so after my last anf final trip ever to firestone the guys got my truck up on the lift and inspected it. so the results were replacing both right and left tie rod ends , front left idler and pitman arms. has anybody ever had this problem??? as for replacing them, has anyone done it?? is it hard?? im a pretty good mechanic so im lookin to do this myself rather than to pay someone 900 bucks

thanks guys

 

Advance Auto has a puller kit you can borrow, heck I even broke a puller on the pitman , no charge.

$900.00 is there no shame ...... Do It Yourself , not a bad job.

 

I just replaced my idler arm for the second time! (buy cheap, buy twice) all you will need is that fork tool (cant remember the real name) The stock one was a bitch to get separated, but the cheap idler arm I just took off just needed a little persuasion by a taffy hammer.

 

yeah make sure you get a good moog or napa or advance auto one, the autozone stuff is junk...or has been in my recent expierences

 

Just did mine. Yes, it's a D-I-Y job if you're a descent mechanic and have the tools. Nothing special required.

 

thanks guys . so how bout the tie rods are those any trouble??

 

tie rods are easy, I use two big pipe wrenchs and a propane torch, just have to get it aligned after...2 wheel alignments run 69.95 usually.

 

If i was you id get a 2nd opinion. I have the lifetime warranty for alignment on my truck and when i took it to them there was always $1500 worth of work needed*, including all my ball joints needed to be replaced, tie rods, idler and pitman and several other things to be done...I took it to another shop that I know that always does amazing work and i didnt need any of that crap done just a lower ball joint on the pass side and upper ball on drivers.
one of these days im goin to go cancel my lifetime stuff cuz i cant get it aligned without them wantin more money that i dont have.

 

You actually replaced a lower ball joint on one side and the upper on the other without doing all four??? Really?

Is there a slight chance the first place cared about you/your truck (and not actually making money...that happens) and the second place wanted to at least sell you an alignment?

My last alignment experience resulted with the guy telling me all those same components were bad. I told him (very nice and professionally) that I would do the work myself and that they weren't going to get that extra business, but to go ahead and do the alignment best he could today and I'd fix the other later and bring it back to tighten up the alignment. He refused to do the alignment. That told me he wasn't after the money and wanted the job done right.

Anyways, who cares if it really and truely needed those parts or not. My truck never drove better after replacing all that stuff at 110k miles.

 

Im sure i probably fu*ked them up from my putting in my lift with the spindles. but when looking at it all the others were still good and didnt need to be replaced for a while, the others it was pretty obvious they were out. I wasnt about to drop 1500 down for arms that were good and are still good and havnt given me any trouble and just other random junk like i needed new adjuster bolts for the UCAs (which the other shop took them out and showed them to me...perfect condition) and other in the 5k mi that ive put on since then. the shop i go to, I am good friends with the owner and some of the employees and theyll let me sit out with the mechanic and watch him do the work so i can see what all hes doin and he will show me what all he is doin. now thats what i call service.

 

Fellas -
Kinda off topic (well sort of) but how do you know if you need to replace your pitman, tie rod ends and idler arms? What are the symptoms when they're bad?

Thanks

 

^^^^ I agree anyway tie rods and the idler arm are easy. 2 crescent wrenches , a pickle fork and a hammer (channel locks for the cotter pins) is all you really need. But having the proper sizes wrenches and a torque wrench makes it a little less worry free. Just make sure you get an alignment after words and tell them what you replaced (some places are nice enough to double check your work) while doing the alignment.

 

well tghey put my truck up on the lift and the guy started wobblin my tire back and forth had about a half inch of play. and also when im driving at any speed i can hear m y front left tire alot , sounds like a super swamper tread , but the other side sound normal

 

nobody???