took the 4runner to the dealership today.

[lunyou]

I had the relay rod, that was under recall replaced and while they were in there i asked them to find what was causing a popping sound..

Well the guys started snooping around and found the sway bar linkage on the drivers side was broke in two pieces causing rubbing at certain angles. He also discovered that my Idler arm on the passenger side was a little bit loose for his liking and showed me the movement in the arm....

Now i have to replace the Idler arm and the linkages....i might just do a write up....

lunyou

["N8"]

And some disconects for that sway bar write that one up too.

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

If you "break" the other side of your sway bar it stops making noise...... Ask me how I know?

[Cube Dweller]

Originally Posted by lunyou

I had the relay rod, that was under recall replaced and while they were in there i asked them to find what was causing a popping sound..

Well the guys started snooping around and found the sway bar linkage on the drivers side was broke in two pieces causing rubbing at certain angles. He also discovered that my Idler arm on the passenger side was a little bit loose for his liking and showed me the movement in the arm....

Now i have to replace the Idler arm and the linkages....i might just do a write up....

lunyou

Call around for the bushings, you should be able to find them pretty cheap and save the $$$ on the entire arm.

[cruiser88]

Originally Posted by 2ndGenToyotaFan

If you "break" the other side of your sway bar it stops making noise...... Ask me how I know?

i have no sway bar runs just fine

[cruiser88]

Originally Posted by Cube Dweller

Call around for the bushings, you should be able to find them pretty cheap and save the $$$ on the entire arm.

7 bucks a set at advance never got around to tapping new holes

[lunyou]

so i can use the old idler arm and just replace the bushings? The guy at toyota said i would need a new arm,.,hmm

lunyou

[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by lunyou

so i can use the old idler arm and just replace the bushings?

Sure! http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/idler/

Originally Posted by lunyou

The guy at toyota said i would need a new arm,.,hmm

lunyou

Yep, and when it doesn't start they try to sell a starter instead of the contacts that is all it really needs.

[Kyle95sr5]

Yeah you can rebuild the stock arm...here is another link you can use.

http://toyota.off-road.com/toyota/ar....jsp?id=300937

[Grim Reaper]

Originally Posted by lunyou

so i can use the old idler arm and just replace the bushings? The guy at toyota said i would need a new arm,.,hmm

lunyou

Screw the factory arm. Its weak and bends easily. Autzone sells a beefier unit for about what the dealer will rape you for the bushings. It is twice the diameter at the pivot and the arm. It is greasable as well.

[Bear80]

Grim, no offense but that arm is the biggest POS. If anything get a stock arm, replace the bushings and get a gusset. I went through 2 of those crap arms, they allow for upward/downward travel which is NOT what you want, the arm should only move left and right.

If you think the dealer prices are too high, you are mislead. The dealer prices are way fair for the quality, and if you do enough business with one they may give you a 20% shop discount, or just order parts through CruiserDan

[Tools R Us]

I never removed the tie rod. Just remove the metal cap, the nut under the cap, then the bolts holding it to the frame. Pull the bracket housing off of the arm, install new bushings with plenty of grease and reassemble.

[lunyou]

thanks guys

lunyou

[Grim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Bear80

Grim, no offense but that arm is the biggest POS. If anything get a stock arm, replace the bushings and get a gusset. I went through 2 of those crap arms, they allow for upward/downward travel which is NOT what you want, the arm should only move left and right.

If you think the dealer prices are too high, you are mislead. The dealer prices are way fair for the quality, and if you do enough business with one they may give you a 20% shop discount, or just order parts through CruiserDan

The dealer prices are ridiculous! $8 each for a valve shim, $8.75 each (Autozone had one that looked identical but had the wrong thread pitch for $1.25) for lug nuts on my Supra. $180 for a TPS? I walked into Autozone bought a TPS that was listed as a Wells. Open the carton and out slides a BRAND NEW ND with Toyota logo TPS. I thought somebody returned the defective. He got 2 other models off the shelf and all the same. New ND units for $90. Same deal with the rear wheel bearings for my Supra. I got them for HALF what the dealer quoted me and They were in Toyota bags when I bought them at Autozone. So yes I do think the Dealer prices are totally out of line since I can buy the exact same part for half the price consistently.


The only manufacture I ever found the prices were reasonable was my Mazda Rx7. The parts prices were relatively competitive with the chains. Again that tells me the dealers are ripping off their customers. The only part I buy from the dealer is oil filters. The only reason is I can't find any other one that the drainback is worth a damn and even the Toy ones are not that good.

I have seen three bent factory Idlers on three different stock trucks. The shaft is thin and they bend right where the go into the bushings. I can even tell you how it happens. Extend the suspension on passengerside, wedge the wheel while turing right. Good chace ytou will bend it about guranteed if you have a suspension lift.

Even if this is junk It has a lifetime warranty that the factory unit doesn't. I'll stick with my $59 unit and get new for free as needed. Its been on nearly a year and 2-3 trail rides so far so good. I Check it and give it a shot of grease every oil change or after every trail ride. So far no play.

[tntoyota]

Thats a good attitude, WHERE will you be if or when it blows?.......... Can someone please do an in depth article on the I arm rebuild my WHOLE front end is bad, I believe due to the relay rod, my I arm is about to fall off( ). MOOG has been recommended ($106) but I love 100% toy parts, IF, I can afford. Recall is useless if they only cover one part.

[Bear80]

Originally Posted by tntoyota

Thats a good attitude, WHERE will you be if or when it blows?.......... Can someone please do an in depth article on the I arm rebuild my WHOLE front end is bad, I believe due to the relay rod, my I arm is about to fall off( ). MOOG has been recommended ($106) but I love 100% toy parts, IF, I can afford. Recall is useless if they only cover one part.

You need to keep an eye out before you or anyone else ponys up for the "better" more expensive parts at a chain store. If you buy the expensive Moog idler arm you will get THAT EXACT POS that he got at autozone. Also if you go to Advanced auto and order the "Rare Pars" you will get a 555 made in Japan part, which you'll also find in some of their cheapest TRW boxs. And I'm with Grim Reaper on some things that can be found at stores that are cheaper and just as good as the dealer. I personaly despise autozone and will only go there for timken bearings, toyota selles them along side koyo and they are a lot more at the dealer than autozone. However, there is no substitute for toyota parts, and if anyone doubts that, they just don't have enough experience with them. Also there is enough dealerships on-line that you can oder parts from cheap, or like CruiserDan here on the forum.

Also just this weekend I swung by my parents place and my dad was changeing some steering parts on his '86 truck, actually swaping them since they where life time replacemtns. He put that same idler arm on about 5yrs ago and the truck has never seen dirt and that damn arm is flexing. In his case a stock idler arm with new bushings would still be 100%.

[tntoyota]

Amen on the AutoZone, I forgot to mention I only would buy the most expensive parts Oryliys or Advance would carry. You get what you pay for!
Thx, got it, rebuild looks toyo....ah better any way.

Just now cheked out the I arm rebuild link above, plastic buschings? can I get brass ones any where? Good Idea? H.Duty?