Spiral cable and steering alignment - In trouble ( lol )

[Thomas Burns]

Can anyone help me !! I've just replaced the bottom steering shaft on my 2004 lc4 , I noticed the steering wheel wasn't aligned properly as I drove away from mechanics yard !! Now the slip lights coming on and braking up on either side !!! Does the steering wheel need realigned ??? Thanks guys !!!! If you can help I'll appreciate it . My 5th landcruiser !! But 1st time I've had this problem .

 

[StarCruiser]

Welcome Tom,

Yes, you need to align your steering wheel properly by realigning the joint you have previously separated. Do this and all will be well with your cruiser.

A couple of other tips as you’re new, title your threads carefully so that members can help. Something like ‘steering wheel out of alignment’ ‘Handbrake stick on’ that sort of thing, and put it in the appropriate section (120 series for example) and you’ll get the help you need.
Posts can be deleted if you put them in the wrong section but only by their author or a moderator. You can try this out on the one in the ‘unpaid worker’ thread.

Finally you’ve come to the right place for anything to do with your Cruiser. We’re a friendly bunch with quite a few from the Emerald Isle on here.

Best wishes
Rich

 

[TonyP]

I suspect you have damaged the spiral cable in the steering wheel... I've just been through this on my 120... See my thread here https://landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/tight-steering-on-120.151423/page-2#post-1504834

Easy enough to replace

 

[StarCruiser]

Depends by how much it’s out Tony. The cursed Smart car has the same setup and you had probably 1/2 a revolution before things got bad but if it’s only out by a few degrees and the wheel wasn’t turned while disconnected then all should be ok. It’s the steering angle sensor getting all confused with the ABS and traction control system as the wheels say it’s going in a straight line and the steering angle sensor says it’s cornering.

 

[Thomas Burns]

Welcome Tom,

Yes, you need to align your steering wheel properly by realigning the joint you have previously separated. Do this and all will be well with your cruiser.

A couple of other tips as you’re new, title your threads carefully so that members can help. Something like ‘steering wheel out of alignment’ ‘Handbrake stick on’ that sort of thing, and put it in the appropriate section (120 series for example) and you’ll get the help you need.
Posts can be deleted if you put them in the wrong section but only by their author or a moderator. You can try this out on the one in the ‘unpaid worker’ thread.

Finally you’ve come to the right place for anything to do with your Cruiser. We’re a friendly bunch with quite a few from the Emerald Isle on here.

Best wishes
Rich

Welcome Tom,

Yes, you need to align your steering wheel properly by realigning the joint you have previously separated. Do this and all will be well with your cruiser.

A couple of other tips as you’re new, title your threads carefully so that members can help. Something like ‘steering wheel out of alignment’ ‘Handbrake stick on’ that sort of thing, and put it in the appropriate section (120 series for example) and you’ll get the help you need.
Posts can be deleted if you put them in the wrong section but only by their author or a moderator. You can try this out on the one in the ‘unpaid worker’ thread.

Finally you’ve come to the right place for anything to do with your Cruiser. We’re a friendly bunch with quite a few from the Emerald Isle on here.

Best wishes
Rich

Welcome Tom,

Yes, you need to align your steering wheel properly by realigning the joint you have previously separated. Do this and all will be well with your cruiser.

A couple of other tips as you’re new, title your threads carefully so that members can help. Something like ‘steering wheel out of alignment’ ‘Handbrake stick on’ that sort of thing, and put it in the appropriate section (120 series for example) and you’ll get the help you need.
Posts can be deleted if you put them in the wrong section but only by their author or a moderator. You can try this out on the one in the ‘unpaid worker’ thread.

Finally you’ve come to the right place for anything to do with your Cruiser. We’re a friendly bunch with quite a few from the Emerald Isle on here.

Best wishes
Rich

 

[Thomas Burns]

Thanks guys , I'm glad I came on here .

 

[TonyP]

Yes worth trying to align the wheel first as that is the free option. I knew mine was damaged as I heard the crunch when the cables inside broke.

Interesting thing was the airbag light did not come on, only the traction control light when driving.

I opened the unit last night and both ribbon cables completely snapped.

Incidentally my steering is prob one spline out at the moment

 

[Thomas Burns]

Took the truck back too the mechanic , his mistake was he thought the steering lock had held the wheel in position !!! He has corrected the mistake , by realigning it !!! Problem over , so thanks guys for the pointers !!!! I've had 5 LC4s and never had this problem , had all the others lol , wiper linkages , nearside calipers , injectors ( which Toyota fixed , on a jeep with 98k on it ) , delighted to have found this forum . Thanks Again .

 

[StarCruiser]

Yes worth trying to align the wheel first as that is the free option. I knew mine was damaged as I heard the crunch when the cables inside broke.

Interesting thing was the airbag light did not come on, only the traction control light when driving.

I opened the unit last night and both ribbon cables completely snapped.

Incidentally my steering is prob one spline out at the moment

That’s most surprising because one spline would cause a slight tension on the Smart one (the only one I have experienced) over the metre or more of flexi strip. To have it be just one spline from disaster seems to be right on the edge but maybe that’s how Toyota do it.

If Tom hasn’t gone full lock he may be lucky. The cursed Smart car spiral cable (or squib) has the steering angle sensor built into it which has to be aligned correctly and any fault codes cleared if you move it. It’s ok if you don’t turn the wheel!

 

[StarCruiser]

Took the truck back too the mechanic , his mistake was he thought the steering lock had held the wheel in position !!! He has corrected the mistake , by realigning it !!! Problem over , so thanks guys for the pointers !!!! I've had 5 LC4s and never had this problem , had all the others lol , wiper linkages , nearside calipers , injectors ( which Toyota fixed , on a jeep with 98k on it ) , delighted to have found this forum . Thanks Again .

Great news Tom. Glad it’s sorted.

 

[StarCruiser]

Hope you told your mechanic he’s an eejit.

 

[Thomas Burns]

Hope you told your mechanic he’s an eejit.

A bit less complimentary lol lol , a very red face was the reply lol.

 

[Thomas Burns]

I normally would take it to a main dealer !! Mid Ulster Cars , excellent they are and very very reasonable !!!! , but this was a local guy , also very helpful , just one blip , I can forgive him as the rod he fitted he sourced at 1/3 of the Toyota £ 293.00 + vat .

 

[StarCruiser]

He who has never made a mistake never made anything. I expect he’s now learned a lesson.

Well now you’ve found us maybe you can find your own parts (if you want to) either from some of our trusted forum members or New from Amayama, Partsouq, or Megazip. Also Roughtrax in the UK. Then get your local (now forgiven) mechanic to fit. Or at least compare parts. Always fit genuine for most parts as it’s this that makes these trucks what they are. Especially filters as the Toyota ones have been shown to be far above any others.

 

[TonyP]

Took the truck back too the mechanic , his mistake was he thought the steering lock had held the wheel in position !!! He has corrected the mistake , by realigning it !!! Problem over , so thanks guys for the pointers !!!! I've had 5 LC4s and never had this problem , had all the others lol , wiper linkages , nearside calipers , injectors ( which Toyota fixed , on a jeep with 98k on it ) , delighted to have found this forum . Thanks Again .

Glad it was a easy fix.

 

[TonyP]

That’s most surprising because one spline would cause a slight tension on the Smart one (the only one I have experienced) over the metre or more of flexi strip. To have it be just one spline from disaster seems to be right on the edge but maybe that’s how Toyota do it.

If Tom hasn’t gone full lock he may be lucky. The cursed Smart car spiral cable (or squib) has the steering angle sensor built into it which has to be aligned correctly and any fault codes cleared if you move it. It’s ok if you don’t turn the wheel!

I took the broken one apart as I was curious, and I could not see a sensor anywhere. There must be one somewhere but not part of the spiral cable.

Hey ho, electrickery

 

[StarCruiser]

Separate bits is far better.

 

[Thomas Burns]

He who has never made a mistake never made anything. I expect he’s now learned a lesson.

Well now you’ve found us maybe you can find your own parts (if you want to) either from some of our trusted forum members or New from Amayama, Partsouq, or Megazip. Also Roughtrax in the UK. Then get your local (now forgiven) mechanic to fit. Or at least compare parts. Always fit genuine for most parts as it’s this that makes these trucks what they are. Especially filters as the Toyota ones have been shown to be far above any others.

 

[Thomas Burns]

That's great to know !!! Yes I only put Toyota parts on !!! . He sourced this from some guy who has loads of genuine Toyota parts !! Even the correct part No on the box !!!! , filters are always Toyota !!! They do the oil , air filter and pollen filter for £ 58 here , and you get 5 litres of Toyota oil free ??? How could you go past that .

 

[StarCruiser]

That’s certainly a good deal there Tom. To be fair to Toyota, consumable items, brake pads, filters etc, are pretty reasonably priced and not worth importing. There’s even talk of complete clutch kits being reasonable here so it’s always worth trying a good local dealership. The club has a good parts contact in Simon Holton. Clearly not all dealerships are made equal, so it’s well worth building a relationship with a good one. Mine got bought up by a BMW dealership and demolished. It’s now flats.