except that ISS clunk is clearly felt in steering wheel. not in suspension.

 

Right... And in the floor and in the front of the car.

And it feels "EXACTLY" like a worn component related to the front suspension. I was skeptic too. Not anymore.

And like I said before. Cycling the Intermediate Shaft only takes a few minutes and is free.

 

Hello Lightspeed, thanks for chiming in. I am semi technical but could not locate additional procedures on how to lube this or redistribute the grease. Do you have any other additional info that might help me figure out how to do this? Thanks again for sharing these details with us all

 

Sure... Park the car on a level surface and be sure the car is turned off. Lay on your back and crawl up into the drivers foot well and look up. You can see where the upper portion of the Intermediate Steering Shaft comes through the floor and connects to the steering column. Make a mental note of where the bolt is. The bolt needs to be pointed in the right direction to get a wrench on it (towards the bottom of the center console seemed to be best). Turn the car back on and turn the steering wheel until the bolt is pointed in the right direction. Turn the car back off and mark the Steering Shaft and the Intermediate Steering Shaft with a Sharpie so you put it back in the exact position. Loosen the bolt and gently pry the Intermediate Steering Shaft off of the main shaft. Shove the Intermediate Steering Shaft down as far as it will go and pull it out again. I did this about 3 times to redistribute the grease. Re-install the shaft using the marks you made earlier and that's it!

I was amazed that something so simple could make such a loud noise go away completely!! The car literally drives like the day I got it again. Nice and quiet with no "clunking" front end noise.

Also, as soon as you remove the Intermediate Shaft from the main shaft, the steering wheel will go flying. I bet mine spun around about 4 times before I caught it. I got it all hooked back up, went for a drive and the wheel was tilted a little to the left. So, I got back under there and disconnected it again to get the steering wheel straight. It was off by 1 tooth. It is perfect again now. This is why it is critical that you mark it properly and clearly. It would help if you had someone hold the wheel for you. But, it is not necessary if you mark it properly.

Some pics of the assembly are located in this thread:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/15...aft-tsb-4.html

 

Are you aware of the major Toyota recall on steering shafts in the Prius, which may expand to the Camry as well. See this link:

Toyota Hybrid Recall

 

Yes. That recall is pointed at the Prius. The Camry and others "may" be affected.

We drive this car 600 to 900 miles per week. This is our company vehicle. I dont have the time or luxury to "wait and see" what Toyota plans to do.

Thank you for pointing it out for others that are willing to "wait and see". That recall crap is like winning the lottery. Good luck.