1988 Toyota pickup, SR5, RWD, 22RE, 453K
I might have bumped a curb recently. Now, the truck pulls slightly to the left. So, I took it to a local tire store for an alignment.
The diagnosis was: they couldn't align the front end because the idler arm was defective, and the front bearings are loose.
The quote was: $65 for idler arm, $100 to replace, $90 to align, and, btw, $400 to tighten the front wheel bearings.
I'm not much of a wrench, but I thought I might replace the idler arm and save myself $130 or more. The bearings don't feel loose to me, but I am confident that I can tighten them.
When I took a closer look at the idler arm and attached parts, I discovered that the rubber ball attached to the idler arm via a steel pin was able to move on the pin. See attached pic. I am pretty sure the whole ball moves on the pin. I pushed the ball from the bottom.
The pin attached to the idler arm was shiny. Initially, I didn't see the rust.

Should the ball be moving on the pin? Or, is something broken inside? Do I probably need to replace the tie rod? Is the idler arm fixed to the pin on a shoulder?
I haven't yet found a good photo of the assembly. Tomorrow, I will cut open the rubber boots to look inside.

joint moves along pin on idler arm

 

If there is any play in the tie rods or idler arm then they need replacing. I did my tie rods, drag link, and steering damper. It's not hard. A HF front end service tool kit made it easier. Kit can be used to remove ball joints. Did those recently.

The idler arm can be rebuilt. Dealer parts, bushings and boot, are still available. New idler arms, drag/center link and tie rods are inexpensive on RockAuto.

If you need to replace the steering damper go with OEM. It's not cheap but the aftermarket one does not fit. My damper was shot. The new one made a huge difference.

I've never heard of tightening bearings but then I'm a novice. I have replaced both inner and outer bearings recently. Not hard. Just need a brass bar to tap out the bearing races from the hub.

 

Thanks for your response.
I think the idler arm is OK. The tie rod end is loose. The bushings evaporated.
I will torque the nuts on the front axle shafts.

 

Is it possible to replace just the tie rod end without removing all the associated pieces such as damper and center piece?

 

Yes you can replace tie rod ends without removing other components. Do you have a copy of the FSM?

 

What is FSM?? Service manual? Good idea!! I think I can find one.
edit. I just put one on hold at the local library

 

FSM - Factory Service Manual

You can download one from this link. http://web.archive.org/web/201101022...ttora.com/FSM/
Download the one under "1984-1989 Toyota 4Runner FSM (This one is 1988 specific)"

 

I now have the FSM in PDF..Thanks.
It turns out my tire store was way off. The idler arm is good. The defect is a missing rubber donut on the pin that connects the relay rod to the idler arm. I'll borrow a puller tomorrow: the pin is rusted to the idler arm.

What bothers me is the movement of the pin on the end of the relay rod. See my pics. Is this normal or OK?

 

The boots (the rubber donut) protect the part from dirt/grime getting in and compromising functionality. When a boot is torn/degraded/missing then the part should be replaced or replace the boot if the part is still functional and not contaminated with dirt/grime. With the missing boot and you say movement in the relay rod (drag/center link) then it needs to be replaced. I got mine thru RockAuto.

If you've never replaced the steering damper, it too probably needs to be replaced. Again, do not get the aftermarket steering damper. It does not fit. I went down that road and had to get the OEM one.

 

I put jack stands under the truck, removed the tires, and removed the steering components: damper, relay rod, tie rods, and idler arm. The defective bolt is on the end of the relay rod. I couldn't get the tie rods off the relay, so I left them attached to the relay and separated the outer ends near the wheels.
I plan to install new parts tomorrow.
What an adventure!

 

It is an adventure! I get a lot of satisfaction doing repairs myself! If you're replacing the tie rods and in case you don't know, adjust them close to the way the old ones are adjusted so the alignment isn't way off. You'll need that alignment when done.

 

prcnctoyo said: "If you're replacing the tie rods and in case you don't know, adjust them close to the way the old ones are adjusted . . "

I have heard that. Thanks. Reassembly should be easier than disassembly. Fingers crossed.

 

I think the clean metal is from the pin moving inside the idler arm. That’s not good. The rubber boot on the idler arm should be making contact with the steering relay rod

 

Thanks for our response. The bolt was firmly attached to the idler arm. The bolt broke free from its socket in the relay rod. That's probably not so good either.
Comparing the two pics, you can see the same rust pattern at the top of the bolt.

 

There's some incredibly cheap aftermarket parts out there for these types of repairs. Your call, and everyone's finances are different, but those inexpensive parts don't tend to last long. Especially their ball joints. While I always love oem, there are a few options that, while not as cheap as some of the eBay/Amazon stuff, is priced fair.

 

WooHoo. I am done, with only several bangs of a hammer to reinstall. (The mounting bolt of the damper didn't quite align.) Steering is much tighter/responsive. I centered the steering wheel

I hope I didn't use cheap parts.
The onliest glitch was setting the tie rods for install. I measured them close, from end of sleeve to center of the bolt. I went for a test ride without checking alignment of the tires. Oops.
The tires were several degrees out of parallel. I barely got to the stop sign 25 yards away when I realized something wasn't right. The tires sounded like I was plowing thru deep gravel.

I used the string method to check alignment of front tires with back tires. . Prolly 5 degrees. After I turned the tie rod the right direction, it was easy. I should go to another tire shop to check alignment.

I will post elsewhere my adventure with preloading the bearings.

 

Good job! This is what we like to see- people realizing they can do these kind of jobs themselves. A few years ago a buddy of mine was paying shops to work on his first gen Camaro because he didn’t think he had the skills. Fast forward to today, the car is a trackworthy work of art and he did all the major upgrades himself. Good luck and keep posting.

 

My next task is to figure out why my battery drained during the two weeks it was on jacks.At least I am smart enough to buy a charger and quick start battery.

12-224-2024: I started new thread to discuss possible wiring problem.

 

Get a meter, put it on (milli)Amps, and measure between the battery and one of the cables. 30-35 milliamps is typical for things like power amps when turned off. Then pull fuses from the fuse box to determine which circuits are drawing current. For me, it’s the 2 power amps.

 

I will try that. Thanks