Buck87

Way to wrap up a thread boys!

xxxtreme22r

angrybob find another person in that store that knows what they are doing. $36 and it's in stock at my local store. It also doesn't fit the 2wd, the 2wd is a completely different style. And the shaft diameter that is different is the internal one not the external that attaches to the relay rod. So unless you tore yours apart, I think you might have measured the wrong diameter.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...er=334889_0_0_


4wd FA5040


2wd FA1752

angrybob

Totally agree.

Thanks for the correction on the 2WD/4WD statement. You are right. I misunderstood what was written. The 2WD and 4WD are NOT common by Napa, but the shaft diameters are the common (and smaller) 2WD OD shaft where with other brands the 4WD has a larger OD shaft.

I popped the cap off and removed the shaft nut & washer. I measured the bushing ID. I remember paying about $50 for it at the time. Honestly, no idea which one I have - no receipt & no markings on the part.

For me this whole thing started when I was researching the brass bushings, then I saw the 4crawler link above and was curious what I had...actually concerned that I had the 2WD version with the "555" cast into it. These were the quotes that had me looking at my idler arm:

After re-reading the part about the "555" on the arm, it implies the arm only and not the body are interchangeable btwn the 2WD and 4WD.

Roger also states that the 1st gen & second gen are interchangeable and the second gen is stronger so if I did have a weaker version I was going to get a second gen replacement:

How its stronger I don't know, but his word is good enough

Bottom line is that the idler arm is still tight at the moment and the shaft diameter is the same as the FA5040 so I'm probably OK. Next week I'm going to order the brass bushings and either install them as a preventative thing or put them on the shelf to have.

-City Slicker

Autozone sells both the FA1739 and the FA5040. (IDLER ARMS)

I was planning on buying the bronze bushings to go with but..
Autozone indicates that the FA5040 wont fit my 87 pickup 4WD

& the FA1739 is the directed fit. ..?

I know the bronze bushings fit the FA5040..

* i don't know if the bronze bushings fit the FA1739 *..

the FA5040 weighs 5.75 lbs
&
the FA1739 weighs 5.90 lbs

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

This is from Sdori's site:

Theory of Operation and Frequently Asked Questions

This section is initially catered tot he ball joint spacers and torsion bar related topics. It is now being expanded to cover more products.

Idler Arm Bushings, Why Just One Arm?

Good question! There are two main reasons but before getting into them it is important to point out that 1st and 2nd gen idler arms are interchangable. The second gen arms are typically stronger though. Therefore, if you have a 1st gen truck, it make sense to install a 2nd gen arm for the added strength.

First, the most affordable ilder arm is by sheer luck also the best. Initially we assumed that we would want to at the very least produce idler arm bushings for the high-end Napa arm as well as the OEM arm because we assumed they would be the best. After an idler arm spending spree we found some interesting things we'll discuss below.

Idler Arm Cost
Shaft Diameter

Autozone FA 5040 (McQuay-Norris FA5040) $60 - $70
. 786

Napa ATM1032403 (sold for 2WD and 4WD) $71
.703

Kragen (Moog) K80536 $100
.767

Napa NCP2683702 $119
.767

Kragen (Beck Arnley) 1014228 $125 - $150
.767

Dealer $160 - $220
.767

Find the idlers here.


As one can see, the most affordable arm has the largest shaft diameter. Another interesting note is that the Napa 1032403 which has a diameter similar to a 2WD OEM arm is also sold for 4WD trucks even though from a strength standpoint, this arm is below spec.

The second reason to support one arm is cost and the desire to keep it down. The part of the shaft closest to the arm itself wears more than the rest. This means that a bushing that fits snuggly over the lower part of the shaft will not fit at all over the rest of the shaft. Assuming one was to verify that the shaft has a uniform diameter, there is the issue of calibration. My calipers might not measure out like yours. As a result it is difficult to machine the parts to order due to the tight tolerances in this application. To reduce part cost it is necessary to produce many at once and supporting one arm helps us accomplish this goal.

We entertained shipping idler arms in house to do custom bushings but the shipping to and from the customer is about equal the price of a pair of bushings. It costs much more to do one-off jobs so we would have to charge at least 2X the price for the bushings. Between the machine time and shipping, one could purchase the Duralast (FA5040) arm new, with warranty, and order a set of bushings for it.

Given these issues we have decided to support the most affordable yet strongest idler arm.

What do I do if I bend my idler arm?

SDORI does not warranty bearings damaged by bent idler arms, however, there is good news here. If you bend an idler shaft and damage the flange of one of the bearings, you can simply remove the bushings reverse them placing the damaged flange bushing on top with flange loads are very small. If you bend another, rotate the bushing 180 degrees. At this point, if you bend another, you will need to purchase a new pair of bushings and hopefully and idler arm brace too. The good news is that hopefully your more expensive idler arm has been covered under warranty by your local autoparts store.

Do I need a zerk fitting in my idler arm with the bronze bushings?

Nope, they are self lubricating. Grease will not hurt them so there is no need to wipe clean grease off of the housing and/or shaft but there is not need to install a zerk fitting either.





Idler Bushing

Instructions Purchase Why just support one arm? Warranty Information

Idler Arm Bushings

App: NOTE, these do NOT fit the production idler arm. They fit 4WD 4Runner/Pickup Idler Arm, Autozone FA5040, McQuay-Norris FA5040, Kragen/O'Reilly FA5040 only!!!! Why just support one arm?



If you are tired of destroying stock plastic idler arm bushings this will help. These bronze bearings are machined to exacting tolerances in order to provide maximum strength and life. They are very hard and durable. As a result, not only can they bare much more load and resist wear, they also transmit much less shock to the steering wheel making the truck easier to handle on rough roads. SDORI measured numerous idler arms in search of the strongest and most affordable to support. Luckily for us and you we found both in one arm. Check out our cost comparison.


Beware of parts normally spec'd for 2WD 4 cylinder trucks being sold for 4WD 4 cylinder and V6 trucks and 4runners! One example is the Sankei 555 idler arm. This arm as been sold (packaged) as an FA5040 but is not the same arm. The shaft is of a smaller diameter and the arm is not as strong. It is also more expensive, sometimes 2X more, than the stronger actual FA5040 sold at AutoZone. SDORI recommends customers purchase from a local autoparts store or if ordering, doing so from a major chain like AutoZone. These stores can quickly and easily address these issues.



Here are the installation instructions from the site. This is want I am going to do when I replace the idler arm. Once I add my BJ spacers and lift coils along with lower gears/bigger tires, I am going to do this just for insurance...OVERKILL baby. I just wanted to post this up in case there are people who haven't seen it before. Just good FYI.

So City Slicker, it looks like the FA5040 will work on your 1987 pickup. I've emailed Frank from Sdori before and he is very helpful. If you have any questions, I'm sure he will help you out.

YotaWoRx

To make the FA5040 arm from autozone even stronger, blazeland makes a bolt on brace for it. Check it out on www.blazeland.us

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Yotaworx...good to know. Didn't know Blazeland offered an idler arm brace. I knew Downey did back in the day.

BlazeN8

Yep, I do offer a “turn key” bolt on Idler Arm Brace for the Duralast FA5040. I also offer it as a DIY “weld up” to fit most of the Idler arms listed from the Sdori reference above. But, the Duralast FA5040 unit is so reasonable in price and has all the advantages listed above I wouldn't bother with the other brands, I wouldn't do a rebuild, I wouldn't even bother with the universal weld up brace! Just get the Duralast Unit brand new, with warranty, and slap on the Blazeland Brace and your good to go.

As far as the bronze bushing replacement, Sdori also mentions some of the downsides of bronze in the above mentioned when it comes to when you bend an unbraced shaft. In summary brass / bronze is a malleable material so when it is impacted or over stressed it deforms and does not spring back to its original shape. This means it becomes oblong and will start to wiggle around and bind over time. The standard plastic material however is not malleable and will spring back to shape. I surmise the advantages vs. disadvantages over the two materials may be a debatable topic!


In other considerations, the bronze bushing design does not allow the use of the Duralast supplied lock nut because it does not allow the assembly to seat itself onto the shaft machined chamfer- thus not allowing one to torque down the nut properly. This condition will require some complications to the torque application and the use of a double nut (as seen in the above photo) to secure the proper pre-load to the bushing. This condition is something I suspect many of the more novice installers will mess up because they will not be familiar with how to “feel” for the amount of drag needed when tightening the nut.

Anyway, here is a YT forum thread on the evolution on how the brace came about.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f37/...-brace-242596/

BlazeN8

Last night I was thinking thru the way the bronze bushing assembles within the Idler Arm and how my brace interacts. I am not sure its a good interaction because the brace needs to seat itself onto the chamfer of the shaft to really get locked down by tightening the nut. With plastic bushings this happens and the pre-load clearances to the bushing are maintained so that it rotates per design. With the brass bushing the brace cannot be locked down to the chamfer as its torque spec is governed by the preload to the bronze bushing. So in a sense the brace is floating on the bronze bushing. When this happens it is not triangulating the forces as intended and the brace may not be doing much.

Until I actually try the bronze bushing in combination with my brace, buyer beware as its untested. If there are reader's with first hand experience with this please feel free to chime in with what you've experienced!

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Frank @ SDORI checked out one of the FA1739 arm and it seems to be a lower quality version of the FA5040 arm. The casting quality is lower and the main shaft where the bushings fit is very rough and of irregular diameter to the point that the metal bushings will not slide on.

Not sure why they list that model arm for the '87 models, from what the dimensions read, the part is otherwise identical to all the other idler arms. That is they all have the same 3 bolt pattern to attach to the frame and the same length arm and ball joint on the end. What varies from model to model arm is the quality of the castings and the size and surface finish of the main shaft.

Inu

Off topic a little but since its skipped to braces and arms. I built a brace from my spare idler. When i went to install on my fa5040 it didnt fit. What are the odds i bent it? Had one trip on bullfrog in couger buttes area without bj spacers. Bj spacers have only seen gravel roads and our club rti ramp. No lockers. Anyone measure between the top of the joint end and the shaft top? Or should i just assume its bent and warrenty it?

Thank you for your time guys

BlazeN8

The link that a posted shows how to straighten a bent Idler Arm.

I believe Idler Arms are year specific, 1986-1988 and 1989-1995. The Downey Catalog listed two braces one for each application. If you source the aftermarket at an Auto Parts store the part numbers correspond.

If your spare is used there is a good possibility its bent! If you build a brace, build it off the Idler Arm its intended for, use that as your jig!

-City Slicker

answer:
from Roger Brown

We looked into that FA1739 model idler arm and found a few issues:

- The bronze bushing will only fit half way down the shaft due to dimensional inconsistencies along the shaft. In fact the shaft diameter changes so much I don't think a rigid bushing like this will work well. It will be too loose at the top.

- Also noticed some visible voids from the casting process. This typically means the process was done very hastily to save money. This also usually indicates the metal cooled very quickly and is thus exceptionally brittle.

That said it appears to be identical in overall dimensions to the FA5040 and collection of other idler arms we have amassed aside from that taper issue on the main shaft. So it would seem the 1739 is perhaps a manufacturing cost-reduced version of the 5040 or something along those lines. As far as we have found, there seems to be one set of dimensions governing the size and location of the mounting bolt holes and the length and location of the arm and ball joint on the end. So all the arms seem physically bolt up to any '86-'95 pickup or 4Runner, but it is the internal differences that change between the various arms. The size and quality of the shaft and the quality and strength of the casting and forging on the part. So unless there is some hidden difference that only applies to '87 pickups, no idea why they would list that part for that year only.