Hi all!

I am replacing all of my steering components since everything was basically shot. I bought all beck arnley parts. I re-installed the new idler arm and when I went to install the centerlink to it, the stud sucked all the way up into the idler arm connection point. The hole in the stud for the cotter pin is too high up that it won't keep the nut in place and the boot is smashed. It's at roughly 40 Ft/Lbs which was on the low end of the torque range (37-50 ft/lbs). Is this all normal or am I missing something? The pitman arm to centerlink looks similar, but due to the large castle nut, the hole for the cotter pin lines up.




Thanks!

 

year/model sometimes helps.

my '87 and '88 4runners do not have that configuration. the idler arm has the stud as part of the unit, not the centerlink.

 

Hey Wally, sorry for the lack of info. It's a '88 Pickup that's 2WD. Also, the nut moves most of the distance on the stud with fingers alone, only the last portion where it's as now required a wrench.

 

ah, 2wd must be different. sounds like one of the parts is the wrong part, or manufactured incorrectly. compare each to the parts you removed, might show which is incorrect?

 

So I took it back apart and the stud on the new centerlink is roughly 1/4" longer than on the original, but other than that it looks like the exact same length, spacing, etc.

Could I install it with two castle nuts or a castle nut and spacer and put the cotter pin through the top nut? Is that boot too smashed?

 

i’d return it for a part of correct dimension.

 

This^^^
I do NOT trust Beck-Arnley for parts that my life depends on. See Example here:

 

Just to update everyone in case you end up searching this issue - I ended up getting a second centerlink. I installed it and had the exact same issue. I tried the new centerlinks on the old idler arm and they fit correctly (probably should have done that at the start). Figured this meant the idler arm diameter was too large compared to stock. Decided rather than doing the hassle of trying a new idler arm I'd just re-build the old idler arm. I used the instructions in this link (https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f128...ld-how-144151/). Very easy to do and 1/4 the cost.

Thanks for the help Yota folks!