Original idler arm needs work

[Mike E.]

I just helped a guy who wrecked his 71. He said "I just dumped the clutch and suddenly the car turned right on me and went into the ditch." Do you have any idea why he would suddenly have hit the ditch?

[Mike E.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Pictures didn't load after preview showed them. No idea why. Edit mechanism wouldn't work.

[Joe L.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Mike------


This idler arm is beyond repair. It does look to be original but it's scrap metal now.

I don't understand what that last picture depicts.

[Gary J.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Look in the the newest Driveline for an original one, also eBay.

[Mike E.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

The third pic is of the end of the broken-off part. I should have labeled that.

[Mike E.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Gary, believe me, this car doesn't warrant an original. A TRW or McQuay-Norris or whatever will be more than adequate.

[Joe L.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Gary, believe me, this car doesn't warrant an original. A TRW or McQuay-Norris or whatever will be more than adequate.

Mike------


In that case, a Moog K6100 ought to work fine.

[Richard M.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Scary photos Mike. Did that happen recently to your friends' car or from a long time ago? Hopefully he's okay.

Do you think the broken Idler Arm caused the accident, or did something else fail and the broken Idler is a result of the mishap?

To these eyes it appears that the bottom housing(lower left of 1st photo, rusted area) was hit hard causing that amazing fracture. However that last photo of the end profile of the fracture almost seems like it was fractured for a while and eventually let go.

But now I'm sitting here thinking.....If the Idler Arm is broken/missing, does one loose ALL steering, or does steering just become sloppy and erratic because the Relay Rod is now not held in the proper plane. But the Relay Rod is still connected to the Pitman Arm as well as Tie rods/ends.

Is the C2 Idler Arm used as a pivot point locator like the Third Arm is on the C1 design?

Rich

[Mike E.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Rich, he is okay. Fortunately, it was as he was starting from a stop, not at speed. He said that the "clutch had slipped the first two times and then the third it hooked up" and immediately after that the mishap. I really don't know if the break caused the mishap or vice versa.
In looking at the car, it seems to me that when the idler arm breaks, you lose control of the right wheel because it will flop front to back. (In and out). You only have steering on the left.

[Joe D.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Can original idler arms be restored/rebuilt?

[Edward J.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Mike it may be possible that one of the joints was frozen?? it almost looks like the idler arm appears twisted? could be the picture.

[Joe L.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Can original idler arms be restored/rebuilt?

Joe------


No way that I know of. Besides, the idler arm is a critical, SAFETY-RELATED steering component. I'd never be comfortable with any sort of rebuild.

[Joe D.]

Re: Original idler arm needs work

Thank you Joe