Idler Arm Bushings
- Thread starter Jwawhite
- Start date
40cpe
Well-known member
I changed mine a few years ago. The loose link made it wander as the toe-in changes. Instructions were in the box. I think the only torqued piece is the bushing that screws into the steering center link. I THINK it was 90 pounds. It is not a big job. Mine was for manual steering.
Alaska Jim
Well-known member
usually, a bad idler arm will not make a wheel/tire "hop " as you describe, especially if the car is not moving as you stated when the wheels were spun up to 60mph. this is usually caused by a bad wheel, or a bad tire, or a combination of the 2. It is possible that the brake drum is out of balance, causing the problem if this happens when the vehicle is not moving, and the wheel, tire , and drum assembly are spun as one. Have you checked the wheel bearings, and the proper wheel bearing adjustment
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
Which idler arm? power steering or manual? they are completely different.
The manual steering idler arm can wear the acme threads inside the metal bushing only if hundreds of thousands of miles of abuse without periodic lubrication. I suggest applying grease at both fittings using a pressure grease gun at least once each year.
A brand new manual steering idler arm has maximum 1/8" vertical free travel resulting in no vibration problems. The manual idler arms have a rubber grease seal at both ends which don't amount to a hill of beans as far as being able to prevent vibration.
The power steering replacement idler arm bushings are rubber encased steel that are pressed into the special power steering idler arm bracket made of cast iron. The rubber would need to be real bad in order to notice enough looseness to achieve vibration, but if your undercarriage is oily, the rubber can deteriorate quickly.
I chose NOT to use the modern rubber bushings in my power steering. I kept the original FOMOCO set of collars/bearings that were installed at the factory. That system is much more vertically rigid while allowing free horizontal movement.
Far is I know, the replacement rubber bushing are still available from the repro parts suppliers.
The manual steering idler arm can wear the acme threads inside the metal bushing only if hundreds of thousands of miles of abuse without periodic lubrication. I suggest applying grease at both fittings using a pressure grease gun at least once each year.
A brand new manual steering idler arm has maximum 1/8" vertical free travel resulting in no vibration problems. The manual idler arms have a rubber grease seal at both ends which don't amount to a hill of beans as far as being able to prevent vibration.
The power steering replacement idler arm bushings are rubber encased steel that are pressed into the special power steering idler arm bracket made of cast iron. The rubber would need to be real bad in order to notice enough looseness to achieve vibration, but if your undercarriage is oily, the rubber can deteriorate quickly.
I chose NOT to use the modern rubber bushings in my power steering. I kept the original FOMOCO set of collars/bearings that were installed at the factory. That system is much more vertically rigid while allowing free horizontal movement.
Far is I know, the replacement rubber bushing are still available from the repro parts suppliers.