that my steering wheel became very stiff for turns.
Does this mean I may eventually need to replace Rack N Pinion?
Thank you for reading long message and hopefully response in advance

1 Reply

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

You need to pull the rubber boot and see if any damage/leaks occured due to this problem, if not test pump pressure. New inner tie rods can be done without replacing the whole rack.

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM BLEEDING 1. With engine off, check fluid level in power steering pump reservoir. See FLUID LEVEL CHECK . Raise and support vehicle. Turn wheels fully in both directions. Recheck fluid level. Start and run engine at 1000 RPM or less. Rotate steering from lock to lock 2 or 3 times. Lower vehicle. 2. Rotate wheel from lock to lock 2 or 3 times. Center steering wheel. If fluid level does not rise and no foaming of fluid is evident, bleeding is complete. If fluid level rises more than 0.20" (5.0 mm) or foaming is evident, repeat procedure until air is released. NOTE: On Camry with 3.0L engine, cooling fan system must be bled whenever any hose is disconnected, or any cooling fan system component is replaced. See COOLING FAN SYSTEM BLEEDING . Page 1 of 1 STEERING SYSTEM - POWER RACK & PINION -1997 Toyota Camry LE 4/4/2009