Idler Arm Maintenance
#1
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Idler Arm Maintenance
Attention 2nd Gen owners with over 100K miles or "loose" steering:
I highly recommend performing the maintenance on your idler arm as described on 4x4wire .
I had neglected my idler arm until last weekend. I didn't realize how bad it was until I put the new bushings in and reassembled it. When I first took it off, the arm spun like a propeller and after fixing it, I could barely move it. I noticed a drastic improvement in steering response.
It took me about an hour and a half to do it. Most of the time was spent cleaning it as the arm was pretty dirty and corroded due to the worn bushings.
The parts are cheap--two bushings cost me $4.36 (before tax) and the dust seal was $2.41. I had an alignment done last week and the shop wanted $250 to repair it!
Matt
I highly recommend performing the maintenance on your idler arm as described on 4x4wire .
I had neglected my idler arm until last weekend. I didn't realize how bad it was until I put the new bushings in and reassembled it. When I first took it off, the arm spun like a propeller and after fixing it, I could barely move it. I noticed a drastic improvement in steering response.
It took me about an hour and a half to do it. Most of the time was spent cleaning it as the arm was pretty dirty and corroded due to the worn bushings.
The parts are cheap--two bushings cost me $4.36 (before tax) and the dust seal was $2.41. I had an alignment done last week and the shop wanted $250 to repair it!
Matt
#2
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Location: Solano Co, CA Originally a North Idaho Hick
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I just ordered a new heavy duty idler arm from Delboy here on the forum. My steering feels fine but that's what I thought too when I replaced my steering stabilzer and was pleasantly surprised with a much nicer handling truck
#3
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1st Gen Owners (maybe 2nd too?) - if you do this repair and Toyota tells you that you need the bushings #'d 90385-18068 , don't believe them. They're too big! Don't know if the other set (90386-19005) will work or not - haven't had time to try. Let me/us know if you find out.
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or in my case, ordered the bushings and dust seal, and then replaced the entire arm anyway, because even though there was play, there was more play in the stud end. i guess i have an extra set of bushings when this needs it.
definitely reduced the steering looseness and then the new stabilizer helped even more!
to get the stud out, i found that driving the pickle fork from the driver's side out is more effective than going from the tire side , in. and use a BFH.
definitely reduced the steering looseness and then the new stabilizer helped even more!
to get the stud out, i found that driving the pickle fork from the driver's side out is more effective than going from the tire side , in. and use a BFH.
Last edited by nofilter; 05-24-2003 at 09:03 PM.
#6
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I had my idler arm re-built by a shop several years ago. They drilled and threaded a zerk fitting in the side so I can grease it from time to time. That was 4 years ago. I grease it twice a year and its worked grate since.
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