Every now and then a vehicle develops a problem slowly enough that you don't notice how bad it's become until you're forced to spend a lot of time with it. For me, that realization came during several trips into Houston.

A 90-minute drive gives you plenty of time to think, and what I kept thinking about was how vague and unsettled the steering felt. The truck wandered more than it should have, required constant correction on the highway, and never really inspired confidence. I'd already purchased a steering rack bushing kit about a month earlier. Between work, weather, and life in general, it had been sitting on the shelf waiting for its turn.

Today was finally that day. Once I got everything apart, it didn't take long to find the problem. The factory rubber bushings had clearly lived a full life.

Toyota used rubber bushings in the steering rack to help isolate vibration and improve comfort, but after more than two decades the material had become soft, worn, and generally tired. On the passenger side, the wear was especially obvious. The steering rack had been moving enough that the bushing was actually rubbing against the rack housing itself.

Removing the rack turned out to be easier than expected. After removing the four mounting bolts and disconnecting the driver's side tie rod, I was able to pry the rack over far enough to gain access to the bushings. Most of them came out without much of a fight. The horizontal bushing was determined to make me earn it, though. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I grabbed a 1/8-inch drill bit and removed enough of the old rubber to persuade it to leave voluntarily.

With the old bushings finally out, I cleaned everything thoroughly before starting assembly. Installing the new bushings was surprisingly painless. Armed with a generous amount of lubricant, a trusty C-clamp, and a little patience, the new components slid into place without much drama.

Once the new bushings were seated, all that remained was reinstalling the tie rod, torqueing the steering rack hardware, and putting everything back together.

Sometimes the best modifications aren't the ones people notice. They're the ones that make the vehicle feel right again.