Doing everything but the ball joints, and kits ive seen have no pitman arm.

[the joints at the pitman and idler arm move allot and i get a death shake at 70 after a nasty pot hole, even after new tries]

front end rebuild list, price look right?

advance auto

Driveworks Steering Idler Arm
Part No: DW-K6249
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$27.99


Driveworks PITMAN ARM
Part No: DW-K80537
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
$31.99


Driveworks Center/Drag Link
Part No: DW-DS1049
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$39.99


Driveworks Steering Tie Rod End Adjusting Sleeve
Part No: DW-ES2032S
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$5.99 x 2
$11.98


Driveworks Steering Tie Rod End
Part No: DW-ES2226RL
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$15.39 x 2
$30.78


Driveworks Steering Tie Rod End
Part No: DW-ES2227RL
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$19.19 x 2
$38.38


Driveworks Suspension Sway Bar Link Kit
Part No: DW-K5252
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$3.99


Driveworks Suspension Sway Bar Link Kit
Part No: DW-K6630
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Exact Fit for your 1986 Pontiac Firebird
$3.99

Product Subtotal:
$189.09

 

vid of parts slop

 

You should NOT need a pitman arm unless it was damaged. The wear joint connected to it is actually part of the centerlink.

Remove the tie-rods and centerlink as a unit and assemble the new stuff to the same length. Should be close enough to get to the alignment shop without too much trouble.

I would do the ball joints too. They're likely worn and can cause some issues.

Inspect your strut mounts too.

Compare Rock Auto for prices. In some cases you may be able to get MOOG for near what you're paying for the whitebox stuff.

If you want the new stuff to stay looking new,, Consider cleaning it well and painting the pieces. Othewise it'll look like your rusted up stuff within a year. Cosmetic call only.

 

Rock Auto all the way. They ship fast too.

Also I would be surprised if your ball joints are good. I am doing my ball joints this weekend and the rest of my stuff is good.

 

I just replaced all my steering linkage with moog. Idler arm, centerlink, and tie rods. I found it was about $90 cheaper to order it all from summit than I could get it at the local parts store. That $90 was more than enough to cover tie rod adjuster sleeves. Its all pretty easy to change. Leveling the centerlink when you install the new idler arm isn't hard and moog included easy to follow instructions and torque specs.

Its really a good idea to replace it all so you can forget about it (except for greasing) for another 100k+ miles.

I also painted everything with POR15. Looks nice.

 

tie rods ends and the ball joints are like new tight, only slop I can find is in the center link parts n idler arm.


But it only happened after a good jarring bump, bang, slam, didn't get to see what it was, GF thought it would be funny to yell cop, when there was no cop, so I didn't see what it was but it wasn't nice.

 

How many miles on the steering linkage? Original? You can replace some now and then more later or you can just do it all and be done.

 

Id love to just toss money at it but done bought new tires, ill start with a new center link and idler arm, since I got them both for $50 shipped from rock auto

 

Replace the tie-rods and centerlink as a unit, everything at once. Otherwise you'll waste another $50 or so for a new alignment when you piece-meal new parts in later. The ball joints can sometimes be replaced without a new alignment. Depends on the condition they were in when it was last aligned-hence it's usually a good idea to make sure they're good (new) when you have to take it in to align it after the centerlink-tierod swap. You don't want to waste an alignment on bad ball joints.

 

I got a good selection of 3 jaw puller sizes from small to hugh, that enough to get them apart?

What about torqque settings, is the haynes book correct on them?

seen stuff in the book about not using a ball joint pickle fork

 

If you're throwing the old parts away, the pickle fork will be fine. It tends to tear up the boots. You can also 'rent' all the tools you'll need from AZ or one of the other chains.

 

The longest video to show a wasted idler arm lol

 

I've never liked pickle forks. They do tear up boots but that only matters if you have to put it back together. Also never thought to try a puller.

I've had 100% success loosening the castle nuts til it is flush with the end of the threads and tapping/hitting with a hammer. When the joint pops loose remove the nut and the joint comes apart. The threads will be undamaged and the joint can be put back together.

Moog parts come with torque specs. I think all my steering joints were 40 ft/lbs. Idler arm bolts to frame are more but can't remember.

 

haven't driven it yet but new idler and center link took all that slack out of the system.

what a PITA the idler arm is, rest is cake, but they use those bolts that nothing fits right, no metric or standard would fit. had to beat a 12point 11/32 on there.

 

I thought mine was easy. 18mm if i remember correctly. I used a combination wrench and a cordless impact , of coarse a torque wrench to tighten it tospec. Did you make sure to level the center link before you tightened the idler arm to the frame?

 

18mm, no one sells an 18mm, I got 3 different wrench sets of each strd, metric, same with sockets, I got more tool then I can carry, not one set ever came with a 18mm???

 

OK the 40 MPH vib was from the front, but I kept chasing the 70 MPH in the front also, and not that any of the parts I changed didn't need it, it wasn't solving the problem.

tips, high speed vibs are more often rear related, the front will wobble at low speed if there is a problem.

right rear was missing a weight, took it in to balance, it would not balance, had to get out a stock rim, now I got one odd rim on the car......

 

usually front vibrations are in the steering wheel. How are your wheel bearings? if you have all the slack/looseness fixed in your steering linkage, that and ball joints would be the next places i'd look for a front vibration. That is if your tires are balanced, rims straight (not dented), and tires have no broken belts.

Rear vibrations are usually found by watching the passenger seat (empty) going down the road. you can usually tell if its vibrating. I'm sure there could be other reasons for a rear shake but broken belts, balancing, and bent rims are the only reasons i know for sure.

Low speed-usually broken belts, something broke or very loose
approx 30-50-suspension, bearings, linkage
50+-usually a balance issue.

I'm sure there are other reasons but those are what came to mind.

 

Sometimes, no matter what you do, it seems you can't get rid of it until you go to an aluminum driveshaft.

 

I had a driveshaft vib at 80 miles per hour. You felt it in the seat, no where else. It was resolved with the alum prop shift.