I am going get some needle and tapered bearings made which will fit this ifs idler arm and remove the plastic bushings. Also, the arm is going to get reinforced on the lower part and hopefully will make it much stronger and won't need maintenance. The best part is it won't cost 400 dollars. Anyone have any interest in trying out one of these?

Prototype will be completed next week, so I'll post some pics then.

 

How do you plan to reinforce it, by bracing?

 

I'm always interested in making my IFS stronger - any idea with it will cost?

 

Interested! Lets see it

 

Since the main problem with the design is the shaft bending at the junction between the rotating face of the arm and the rubber "dust shield" thing that toyota put on the bracket, I am going to have some large steel spacers machined which would extend the area that the arm rests on. These spacers would be welded to the bracket and provide the vertical force necessary to seat the tapered bearing onto the shaft when the assembly is tightened together.

So, instead of relying on the torsional resistance of a bar on some plastic or brass bushings, the needle bearings will center the shaft and allow me to torque the bearing assembly together with way more force than the factory originally designed.

All I'm really doing with this design is translating the high point load from the plastic bushings to a large rotary bearing face.

 

This is definately interesting. Would the tapered needle bearing be the same as tapered roller bearings? this way you could control side to side thrust. And what would you use to set the preload? Perhaps a crushsleeve like on the pinion in a diff?
Just a few thoughts.

Edit: " needle and tapered bearings" didnt read to well....

 

There is no need for preloading the internal needle bearings, since they receive radial force only, however, there will be a spacer between them to stop them from moving off of the machined face inside the bracket. The large spacer (washer) on the bottom of the bracket near the rotating face of the arm will provide the preloading to the single row roller.

It will sort of resemble a mini toyota 3rd member.

 

Aright cool! makes sense, I'll be sure to watch and see where it goes!!

 

I'm looking into cost now, One of the bearings is custom. The other two come from a snowmobile engine believe it or not!

spacer will have to be machined, so looking into that cost as well.

 

I'm in for pics! Although it sounds interesting, I personally wouldn't trust the stock unit running 35s for years on end. I'm planning on picking up a Rough Roads ($320) or TC idler ($350) here soon, but maybe I could be swayed...

 

I have never had a idler arm break like that. Every idler arm I've see bend happens on the arm part right before it connects to the drag link. That is why TC reinforces that part of the arm. The bushings, whether it be brass or plastic, are not the problem. Putting needle bearings will accomplish nothing. Having a stong idler arm is about bracing the arm.

 

what he said. ^^^^

 

I hate to add to the hate, but when I bent my first arm it was right by the drag link, now I just run a Downey Idler brace and I've had no issues for about 4 years (barring replacing the plastic bits...).

 

^ What they said.

 

I guess I have a different experience.

I have one that has a bent shaft at the rotating face. Seems like its pretty hard to break the thick cast part of a factory idler arm that attaches to the relay rod. Are you talking about aftermarket arms that break in the spots you mention?