TNRabbit

I'm at Southern Tire right now (against my better judgement) getting a front end alignment on my truck, & they just showed me some "play" in my idler arm where it attaches to the steering rod. It's fore-aft rocking motion in the knuckle, not side-to-side AT ALL. I'm wondering if this is normal & they're trying to jack me up for a idler arm replacement.....anyone know for sure (no guessing)?

Thnx

yotasavg

IDK but, I just replace my arm cause it had a little play. I was able to align it better and now there is NO play. Idler assemblies are cheap enough to me that I replace it without thinking. I like good tire wear and solid steering.

rattlewagon

There shouldant be any play. Get an autozone replacement arm, then when that one goes, put some 4crawler brass bushing in it.

Fink

OP,

What'd you end up doing?

Fink

MudHippy

Probably too late to do any good...but here's my $.02.

The part where it connects to the center link, is essentially just a tie rod end, and is designed to tilt a bit off-center in all directions(maybe 10° or less), and turn/spin freely 360°.

By your explanation, stating that it was able to be moved in a rocking motion back and forth, not side to side, I'd say it's normal. It should do that. If it wasn't just the small amount of tilting/rocking, then it would be considered "excessive play". And that would present a problem as far as wheel alignment.

TNRabbit

MH, that's what I thought. What you are describing is EXACTLY what it is doing.

I told them I'd worry about it later & had them do the alignment "as best they could". Won't be going back THERE....b@st@ards. I HATE shops that pull that kind of crap.

Anywho, it's tracking MUCH better now. I had installed new FJ Cruiser wheels & Firestone Destination M/T tires last month & needed to get it checked as it's not been done since 2000~

It was off about 1.5 degrees on both sides (toe-out), so a noticeable improvement.

Thanks for all your comments!

xxxtreme22r

this is after my new FA5040 Autozone Idler and Pitman arm. Sorry I coulda widened the shot a bit but as you can see there is no play it in whatsoever when you cycle the steering. Now the stabilizer might be helping that as well, but I doubt it because before this I had a ton of play in the relay rod itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205VlujACWE

TNRabbit

Here's where the tiny bit of play is located; you'd never be able to even see it at the distance you recorded that video. It's really miniscule.

[IMG][/IMG]

xxxtreme22r

Then I wouldn't worry about it. Almost sounds as if they are trying to get themselves more work or wanted an excuse to not do the alignment.

Land Pirates Off Roa

From the sounds of it and the video, I would not worry at this point. But when we replace them, we run Total Chaos idler arms. They take MASSIVE abuse and even when they are bent, they will usually not come apart. While spendy compared to OME, they out last them 10 to 1... We have tweaked arms just trail driving and dropping down into a bigger hole than expected.

MudHippy

Is that right? Well, when we(most of us) replace them we(most of us) don't go out and buy the TC idler arm. For the vast majority of us that is a RIDICULOUSLY overpriced option. Regardless of it's integrity. If we(most of us) prefer to upgrade we(most of us) install bronze bushings instead of the OEM plastic bushings, and install a brace to keep it from bending. At a price that is REASONABLE.

Newbies...

Land Pirates Off Roa

Thanks for the sarcasm, we were just putting it out there. We drive fast and hard and the guys who go with the rout your talking about usually end up spending what the TC unit is in less than two years if they actually go off road. I can see where replacing the bushings and throwing on a brace works great for key board wheelers. But when you are diving more than 5 miles an hour off road it is nice to know you can keep steering the truck if you hit something unexpected.
If the post was "Need something dirt ass cheap" we would have just kept our opinion to the replacement bushings.
To each there own...

xxxtreme22r

First of all that video is mine not the O.P.'s. And where is the link to OME's idler arm? Wasn't aware they had a replacement option.

Also axleike on this site wheels his truck pretty hard and is not running the TC idler arm. And as far as running hard on trails well you can upgrade all you want on these IFS trucks but there is absolutely no aftermarket replacement for the knuckle arm although I think TC is the only one who has weld on gussets for them. No listing on their site other then coming with their heims. In which I think I am the only one on here to tweak his.

P.S. I'd rather replace a few $36 idlers every once in a while rather then making a $100 relay rod the weak point in the system. Yes TC has a replacement for that as well, but runs $675 but you have to also run the $495 Heims as well which also requires the expensive as hell Caddy kit which requires you to run an LT suspension setup. Completely unnecessary on a truck that sees only tail riding and not tough truck comps or prerunning duties.

Oh BTW as long as you don't use the bronze bushings, the FA5040 idler has a LIFETIME warrenty and is stupid simple to replace. And cheap enough to keep a spare in your tool box.

MudHippy

"key board wheelers"? Is that what I am?

Lucky you...I'm going to let that slide...considering your newbie status. Just a hint...you should try talking a little less trash before you get to know who's who here. And, thanks to you and your typical newbie over-enthusiasm to post frivolous information, WE'RE NOW WAY OFF TOPIC HERE DON'T YA THINK? Yes...you started it...

Land Pirates Off Roa

We maybe a "newbie" to the forum, but we are not new to off road. Thanks for trolling our comment about the TC idler arm. It was a suggestion, to a question asked. Have a fabulous day.


@ xxxtreme22r
As for all the other upgrades that TC offers, yep, they are spendy indeed. For some, worth it. For others, not so... We bent the hell out of everything until we started up grading to heims. We did bend a spindle more than once, so we truss them now on anything that is going to be used harder.
Speed is the killer for the trucks, trail running and just bouncing around do not break them to often... As soon as you're pre-running, everything starts coming apart! We do offer an in house stock length heim upgrade. There are a few guys out there that still run the torsion bar springs and do not want fiberglass fenders.
Nice to know they have a life time replacement idler arm now... They must go through quite a few. We have bent back a few on the trail for guys who have misjudged a rock or a stump and they end up looking cross eyed. But we drive with a crowd that twists specter shafts and shear lower control arm mounts.

angrybob

I think the problem is the above is simply bad advice. You suggest the TC idler arm at 10X the cost to a guy who has a stock rig and stated nothing about the need to beef it up for driving "fast and hard".

Second, you should specify what kind of wheeling you are recommending the TC part for. The TC parts are for high speed desert racing primarily, and while there parts work for rock crawling, its really not that practical.

I must be a keyboard wheeler too because I replaced mine with an FA5040 from Autozone. I must also be a sissy because I knowingly do not drive "fast and hard" when I'm wheeling over obstacles. In fact, my 4.7 t-case is meant precisely to lug over things as slow and smooth as possible. Oddly enough, I've gotten over every obstacle that I've attempted and not broken a single part...which probably also makes me a sissy.

If you have bent/broken that many OEM type idler arms, its not the part design at fault but rather the weight of your right foot and the gray matter in your head. A little finesse will save a lot of money.

angrybob

FWIW, MudHippy have personally saved me from acting on an incorrect diagnosis of a problem I had put out to the forum. CLICK HERE FOR THE SAVE

Saved me a lot of time and BS and I am/was grateful.

Bad advice is just...well...bad.

xxxtreme22r

I get it now, Land Pirates Offroad is a TC dealer.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Let's play nice please and in line with the posted rules. This thread has been reported as getting out of hand.

Thank you.

:wabbit2:

JBANDIT57

Well I'm a newbie and have a couple questions... As for myself, id love to upgrade to the TC unit but like most its WAY out of my budget. I've also seen links in other threads regarding the bushing upgrade to the stock units but hit dead ends searching links for them. Are these still available? Anyone with good experiences from this mod? Any idea where I can get them? Also, seems like most just buy the autozone unit and sounds like it is well worth the cheap price however I'm hesitant to buy anything steering related made in china, dose anyone have any reviews long term of the autozone unit? Dose it last at all?