Idler Arm Help!!!

[Myredyota]

My truck likes to eat idler arms. It has 33X12.5 Muds so it gets plenty of traction. Locking it into 4 wheel drive while in the snow on the road, does no harm. Lock it in to wheel, or like this weekend, to pull a fence post, the freakin' thing is toast! I am so tired of this. I know Downey made a reinforcement for this, but they are gone. Now what? I am not ready for a SAS. I have no welder, or the time to do a SAS on my own. The truck is pretty much a daily driver so I really like the ride of the IFS.

 

[DaveInDenver]

A couple of options.

I think Northwest Offroad still sells an idler arm brace.

http://northwestoffroad.com/

You can replace the nylon bushings with bronze.

http://www.custommachiningusa.com/Specialty_Items.html
http://www.yotatech.com/f116/solid-brass-idler-arm-bushing-kit-114974/

Another is to use a Total Chaos arm.

http://www.chaosfab.com/toyaccess_4wd.html

I have the TC arm, which wasn't cheap back in 2005 or whenever I bought it. But it's gone 5 years without deflecting. It will no longer be your weak link.

 

[Myredyota]

Thanks Dave,
I found that thread last night on YotaTech. I also found that Frank, the guy that makes the ball joint spacer, makes some bushings also. His are for an aftermarket arm, but he lists the part # and everything. Same price. I may give NORWEST a call today.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Thanks Dave,
I found that thread last night on YotaTech. I also found that Frank, the guy that makes the ball joint spacer, makes some bushings also. His are for an aftermarket arm, but he lists the part # and everything. Same price. I may give NORWEST a call today.

I have Frank's (SDORI) ball joint spacers, he does good work. If he is making them they will be a good product. You might also check with Roger Brown (4Crawler) since he makes and sells lots of things for mini trucks he might have a source for replacement idler arm bushings.

 

[Cheese]

I used the NAPA lifetime warranty in 5 states and a total of 7 stores replacing more than one a month. In terms of traction, BJ spacers, a pair of lockers, a 3.4 and a crawler also helped.

I tried the Downey brace and bent it on the first trip.

The only thing that I have seen that was worth a darn for keeping idler arms alive with the crappy steering was the Total Chaos arm.

Get rid of BJ spacers, relax the torsion bars and buy a Total Chaos arm.

 

[Red_Chili]

Mr Bill can fix all your issues with a plasma cutter

 

[DaveInDenver]

Mr Bill can fix all your issues with a plasma cutter

The bronze bushings are the cheap and simple solution. Unless you're offering a SAS for $50, in which case I'm second in line.

 

[Cheese]

Until you bend a tie rod or rip a connector sleeve.

No one wants to talk about this because the bandaids are interesting, but there is a solution to this.

 

[Myredyota]

Dave, I think Roger is selling the bushings that Frank makes. I called Northwest this morning and ordered the brace, it should be here next week.

Bill, you crack me up! You have been egging me on about an SAS since we met! You and my neighbor would make a great team. He wants to put a couple of Danas under my baby and keep it low but stuff 40's under it too!

Say Cheese! You are right, you put a bandaid on one thing and it will reveal the next weak link.

 

[leiniesred]

I added a grease nipple

I drilled my idler arm body and put a grease nipple in between the bushings. I bought undersize bushings and drilled then out so they were still a little too small too.
I also had the downy idler arm brace and never bent the arm.

Then I chopped it all off and went SAS.

 

[AxleIke]

Looks like it.

 

[RockRunner]

I have the axles, plasma and welder to do a SAS. Still would need to buy some parts but if you use the rear springs for the front and get Chevy rears you cut the cost significantly.

A SAS is nice but it does cost some coin.

 

[Red_Chili]

Holy resurrected post, Batman!

 

[Myredyota]

Tom,
You are tempting me. Timing is not right. It will probably be quite some time before I will be able to do that type of mod. For now it will just have to have a bandaid put on it everytime I wheel.

 

[Red_Chili]

Dood, we can build you an idler arm that will outlive your truck...

All I need is time.

 

[Hulk]

Is this guy some sort of funky spam?

He has been banned.

 

[Myredyota]

Bill, what about everything it attaches too?

 

[Red_Chili]

Anything can be rebuilt.

An Aussie acquaintance once put it this way:
"A man made it... a man can fix it."

 

[Myredyota]

Maybe Shorty and I need to bring my truck over so we can fix it once and for all!

 

[Red_Chili]

All I need is time.

I can fix it or make it so no one else can!