Waaay to funny, comment is underrated! Lol

I’m having a bitch of a time breaking the idler from the steering arm. Trying heat next.

Heat helped, but I also had to grind the threaded stud ends flat and drill a centering hole for the tool so the centering tit of the tool would stay on the stud and not walk off the side of it. Then using air impact and socket, let it pound away at it til they finally popped loose.

cheers, good luck and let me know if the new arm fixes it!

thanks, yep still with the steering boxes, at least as of 04....they might have changed by now but I don't know

a DIY Car Guy no problem. If i remember right 1/2 ton Chevy truck do have racks

i think you are right

a DIY Car Guy I'm always right lol

true that haha

I'm in the rust belt believe it or not, just this van was well cared for by the previous owner, kept inside, washed often. It does have a bit of surface rust but not as much as is expected.

thanks!, probably a few hours, not really sure the exact timing, it can vary depending on how much trouble the vehicle gives you

🤣

Thanks, I got the 3 bolts without removing the sway bar, have to lift the van up and down so the sway bar moves out of the way. I'm pretty sure there's enough room to remove it from underneath.

a DIY Car Guy - Thank you!

moog says 35 for the custle nut ..... for my 1500 van

if they built the part and that's the spec they give, then go with that

any play that was in the steering should be gone so it will need an alignment....unless the pitman arm is so far misaligned that it's causing the crooked steering wheel, but that would be hard to do because of the odd teeth

Is it rubbing on the cross member under the link or on the frame above the link....I"m not sure why it would do either unless they are the wrong parts or maybe the steering is misaligned

Did you use a 3 or 4 grove pitman arm? I have an 05 express 3500 and I don’t know which one to get.

Just did it on my 05 parts look the same tbh lol so I'd say yes it would be the same GET A GOOD PULLER...you will not get it off without one on a HD truck lol trust me.....puller.....not hammer.....puller......-cries in corner-...

Should be the same or very similar, I'm not sure if the torque for the nuts is different, you'll have to look that up.

yea if you give them the year/make/model they should have the correct part in their system, same with online sites, you can also usually contact the seller with your vehicle's info + VIN and they can tell you if the part fits

some sae tools are close enough, as long as they work, whatever is the fastest gets it

Nvm lol

thank you! sorry I never found the info. Mine has a locking nut so as long as it's tight but not overtorqued it should be fine

I cant seem to get thee bottom of the idler arm bolt loose from the tire rod, how'd you get them to separate? You separated that part before you loosened the three bolts in the bracket right? The nut itself came off fine but now nothing will break it free the ilder arm from that bottom steering rod. I tried with pickle fork and a puller but there is only metal to metal on the idler arm side with no gap or no fitting for it to grab onto. The bolt is frozen in, please help! I've been stuck working on it for two days with no luck

Mine was actually loose already and it came right out with a couple taps of a hammer. You might need to heat the tie rod part up with a torch. Don't heat the shaft of the ball joint, heat the tie rod to expand and release the ball joint.

+a DIY Car Guy thanks for the reply, unfortunately I don't have a torch. I do have the same kit with tie rod puller you have at 4:53. I just don't have that gap to get the tool to grip to fit. I'm not sure how you managed to wedge it in like that unless yours has more space since it was already loose

There's more space for the tool on the pitman arm side.....I don't know about the idler arm side because I didn't have to use the tool, but I tried this on an Escalade and there was no room for the tool on the pitman arm side and it was the same design as the van. I would go to the hardware store and get one of those blue handheld propane tanks and a regulator like this amzn.to/2qF1mFn. The tank of propane is like $5

you'd have to call a few shops, they'll have different labor and parts rates probably so the price can vary by quite a bit..low hundreds to high hundreds...probably too much for me to pay, which is why I DIY

Local shop was charging me $700.00

I was quoted $1700 to do all the front end, inner/outer tie rods, upper/lower ball joints, pitmen/idler and bracket with alignment. (Chicago)

For way less then what the shop would changes you could buy the tools and have them forever and still have money to spare.

I was quoted $1,300. Got the parts for $400 and did it myself.

don't know anymore but links to parts are in description