The McQuay-Norris idler arm I got from AutoZone bolted up OK, since the bolt holes were the same distance apart, but it hangs down (the support bracket) about an inch farther than the original. I can't recall if the actual arm itself was longer too, but I had the mech install it anyway since he and his boss thought it would be fine. They test drove it and said it was OK. I have driven it about 100 miles so far and it seems fine. Am I wearing out my ball joints at an alarming rate now, since the connection to the centerlink is now (I think) about an inch lower? Actually, I suppose if the arm came out an a different angle , it could compensate for the lower support bracket drop.... Hmmm...Should I be concerned? Is this normal, for the replacement part to be so different ? I was expecting it to be an exact match. I wish I had studied the 2 parts more closely before they installed them. All I know for sure is that the support bracket on the new one is about an inch longer. And the part number on the box is what it's supposed to be. Hopefully I haven't hosed up the suspension.
I kept the old idler arm for reference. Thanks

------------------
88 GTA 5.7 TPI Charcoal Grey Bone Stock except for loose muffler which makes it a bit louder than normal.

 

Look at the steering linkage from the front. The center link should be parallel to the line between the 2 control arm bolts. If it's not, then when the car goes over bumps, the 2 wheels will change their steering angle differently. With the wheels at their "low points" (i.e., where they're supposed to be pointed straight ahead) the center link should be exactly centered in the car from left to right. The joints where the tie rod assemblies attach to the center link should be exactly in front of the control arm bolts.

Your steering system is a parallelogram. The 4 corners of it are the center of the Pitman shaft in the steering gear; the center of the idler arm's shaft; and the centers of the 2 joints in the center link where the Pitman arm and the idler arm attach to it.

As long as all those simple visual geometric relationships in your front end are correct, then all is well. If any of them are wrong, then you might have a problem.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

I went to a different Autozone and asked to see the same idler arm. I brought the original arm with me. I compared the 2. These appeared to match up perfectly, so apparently the first Autozone had the wrong part, in the right box with the right number on the box. ****ing unbelievable. Now I plan to get my money back on the first one, and get the right one from the other Autozone, and have the same mech reinstall the RIGHT one. He only charged me $15, so no big expense, but what a friggin hassle. Autozone outh to pay for the labor, too, but probably won't. Probably just say "sorry". I can call up their headquarters and so forth but what a hassle. I guess the lesson here is "watch out for Autozone parts being the wrong ones !"

------------------
88 GTA 5.7 TPI Charcoal Grey Bone Stock except for loose muffler which makes it a bit louder than normal.

 

Amen!
Don't try to find a bendix for an 87 v8 camaro with a stick, it won't come up. If you look one up for an 85 v8 manual it will come up!
The only bendix that comes up is for an 87 auto. I found out after we had the entire starter apart, geez thanks advance auto!

Brendan

------------------
1987 IROC-Z L98,SR,EB 6085's,LPE 219/219 SR Cam, Crane 1.6RR, EB TPI Base, 58mm TB, Stock T5, 30lb SVO, AFPR, K&N, EB TES, Catco Cat, 3" Borla Cat-Back, Accel cap,rotor,distro/other crap, Aluminum DS, 94 Disk Rear, Adjustable Prop Valve, Precision 3.73 Gears, Weld in Sub-Frame Connectors, Hotchkis LCA's, KYB Shocks/Struts, Poly Bushings all over the place, Moog Upper/Lower Ball joints and Tie Rods ends/Idler Arm, Big stereo, 730SD Conversion.

To see the ROC, Check out the webpage Here

[This message has been edited by leirch (edited September 12, 2001).]

 

Correction ! AutoZone may not be so horrible after all. Turns out the parts are not boxed incorrectly, although the replacement idler arm I got IS different from the orig. If you look at it them in one position, the orig and the new idler arms look the same, but if you open them both up to the position of "driving straight ahead" the orig arm and the Zone arm are a little different. So, after buying the 2nd new arm, and inspecting it, it turns out that it is the same as the first, and therefore no "wrong boxing" took place .