As usual I wanted to document the replacement of the steering rack to save other the trouble later on when doing it themselves. I originally thought I needed an inner tie rod end but after cutting off the boot for the steering rack it became obvious that the rack itself was moving and that the internal bushings on the steering rack were worn.
Here's the thread leading up to the diagnosis:
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...80750#msg80750
So to make a long story short I finally ordered a rebuilt steering rack from Garo Rack & Pinion in Florida. They had great feedback from others and they have a 2 year warranty their parts so I decided to give them a try. I looked at used steering racks but with winter in full bore up here now, I don't really want to go hunting out in the junkyard for one that's still in good shape.
Anyway, I bought a rebuilt long rack (everything including the inner tie rods for $289 USD, no core charge) and then bought the outer tie rods from them as well ($40 USD a pair) so all the steering parts will be brand spanking new or rebuilt to OEM specs. Shipping was free in the US but it cost me around $55 USD to get it to Canada via USPS.