Hiyas guys.
I just got my '85 4runner out of the shop - springs swapped, lockers, gears and hysteer\crossover.

Maiden voyage went fine. I purposely took it easy, nothing streesful.
2nd voyage was also easy with some steeper hills and sharper turns.
After one sharp turn, my steering started binding, then releasing with a POP accomanied by a springy noise. I immediatly got out, checked the front end, thinking something was making contact. But nothing there, and as I tested it on the trail, it became evident that it was binding at the firewall.
Checking it out this morning, I put the front axle on jackstands and turned the wheel back and forth ALOT.

It feels as if there's a bearing at the firewall that is bad. The intermidary (sp) shaft and u-joints look fine. Obviously, I have just done the IFS box switch, but that doesn't seem to be a problem either.

After turning the wheel alot, the binding has decreased but is still there and it still growls, just like a busted bearing. I popped that seal out (it was cracked already??) on the engine side and checked, and it does look like a sealed bearing in that plate?

Has anyone had trouble like this??? I've spend several hours this morning searching and only found one reference to this, but no solution. It doesn't look easy to change that bearing out and I'm wondering if the shop that did the work didn't get the IFS box switch just right (I've heard it's difficult), could that have caused my problem?

Or, it could be just it was old, and putting lockers f&r and 36x12.5 swampers pushed it over the edge.

Tell me what you know guys.

Have you checked your steering stops? You sure you did't break a birf?
Are you running stock birfeilds?

Lockers in the front tend to make noise and cause what feels like binding in your steering because your wheels are moving at the same rate and aren't moving at different torque ratios. Lock-rite lockers do make clicking and pop noises because they try to let your wheels slip at different rates to allow you to turn better.

Just some info. If it does sound like something is broken up there definately put the wheels up on jacks check over the front end for looseness. If there is take that side apart and check it out.

I had upgraded the birfs (newfields?) and actually, it looks the steering stops are the tires hitting the leaf springs (spacers ordered already).
The sound is definately coming from the firewall area and not underneath. It can bind in the center or on either side of turning the wheel.

Could it be a tire rubbing?
I know mine still rub time to time when the wheel is stuffed.
I dunno what else to tell ya but have someone cycle your steering back and forth and look and listen to your truck while you turn to see if anything obvious is rubbing.

The other thing that comes to mind possibly bad steering u-joint on your steering shaft that goes to the steering box.

Was the shaft lengthened for the new box (it usually needs to be)? If not, do that:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Docs/BodyLift_HowTo.shtml#RecirculatingBall

Your clue that this is an issue is if the rubber rag joint is not sitting flat. Otherwise, the angle on the shaft may have changed enough that you need to re-align the plate where the shaft passes through the firewall. Mine has 3 bolts on it.

Thank you very much for the answer Roger. I swear I looked all over and didn't find that steering rod-lengthening instruction anywhere else.
And, yes, my rag joint is stretched.

Thanks again.

That's why I like my 82 steering rod it already has a built slip spline to it and it allows the steering shaft to to move up and down.

Yes, the '83 and older shafts have a real splined slip yoke. The '84-88/9 have a collapsible shaft and all you need to do is break the plastic injection molded plastic pins and then they will collapse and extend nearly 6", plus you have almost an inch of adjustment at the upper splined clamp and I also have the bolt-in extensions for extra long shafts. I run a 2" extension on mine due to the added stretch of the shorter IFS box, plus it is moved way up to the body mount and the 3" body lift. All that pulled the shaft so far apart that there was only about 1" of engagement in the center and it was pretty loose.

OK, well as Click and Clack would say, we're much to smart to solve this problem.
Remember, I just had a ton of work done to this truck, so after I looked and looked for the problem I took it back to the 4x4 shop.
After going thru the whole troubleshooting process again (essentially what we did here in this thread, minus the actually visual inspection, which you guys can't do and it wouldn't have mattered anyway)... they ordered the firewall bearing and that u-joint right there.
Parts arrived, the mech starts to take things apart where the steering colum (sp) meets the firewall (on the interior side) .... LO AND BEHOLD, A LOOSE SCREW FALLS OUT.

The mech puts stuff back together, tests it and all is well. Don't know where the screw came from yet but I'll try to find out when the truck comes home.

Thanks for all your help, but we all get a big rasberry on this one. On the other hand, I'm super, super glad it wasn't something more serious.

EDIT:I know my details are kinda sketchy, but I've talked to the mech just once onthe phone about this. Still, it's a mystery solved.