How do I get the idler arm and tie rods off

[Lebo]

Hi. How do you get the idler arm and tie rods off a 98 Tahoe? I am trying to remove the idler arm as well as the inner and outer tie rods. I am going to leave the pitman arm to a shop. The nuts were no problem getting off the idler arm and outer tie rods. I thought that they would slide out once the nut was removed. I was wrong. Do they press out?, hammer out? Do I need a special tool to press them out. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Lebo

 

[NYrr496]

You can use a tapered fork and hammer them off, but that's a little barbaric. There are pullers for them that don't beat the parts up too badly.

 

[Lebo]

Thanks NYrr496,

I tried the fork but it did not work to easily so I tried the puller. The puller worked great. Now, is there a trick to getting the nuts to tighten down on the tie rod studs without the studs turning? Looks like the nuts have some compressed threads at the top. When I hit these threads the stud in the tie rods spin. I tried wedging a fork/seperator in between but I was afraid I would damage the boot. If I fail at this my wife is going to have even more ammo for a new Tahoe but I like the one I have. Any additional help is greatly appreciated.

Lebo

 

[NYrr496]

If you squashed the threads, you'll never get the nuts started. I guess maybe you could clean the threads up with a die or thread chaser. I squeeze the parts together with a big pair of channel locks to start the nuts until the taper takes a seat.
Also, Energy Suspension or one of the poly bushing companies makes replacement boots out of poly. I used them on my truck when I accidently ripped one of my tie rod boots. They work great and seal tight.

 

[Lebo]

I should have been more specific. The nuts are designed like that. The top thread is compressed just a little. I did not compress the threads. I assume they are like that for a reason. Maybe it substitutes for a castle nut and cotter pin in a way. Any way I wedged a piece of wood behind the inner tie rods and was able to get enough pressure on the stud to get the nut on. Once the tie rod stud seated tightly it did not spin any more. I put a jack under the outer tie rod and lifted it up just enough to keep the stud from spinning. Once they slide in far enough the tapered design of the stud gets enough pressure to stop spinning. Everything worked out OK except now my steering wheel and wheels do not line up as well. I marked the old tie rods before and tried to set the new ones the same. If I drive and let go of the wheel it tracks straight but the wheel is slightly cocked off. Is the Idler arm hard to get off? Can I get it off without taking other components off? Thanks again for your help.

Lebo

 

[NYrr496]

Do you mean from the steering box or the frame on the opposite side? The idler arm is held on with three bolts. If you drop the air shield beneath the radiator, you can access it from there and the passenger wheelwell. The factory one is one piece. The Moog one I replaced it with is two pieces.
The Pitman arm on the steering box is also easy if you use the right tool. There's a pitman arm puller for SUVs that has the wrench hex on the ram on the inside of the tool. It allows you to leave the steering box in the vehicle. You still have to unbolt it, but it stays connected to the column and power steering hoses. It's the only way to go.
When reinstalling a pitman arm, add a little Nev R Sieze to the spline so you're not fighting a lot of friction when re torquing the nut. That way, it goes on and seats in the correct position on the steering box.

 

[John Redcorn]

I couldn't get a fork anywhere near the right position to get my idler or pitman, much less a hammer behind the fork. No one in town had a puller that was the right size, they were all too small.

I had to borrow a compressor and $15 harbor freight air hammer from a friend. I just ran a wedged chisel bit of the air hammer between the idler and center link about 5 times and they just popped open.

(it's really time that I get a compressor myself)

The inner tie rods I tried with the air hammer but the wedged chisel bit was too small to do anything to them except destroy the boots and make a mess. I took the wheels off (was doing all this so far with wheels on) and put the fork in them from the side and 2 hits with a BFH and they came loose.

 

[Lebo]

Thanks guys. Now, do I need to replace the bracket as well? I did not have any luck with the forks but I was able to get a puller from Oriley's that made getting the idler arm off fairly easy. I was just planning on replacing the arm. However, when I took the bracket off I noticed it had a grease fitting. I did not realize it was a moveable part that wears out. It seems fine. However, there is definitely play in the idler arm itself (not the bracket). This job keeps getting more and more expensive because I am replacing things that I might as well just because I have it taken apart.

 

[John Redcorn]

Thanks guys. Now, do I need to replace the bracket as well? ...when I took the bracket off I noticed it had a grease fitting. I did not realize it was a moveable part that wears out. ..

I was the same way. when I bought my idler they asked if I wanted the bracket/frame for it and I didn't think that'd be something that's normally replaced so I just got the arm. When I pulled it all apart I noticed the same thing. I didn't get a new one, just pumped the old one full of grease and it all seems fine. for me anyway.

You and I rule for being able to take those 3 idler arm and steering gear mount bolts out of the frame rail without dropping them. I was scared the whole time because if I dropped one I didn't know if my other car was in good enough shape to make it to the parts store and has a way expired tag, and no one could give me a ride, everyone at work. With some socket extensions a strong magnet pickup tool a prayer to black-jesus and some luck I did it!

 

[Lebo]

Ok. Thanks for the help. I got the tie rods and idler arm back on. I decided to go with Moog parts for the idler arm but used NAPA premium parts for the tie rods. Does anyone have a preference? I still need to get the pitman arm on and will probably go with the Moog part. I think I am going to have a pro do the work for me. National Tire and Battery said they would do the labor for $45 and the alignment for another $75 or so. Not sure if they know what they are getting themselves into but I assume they have done this before. Getting the loaner tools from Oriley's was huge. I would have given up if I did not have the right tools. If the puller I had was wider I might try and do the pitman myself but I have had enough fun. The only negative thing about doing this my self is the steering wheel sits cocked 30deg right just to go straight. I thought I put the new tie rods on like the old ones but I guess not. Hopefully the alignment will take care of that. I think a powersteering pump or exhaust gasket is next. Thanks again for the help.

 

[John Redcorn]

you can set the toe in and steering wheel alignment yourself pretty damn close in about an hour just by feel, no tape measures or silver paint needed to get you by for a while if you're going to be a while before you get your pitman and real alignment done.


edit: I was wrong about this, I thought I remembered the outer tie rods connecting to the rear of the steering knuckle but they connect to the front.
so I've fixed/reversed all these instructions.

steering wheel:
steer the wheels straight in your driveway while moving, a competent spotter standing outside would be great for this (or make them a driver if you can't trust them as a spotter ) Steer just the drivers wheel straight if the wheels are obviously pointing different directions. Look at the position of the steering wheel, if it's cocked right you need to make your right tie rod longer and your left one shorter. You'll have to turn the wheels hard to one side to get at the adjuster and hard the other way for the other adjuster. Do the same number of turns each side. drive up and down the driveway a few feet to make sure the tires aren't bound up on the concrete and see if the steering wheel is better, keep adjusting till its perfect. For doing a steering wheel this redneck way you always would lengthen one side and shorten the other equally and drive up and down the driveway between each adjustment.

eyeball toe:
If your passenger wheel is obviously pointing a different direction than your reference drivers wheel just by eyeballing it fix that up some next, again driving up and down the driveway between adjustments until it looks perfect by eye. Drivers wheel is your reference here and it's now straight in relation to the steering wheel. Only adjust the passenger side here.

fine tune toe:
once you get the steering wheel done, and the wheels straight by eyeballing, leave the adjusting sleeves loose, grab your pliers and hit the roads. if it pulls to the left pull over real quick and shorten the left side and lengthen the right side. repeat until good.
-do all the first few adjustments opposite (lengthen one shorten other) and equally on both sides.
-keep track of how many turns you are adjusting so you can back it off if you need to all the way or partway.
-For the first or maybe first few adjustments go big, like 4 turns shortening one and 4 turns lengthening the other, it's better to overshoot on the first couple adjusts and possibly make it pull hard the opposite direction it was pulling just to know you're going in the right direction to fix the pull than to undershoot and not realize you might have done some good when you start driving.
-You'll eventually get it close and to where you only need to adjust one side, hard to describe but you'll kinda be able to tell by feel with your butt in the seat and hands on the wheel when its time to only adjust just one side. After that it will feel like its driving great

I did this on my lunch hour the day after I replaced all my stuff pulling over about 6 times and I had it good. It drove perfect, well compared to how it was before anyway, We put it on a friends hunter alignment machine a week later and was red instead of green for toe on both sides. But it only took one or maybe a half a turn of the adjusters to get it to go green so I guess even though it showed red I was pretty close.

 

[Lebo]

Thanks. I will give it a try.

 

[NYrr496]

I had my wife sit in my truck and tell me when the wheel was straight while I adjusted the tie rods. A couple of fine tunes and it was off to the alignment shop. It was also very close.