By replacing the idler arm and tie rod ends on our 1997 Chevy 4x4 CrewCab pickup ourselves,
we saved a bundle. I would say that we savedat least $200.
A dealer would mark the parts up by a
factor of 2 then charge $65 to $95 an hour
(depending on where you go), then the absolutely ridiculous supplies charge (anywhere from 5% to 15% of the cost)
for a squirt of oil or a paper towel and some hand cleaner.
The 97 CrewCab is one of our bow hunting expedition tow vehicles that only has 72K plus
miles on it. That is not enough miles to have worn out an idler arm, tie rod end,
ball joint, or anything else with proper maintenance.
The problem is that we had trusted other people to perform the oil changes
and greasing for years. The other people, especially the Wally
World types, are too lazy to take out 2 bolts and lower the skid
plate in order to grease 2 fittings (the only way it can be done).
That laziness or stupidity of the workers, caused the idler arm and tie rod end to fail
prematurely. If anyone other than you, changes your oil and greases your vehicle, I
strongly suggest that you inspect their work.
By shopping at a local auto parts store(always compare 2 or 3 different ones) we found Made In America parts
that had grease fittings for 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the foreign parts
offered by online catalogue places (go figure and compare).
With the money that you can save by replacing
your own idler arm and or tie rod ends, you could buy more tools for
your future projects to save even more $$$$.
To attempt this project, you will need the appropriate American or metric sockets, and
combination wrench size for your vehicle. You will also need at least 1 and probably
2 sizes of Pickle Forks (the tool that easily
separates the wobble joint (ball joint) end of the idler arm and tie rod end.
Checker, Auto Zone, Napa, and other parts stores often rent these tools if you do not
want to purchase them for yourself. If you plan on this only being a 1 time effort
on your part, rent them. On the other hand, for just a little bit more, you can
purchase them and then have them on hand for your next project.
After all, you are doing this to SAVE $$$$
aren't you? You will also need a jack and PLEASE ALWAYS
USE A JACK STAND for safety. You will need the usual assortment of pliers, a
pry bar or 2, wire brush, a grease gun and grease to grease the new parts, and a long
punch (a piece of small pipe or square tubing could work) to seat the new idler arm.
Most folks that are willing to attempt a DIY project on a vehicle, already have a
few tools. Even if one spends another $50 or so for the needed specialty tools,
you are still making $$$$ by making the repairs
yourself and you learn more about your vehicle.
You probably noticed that we have and use a drive on lift for our DIY projects. You
certainly do not need a lift for the projects that we show you, but it surely is a great deal of help and it can be used for many things other than idler arm replacement that you would not think of until you own one.
There are many types and brands of lifts on the market. We
searched long and hard before purchasing this lift.
We found the best and safest lift for the absolute best delivered price and would be happy to pass the contact information to
you and save you hours of research and hundreds of dollars.
I want the lift information.
Watch the video a time or 2 to see what the replacing of an idler arm and tie rod end
is all about and decide if it is worth a couple of Ben Franklin's to DIY.
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