eBay Steering Center Arm - Good?

[TEQ]

Someone is selling a replacement center arm assembly on eBay that claims:

FJ40/45/55 Landcruiser Center Arm Replacement Conversion.
A direct bolt on replacement for the Toyota Landcruiser center arm.
Fits all left hand drive FJ40/45/55 Landcruisers from 6/69 to 9/83. It is also available for right
hand drive models too!
Why spend the time and money rebuilding your worn out center arm
that will just have to be replaced or rebuilt again?
Our kit is designed to eliminate the need to ever rebuild or replace it again!
Tighten that steering and help eliminate wandering all over the road!!
Tested in Moab and other extreme trails here in Colorado.
Powdercoated for great looks and durable finish.
Comes with our full lifetime warranty and all new mounting hardware.

A center arm rebuild kit from SOR is $80. This thing is $139, but the claims are that it won't ever need to be re-built.

B.S. or for real? Anyone tried one? Thoughts?

I pretty much need to re-do my whole steering setup. My center arm is jiggly, both my tie-rods are bent and all tie-rod ends are loose. I want to do it right...

(I have a mini-truck PS unit installed by CCOT).

 

[bull]

Get a rebuild and be done... You will be old and gray before you will need another rebuld kit..

 

[PabloCruise]

Best solution (IMHO) is to remove that center arm w/ FJ60 PS conversion...

 

[peesalot]

rebuild yours. If those e-bay ones were all that you woulda seen em on this board and PBB already. IMO Toyota designing is well done and if a non rebuildable unit was appropriate it woulda been that way from Toyota.
IMO a non rebuildable steering part is lame.

 

[Poser]

Have you tried to adjust yours?


Hit it with a grease gun, and adjust it.


71K original miles and it is shot?


I doubt it...

 

[honk]

Have you tried to adjust yours?


Hit it with a grease gun, and adjust it.


71K original miles and it is shot?


I doubt it...

Well.....maybe if CCOT installed one of their Taiwan kits in it

 

[TEQ]

rebuild yours. If those e-bay ones were all that you woulda seen em on this board and PBB already. IMO Toyota designing is well done and if a non rebuildable unit was appropriate it woulda been that way from Toyota.
IMO a non rebuildable steering part is lame.

I greased it.

Do I need to remove the links in order to adjust it? If so, I'm just going to wait until I get a new relay rod and tie rod (both are bent) as well as my new tie-rod ends so I can just do it all at once.

(I have about 3" of play in the steering...that's what I want to address).

 

[honk]

I greased it.

Do I need to remove the links in order to adjust it? If so, I'm just going to wait until I get a new relay rod and tie rod (both are bent) as well as my new tie-rod ends so I can just do it all at once.

(I have about 3" of play in the steering...that's what I want to address).

To adjust it does not require removing the rods. Loosen the center bolt and screw sown the top. The top is threaded into the body of the thing and is the adjuster. The bolt pulls up a lockplate to keep the adjustment.

 

[TEQ]

Good info honk. But for me that begs the question: "What is adjusted?"

Man, I appreciate all the help I get here on Mud. It won't be long before I can start adding value back...I hope.

 

[Degnol]

Good info honk. But for me that begs the question: "What is adjusted?"

Man, I appreciate all the help I get here on Mud. It won't be long before I can start adding value back...I hope.

The later style center arms are tapered, so adjustment forces the tapers together. ( If that makes sense to you.) Grease and adjust like mentioned above and have someone turn the steering wheel while you look at the steering components. Your play will become evident. If it does not and you still have problems it may be trunion bearings in the knuckles, tierod ends, steering box or wheel bearings or caster problems. See, I narrowed it down for you! Don't be too hasty to convict the center arm until you have checked everything.

GL

Ed

 

[honk]

Ed's right about not convicting the centerarm - it's easy to start thinking that you need stuff if you spend too much time looking at catalogs full of sales pitches and websites with convincing floozies.

Don't you have an FSM? Look at the picture of the tapered bushing/center arm. It adjusts by screwing the top down until slop is removed but the thing will still turn. It's admittedly easier to feel if all the rods are disconnected but with the wheels off the ground and an eye to up and down movement of the pitman arm you can do fine. There should be no up and down movement of the pitman arm. It should only move laterally, round and round not up and down.

 

[Trollhole]

My question would be. What benifits does this piece have over the standard. Does it use bearings? I agree that the stock piece works well when properly adjusted but if this peice is a new design it might be worth look at. It would be nice for someone to buy it and give it a shot on a trail. I would hate for this thing to break while on the road.

I guess that is why most people stick with the Toyota part. They know they are reliable.

 

[PabloCruise]

...it's easy to start thinking that you need stuff if you spend too much time looking at catalogs full of sales pitches and websites with convincing floozies...

Ah, does this mean I need to stop looking at those websites with convincing floozies before working on the 40?