Zekang

hey.. so i recently bought an 86 toyota pickup.. i took it to a mechanic to have it looked over and he told me the pitman arm and idler arm are both bad and need replaced.. part of the reason i bought this truck was so i could start learning how to working on my own vehicle..

anywho i was wondering if you guys might have a list of tools i would need? i'll google/youtube the process of removing the parts and what have ya but i dont know what all i need to buy.. i read that i need a grease gun? for the idler arm and i should do that when ever i change the oil.. so ya.. ;\ any tips on which tools ill need/brands to buy?

scope103

Don't waste time on YouTube. There is no intelligence test before anyone can post.
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...ng/15steer.pdf

Do NOT use a "pickle fork." It's the mark of an amateur (yes, you are an amateur, but you don't need to act like one.)

Get a regular puller made for that purpose.
http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod...ller-1752.html

Zekang

ty for the pdf and the tip about the puller.. would a 2wd and a 4wd have the same steering linkage or would that be different? also.. do you know what size wrenches i would need? i've never done more than change a tire lol so im gonna be buying a whole set of tools and a new jack (the one i have is really cheap and a pain to use)

scope103

Here's the whole manual: http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/ It's for a '93, but mostly it's the same for all second-gen Toyota trucks.

There is no limit to the number of tools you can buy, but wrenches are easy. They're all metric, with 10,12,14, 17, 19 covering 99% of what you'll do. So get a simple socket set that covers that range (I'd advise 1/2" drive for front end work, but a 3/8" drive will be used more often.) Just as importantly, you need a torque wrench (1/2" drive will cover it). One of your bolts calls for 130ft-lbs of torque. Nobody can guess that; do it the right way.

In addition to that jack you'll need jack stands. They don't cost much. Don't ever climb under a truck held up only by a jack.

Zekang

right on.. tyvm for the info =) looking forward to this weekend =))))

86bedlesstoy

Have fun! Stay dirty!

Zekang

hey.. any opinions on a good brand for the pitman arm/idle arm? i would like to get good parts for the truck... (i plan to keep it for a very long time)

Team420

Use this on the pitman arm...



When you get it really tight, just give the pitman arm a good "whack" with a bfh to pop it free. DO NOT USE HEAT!

The idler shouldnt require any special tools.

derockus

iTrader: (1)

you can RENT, sometimes for FREE, torque wrenches, pitman/idler arm pullers, ball joint pullers, tie rod end pullers from most auto parts stores. o'rielly's charges $0 for tool rental. definitely use a torque wrench on this job! those arms are press-fit into the steering relay bar and you gotta get it right. consider buying deep-well metric sockets for this job. USE JACK STANDS, never crawl under the truck just on the jack.

**important for castle nuts and cotter pins: never never never loosen the castle nut to get the notch and the cotter pin hole to align. always always always go tighter to get the hole to align. i don't care if its 1/64th inch off, GO TIGHTER.

you might wanna see if you need to do you tie rod ends while you're under there doing the arms.

hey, if you really wanna keep working on your truck, buy a chilton or haynes manual. the factory manual is good, but having the book is nice to take out and get greasy.

you also need a big honkin' socket for the pitman arm... i'm trying to remember what it was but it was, maybe 32mm???? take your truck to the tool store (auto parts store might have it) and take the socket outside till you find what fits. it'll be like a $15 socket but you only gotta buy it once!

derockus

iTrader: (1)

toyota original is Sankei 555 (also called Triple 5). they're pricey, but they'll last. moog or beck arnley would prob be second choice. partsgeek.com has triple 5 stuff.

Team420

When it comes to pitman arms, I usually just go the cheapest route, they are the same exact thing as moog, but without the lifetime warranty(does moog even do that anymore?) and 1/3 the price.

As far as the idler arm goes... It makes sense to spend the $ for the warranty. They are the weak link IMHO, and will need replaced regularly... That being said... I have learned to rebuild, and give extra support to them, so I dont have to keep replacing them... Plenty of threads on yt about this...

arlindsay1992

iTrader: (8)

According to some people on here, everyone on YouTube is stupid. But here's some videos I made when I did the front end on my 4Runner. Don't bother watching them though, I've heard it's a waste of time.

Seriously though, the FSM should be your first resource. I like seeing things before I work on them. So to me, videos are a great resource to have as well. It all depends on how you learn. Videos help me, so I make my own to help people who learn like I do.

Team420

Nice... Except... I usually do the lowers 1st as they are the most difficult. And,,, I dont botther with the screwdriver bit, or bj puller, I just put a block of wood between the jack and uca, jack it up just a bit, loosen the lbj castle nut, and smack it once with the bfh, it USUALLY loosens right up

arlindsay1992

iTrader: (8)

Everyone has their way of doing it and no way is better than the other if it gets the job done safely. Each mechanic will swear by their method and I have no place to say they're wrong. This is how I do it and that's all the video shows. It's just another resource you can have when doing it yourself.

Team420

Very well put!!

No way is wrong, unless it damages parts along the way. I just happen to have MY "easy" way of doing it. Usually, I can have both sides done in 90 min

ETA: you are absolutley right about vids to help tho... Your vid will prolly help hundreds change their b-joints... hopefully my comment will help a few do it quicker...

Zekang

hey.. tyvm for the videos ... i find videos help a lot.. im not really good with manuals its much easier for me to understand whats going on if i see someone else do it

also i wanted to say ty to everyone whos givin me all this great info.. i really appreciate it.. ill let ya know how it goes tomorrow .. this doesnt look terribly difficult.. we'll see ;p

RSR

Do not buy the harbor freight pitman puller! It is just a cast piece of equipment. You want to spend a couple bucks more on the Northern Tool and Equipment one that's drop forged (i.e., much stronger). Our pitman's are on super tight and when you add rust it has a tendency to snap those pitman pullers damaging either your truck or you! My drop forged Northern Tool has a slight bend after removing mine; were it harbor freight, I would have had to do it twice and possibly had some damage. Wear Eye Protection regardless.

You can buy a socket set at harbor freight. You want the 6 side, 1/2 inch deep impact sockets, not just the base metal ones... Again, much stronger.

In addition to pitman arm pullers, there are tie rod pullers that are about 1/2 the size and work much better on your tie rod ends and idler arm.

Also, spray all of your bolts down with a penetrating lubricant like PB Blaster daily for a couple days before starting.

And it's not a bad idea to get some anti seize on any new bolts you're installing.

ANd lastly, USE SEARCH on this forum. To google, go to google.com and enter "site:yotatech.com subject", no quotes. It'll give you all info in one place instead a bunch of partial answers. And you'll be helping future folks in your shoes by keeping all the info in one place!!!

RSR

Northern Tool Pitman: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6076_200396076

Smaller tie rod puller:
Socket Set (I believe the 32mm is what you need for your pitman arm nut, but Search the Forums!!!): http://www.harborfreight.com/13-piec...set-67904.html
-My only complaint here is that on some of the longer bolts like are on our anti-sway bar end links the internal holes on these smaller sockets are too small. I had to buy a kobalt at lowes that worked for my sway bar end links.

Socket and Rachet set -- A handy all in one for when you aren't super torquing: http://www.harborfreight.com/16-piec...set-67988.html

Breaker bar (I prefer to have the 25" one...): http://www.harborfreight.com/12-driv...bar-67933.html

Just realized that HF has the go through socket sets like Kobalt is selling on TV (I want, but you still need above): http://www.harborfreight.com/21-piec...set-67974.html

And with anti-seize remember you only need 80-85% of the torque as you normally would need... Opinions on whether to put on pitman nut vary btw.

RSR

Lastly, Raybestos professonal parts for Idler and Pitman are 555 and cheaper than 555 boxed parts, as well as dealer.

Note that most of the aftermarket beef up your idler arm parts are for a specific idler arm, so search! (notice the theme, haha).

87blackbeauty

I've had no issue using a pickle fork for this kind of work. I in no way feel like it harms the vehicle. I would certainly rather use those pullers, but they bend and break and that's just not okay. Also, for me, the pickle fork's already here and cheap. As mentioned above, it's just preference. My family's trusted mechanic uses them and has no issues. He's not an amateur, so implying all who use them are is false and misleading. I would say get something to separate the parts with and a hammer. The hammer is the important tool anyway. That and your own knowledge. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.