Intermediate Steering Shaft - Greasing DIY

[wesrick]

Has anyone done a write-up **with pictures** of greasing their intermediate steering shaft?

I have seen the TSB on greasing the intermediate steering shaft, and I've bought the grease kit.

Since the TSB only has drawings in it, it's a bit difficult to see exactly what they want done, and how to do it. My questions, specifically, are
1.) Is some masking tap enough to hold the steering wheel straight?
2.) When both bolts are loosened, how do I 'compress' it so that i can remove it?
3.) Is the white plastic piece in the shaft the part where I'll find the machined grooves that I can put the grease into?

[Donald E. George]

There was a post on this a week or so ago. Toyota fixed this problem on mine. I didn't get to see the mechanic make the fix, but I can tell you he match marked the lower clamp with the rack and pinion control valve. Gorilla tape might do a better job of holding the steering wheel in place. You can see the slip joint by looking under the dash. May even be able to inject the grease. Find that post. One of the pictures clearly shows the arrangement.

[wesrick]

I looked again at the threads posted - but still haven't gotten any really good write-ups from anyone who has applied the grease themselves - it sounds like most folks just take it into the dealer.

I'm been able to do everything under the dash (loosen all bolts and remove the boot) but I'm getting a little iffy as I start taking things apart underneath the hood, that is, the bolt and shaft. Additionally, I'm not sure where to grease it at.. Additionally, how do I compress the shaft so that I can remove it? Does it need to be fully removed, or can I just remove the piece inside the cabin, grease it and move it back and forth, and then just re-install it?

Here are two pictures that I took while under the dash, these show the piece that is needing to be removed (as per the TSB) so that the shaft in the middle can be greased.

[somick]

The TSB does not deal with greasing. On my Camry dealer replaced the peace shown in your first picture. There is a part number in the TSB but I do not have it with me now.

Sam

[wesrick]

The old TSB did call for the intermediate shaft to be replaced.

Toyota has since updated the old TSB with a new TSB that says to grease it instead of replacing it. Grease kit at dealer was $17. But, the TSB instructions they gave me weren't enough for me..

[wesrick]

**UPDATE**

Greased the shaft today. Fixed the clunking.

It ended up being more simple than what I had thought, but there are a few tips that could've come in handy, tips that weren't in the TSB. Since the TSB is already readily available through a search, I'm not going to detail every step...

Tips

1.) To stop the wheel from turning, I put a piece of rope around one side of the wheel, through the drivers side door, wrapped it around the front of the windshield and back through the passenger door, then tied it to the other side of the wheel. Worked very nicely.

2.) Remove the air filter container (just three screws inside of box, and clamp on intake hose to yank it out). This makes it a cinch to get down into the 2nd steering shaft clamp listed in the TSB.

3.) After removing marking both fittings, and removing both bolts, remove the fitting inside the engine compartment first; it was easier to remove than the one located under the dash. Use a screwdriver to 'rattle' the u-joint around a little bit to help loosen it from the piece it connects into. Otherwise, it can be a bit of a pain to pull out. I also used a screwdriver to -thoughtfully and lightly- pry the shaft away from the column attached to the wheel.

4.) When you grease the shaft, you're putting the grease into the plastic piece in the middle of the intermediate shaft (they can be seen when you look under the dash - before you even remove it). Look closely to find the missing splines the TSB talks about. It can be a bit hard to see, but when you find it, the grease kit fitting slides right down in, just like shown in the TSB. It's hard to push the grease in, but slowly and surely, it flows in, both sides of the shaft (again, as listed in the TSB).

5.) When putting the shaft back in, use just a touch household of oil to help the shaft slide back into place a little easier. Again, I used a screwdriver to 'rattle' the shaft back into the place with both the fitting under the hood, and the fitting under the dash.

Hope these tips help.

Total time spent was about an hour, start to finish (with cleanup).

[amomin1]

Originally Posted by semyonlibman

The TSB does not deal with greasing. On my Camry dealer replaced the peace shown in your first picture. There is a part number in the TSB but I do not have it with me now.

Sam

I have a ticking/clicking noise from the steering wheel column of my 2011 Camry LE 2.5L I-4, when I turn the vehicle on either side, especially in parking lot with the vehicle not in motion. Could that be related to this TSB? I took it to the dealer, but they dismissed it as "minor harmless ticking" that will go away with time." It's been over a month since I purchased the car and it's still the same. Any advice? Thank you.

[amomin1]

Originally Posted by wesrick

**UPDATE**

Greased the shaft today. Fixed the clunking.

It ended up being more simple than what I had thought, but there are a few tips that could've come in handy, tips that weren't in the TSB. Since the TSB is already readily available through a search, I'm not going to detail every step...

Tips

1.) To stop the wheel from turning, I put a piece of rope around one side of the wheel, through the drivers side door, wrapped it around the front of the windshield and back through the passenger door, then tied it to the other side of the wheel. Worked very nicely.

2.) Remove the air filter container (just three screws inside of box, and clamp on intake hose to yank it out). This makes it a cinch to get down into the 2nd steering shaft clamp listed in the TSB.

3.) After removing marking both fittings, and removing both bolts, remove the fitting inside the engine compartment first; it was easier to remove than the one located under the dash. Use a screwdriver to 'rattle' the u-joint around a little bit to help loosen it from the piece it connects into. Otherwise, it can be a bit of a pain to pull out. I also used a screwdriver to -thoughtfully and lightly- pry the shaft away from the column attached to the wheel.

4.) When you grease the shaft, you're putting the grease into the plastic piece in the middle of the intermediate shaft (they can be seen when you look under the dash - before you even remove it). Look closely to find the missing splines the TSB talks about. It can be a bit hard to see, but when you find it, the grease kit fitting slides right down in, just like shown in the TSB. It's hard to push the grease in, but slowly and surely, it flows in, both sides of the shaft (again, as listed in the TSB).

5.) When putting the shaft back in, use just a touch household of oil to help the shaft slide back into place a little easier. Again, I used a screwdriver to 'rattle' the shaft back into the place with both the fitting under the hood, and the fitting under the dash.

Hope these tips help.

Total time spent was about an hour, start to finish (with cleanup).

I have a ticking/clicking noise from the steering wheel column of my 2011 Camry LE 2.5L I-4, when I turn the vehicle on either side, especially in parking lot with the vehicle not in motion. Could that be related to this TSB? I took it to the dealer, but they dismissed it as "minor harmless ticking" that will go away with time." It's been over a month since I purchased the car and it's still the same. Any advice? Thank you.

[somick]

Originally Posted by amomin1

I have a ticking/clicking noise from the steering wheel column of my 2011 Camry LE 2.5L I-4, when I turn the vehicle on either side, especially in parking lot with the vehicle not in motion. Could that be related to this TSB? I took it to the dealer, but they dismissed it as "minor harmless ticking" that will go away with time." It's been over a month since I purchased the car and it's still the same. Any advice? Thank you.

I would wait a little longer. Since you visited the dealer you have it documented.

Sam

[qng001]

I have this same issue with my 2009 Camry. I bought the grease kit (just two tubes of white grease and a needle).

I was wondering is there a way to grease it without unbolting the intermediate shaft? I had a hard time sticking my needle in the missing spline (I know that sounded bad).