Downey Off Road's Idler Arm Brace
(#45493 for 93-95 or #45486 for 86-92)
2nd Gen 4Runner/3rd Gen Truck
7/18/2004

Mike (Cebby on the forums) shows you how he installed the idler arm brace to beef up his front end.
Tools Required:
Rubber Mallet
19 mm socket
1/2" socket
Ratchet
Large slotted screw driver
Torque wrench

This mod is so easy.  Ranks right up there with changing your air filter in difficulty.  You don't even need to take off a wheel, or jack the vehicle up.

Here's a schematic from Downey that shows the components of the idler arm assembly.

The idler arm is on the right side of your US spec vehicle in the wheel well toward the front.  Turn your wheels hard right to give yourself a little room to work.
Here's what a stock Toyota idler arm looks like.

The first step is to remove the cap off the top.  I gave the cap a few glancing blows with a hard rubber mallet to loosen it up.
I was then able to put the blade of the screwdriver under the edge of the cap and pry it off.  It doesn't take much effort.
The cap is not reused.

Remove the nut on top of the idler assembly.  Use a 19 mm socket to remove the nut.
Once you get it started, you can spin it off with your fingers pretty easily.
Save this nut for reuse later.

Remove the plate washer under the nut.  This washer took a little effort to get off.
I got my screwdriver under it and gave it a couple of hits with my rubber mallet to free it.
Be careful not to damage the plastic bushing under it.
The plate wash is not reused.

At this point you can fit the idler brace on the idler arm.  It drops over the stud on top and over the arm.
Replace the nut on top of the idler arm and torque to 58 ft.lbs.

Put the supplied bolts through the holes on the bracket under the arm.
Use a washer on the head side and the nut side of the bolt.

I put the head side out on mine since it looked cleaner and didn't interfere with anything on the backside.
My bolts did not just push through and required a shot with the rubber mallet to drive them home.
I cranked these bolts down as hard as I could.
In my opinion, this bracket won't do any good if the bracket is loose.

Disclaimer:
This write-up is for informational purposes only.
The author, Downey Off Road and Yotatech.com assumes no liability should you decide to modify your vehicle based on these instructions.
We are not responsible for any damage or harm to yourself or others as a result of this modification.
Any use of this information is at your own risk.

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