silly question about a steering idler

[madmax]

hi chaps im going to replace my near side steering idler, i have done a search on here to see how to do this and recon all i need to do is undo the 3 bolts and hit it with a large hammer!!! but what i need to now is how do i put it back together??? will the ball joint just pop back in?also is there more than one steering idler on a surf kzn130 or just the one?and do i need to jack truck up to do this??cheers people in surfland,regards dan

[Gamedawn]

There's only one steering idler (on the passenger side). There is another joint on the drivers side but that's on the Pitman arm which is connected to the steering box. To remove the idler you need to undo the balljoint nut and split the balljoint taper (you'll need some sort of splitter tool - it's the most difficult part of the job) - then undo the 3 bolts holding the idler to the chassis rail. Replacement is a breeze - bolt the new one to the chassis rail and the balljoint just drops in. Probably best to jack the front up and remove the n.s. wheel - makes it easier to get at

[slim]

the ball joint can be a pain to get out though!!

[TonyN]

the ball joint can be a pain to get out though!!

Yeah, they are no hassle with a pickle fork, and doable with a lump hammer if you've got room to swing it, (and it might solve the mystery of if you have a duff tie rod or not!! ) but I prefer a ball joint splitter.

[madmax]

Great Help, Cheers Chaps, Just In Case I Change The Pitman As Well Is That Easy To Get Off?regards Dan

[madmax]

cheers chaps done idler on friday so this one can be closed off and i can start a new thread on wheels...regards dan

[dave.j.robbo]

Great Help, Cheers Chaps, Just In Case I Change The Pitman As Well Is That Easy To Get Off?regards Dan

Err, no.

One thing they definately are not, is easy to get off......

[TonyN]

Err, no.

One thing they definately are not, is easy to get off......

I agree.