Outer Limits 4x4 Board

What would cause an IFS Hilux idler arm to wear out to the point it needs changing before an alignment can be done at 42,000km?

Poor service? Driving through pot holes? 1.5" Balljoint spacers?

there just a toyota thing i ask the same question and that is the conclusion i come to

spongerx wrote:What would cause an IFS Hilux idler arm to wear out to the point it needs changing before an alignment can be done at 42,000km?

Poor service? Driving through pot holes? 1.5" Balljoint spacers?

You can re bush them, don't bother buying a new one, really easy to change, a bit fiddly to re bush.

It depends on tyre size and what you are driving.
Bigger tyres put a lot more leverage on them, with 35s they bend pretty easy!
I have bent two and flog out about 3 sets of bushes in mine in the last few years.
The bushes are cheap as so as long as its not bent just swap em out.
I now have a heavy duty idler arm with a bigger chome moly shaft and bronze bushes and it is so far sweet as.

ausyota wrote: I now have a heavy duty idler arm with a bigger chome moly shaft and bronze bushes and it is so far sweet as.

Where did you get that?? The US have heavy duty kits but their steering wheel is on the wrong side so their steering components are no good to us.

The stock ones are crap and flog out as soon as you drive out the driveway.

thanks
Leeham

leehamescort wrote:

ausyota wrote: I now have a heavy duty idler arm with a bigger chome moly shaft and bronze bushes and it is so far sweet as.

Where did you get that?? The US have heavy duty kits but their steering wheel is on the wrong side so their steering components are no good to us.

The stock ones are crap and flog out as soon as you drive out the driveway.

thanks
Leeham

Also very interested to hear where you sourced this heavy duty arm from.

Surely not the "unbreakable" hilux has broken stuff???!!! :-)

I just replaced my idler arm with a new one, as my 03 model arm isnt available in a new bush only, well, thats what the mechanic said!

Also replaced both lower balljoints as they were stuffed!! All up $500 parts and labour ....non genuine parts.

Mines done 110,000kms, with probably 8,000kms of that with 33s, and about another 10,000kms on dirt roads. All the rest daily driver.

Toyota are making everything weaker these days!!!

My old 2.4D Runner 89 vintage went for 118,000kms without ball joints, bushes, or idler arms, and serviced every 5000kms, mechanic ins[pected everything every time, and no issues. Go the mighty old 4Runner....they dont make em like they used too!!

yeah but did your old runner have torsion bars in the front wound up with bigger than standard tyres and get used much offroad? Its that combination that causes excessive loading of the idler arm.

leehamescort wrote:

ausyota wrote: I now have a heavy duty idler arm with a bigger chome moly shaft and bronze bushes and it is so far sweet as.

Where did you get that?? The US have heavy duty kits but their steering wheel is on the wrong side so their steering components are no good to us.

The stock ones are crap and flog out as soon as you drive out the driveway.

thanks
Leeham

I sourced it from a guy in Perth that got some made up.
I will find out if he can still get them.
They are an "offroad use only" item though

RAY185 wrote:yeah but did your old runner have torsion bars in the front wound up with bigger than standard tyres and get used much offroad? Its that combination that causes excessive loading of the idler arm.

oh yeah, nope it didnt, hadnt gotten the mods bug yet then!

After i bent my idler arm on my 4runner i made up a steel brace similiar to the ones the yanks could buy.
Never bent another idler arm. Was running 33" tyres.

Matt

It was me that got them made i designed it and got my oldman to whip em up for me.

I havent got anymore as i need old arms so i can reuse the arm with the ball joint on it.

I drill out the arm use a larger dia shaft out of 4140 and drill it for a grease nipple weld it to the old arm Use off the shelf bronze bushes in case they wear out.

I make a totaly brand new housing it bolts upto the factory location it is also droped 15mm lower than standard to help keep the arm from hitting the chassi under load.

If people are interested i can see if my old man wants to make a few more.

dave

if u order a set be carefull as there are 2 sizes available too

i have a 03 ifs hilux and have the same problem, i just put it down to working out in the bush and carring a ton full time on the vechile and driving on crap roads all the time, ive put 3 arms into it but when i changed the front shocks the problem seems to have gone away

rob

75 cruser wrote:i have a 03 ifs hilux and have the same problem, i just put it down to working out in the bush and carring a ton full time on the vechile and driving on crap roads all the time, ive put 3 arms into it but when i changed the front shocks the problem seems to have gone away

rob

What shocks did you change to? I'm thinking it's about time to upgrade my shocks as I'm bottoming out the front end more and more on the roads over here.

just put in the pedders and have not had no problems so far

rob

bulldogy wrote:It was me that got them made i designed it and got my oldman to whip em up for me.

I havent got anymore as i need old arms so i can reuse the arm with the ball joint on it.

I drill out the arm use a larger dia shaft out of 4140 and drill it for a grease nipple weld it to the old arm Use off the shelf bronze bushes in case they wear out.

I make a totaly brand new housing it bolts upto the factory location it is also droped 15mm lower than standard to help keep the arm from hitting the chassi under load.

If people are interested i can see if my old man wants to make a few more.

dave

Hey mate I managed to shear one in half on the weekend so am very interested I will send you a PM.