Pitman arm...

[Damian]

Hi y'all, not been here for a while, hope everyone's cool!

For a while now I've been living with a terrible steering wobble and play, it was only when I drove the wifes car up to Scotlandshire, then Waleshire, then drove my Smurf did I realise how bad it really was!

Anyway, today I jacked the front end up and got a mate to turn the steering wheel, the only linkage that was loose and making a noise was the pitman arm ball joint.

Now here are my questions, can I buy just the ball joint from somewhere? I've checked the Milners and Roughtrax sites and they just show the whole unit at £38 and £65. I've read previously that Roughtrax are better quality, but nearly twice as expensive?

Secondly, I've read on here that rough off-road use can bend the pitman arm... how can I tell?

Cheers all,

Damian

[davemaxx]

if the ball joint has gone, (lots of play in it) it doesn't really matter if it is bent because you have to replace the whole thing anyway. (so could do a comparison against a new one)

i've noticed on mine and haven't seen any threads on hear that people frequently ask about a creaking noise on full lock to lock and the answers lead to greasing the stearing stops, the bottom ones each side have plastic caps on, but also the pitman arm and idler arm also rest against stops on a full lock either way. (so could get banged and bent of road) i'm thinking about putting blobs of weld on the stops except the pitman and idler stops to give them a bit of clearance, because i've just fitted new ones as well, i know that full lock steering radius is already 15 meters and there arn't menny roads i can do a clean u-turn on any way, so feel a bit more won't hurt much.

i'm sure you know, but for the benefit of others i can't emphasise enough how important it is that this joint if worn is replaced.

i had a steering joint pop on me and lost all control of the steering at 70mph on a wet dual-carriageway, spun round two times hit the central reservation crash barriers slicing a four foot gouge the length of the veichle lifting the rear of the body shell from the chassis, then it spun a further time across both lanes and came to rest on the grass verge. i then had to walk 200 yards further up the carriageway to retrieve the front off-side wheel that had snaped off and kept going. there was a lot of screaming and it was probably the most religiouse several seconds of my life.

[Woodzie]

It has been known for milner ones to fail again with in a year.........


Buy roughtrax

oh and did you know if the part no. ends in a g on milners site it's genunine toyota

[plumb bob]

It has been known for milner ones to fail again with in a year.........


Buy roughtrax

oh and did you know if the part no. ends in a g on milners site it's genunine toyota

So that would make the quality up to or even above r/trax??

[Damian]

Thanks everyone, so I deduct that I can't buy a balljoint for the pitman arm, I have to buy the entire thing. OK.

[TonyN]

So that would make the quality up to or even above r/trax??

You'll find that they'll have genuine stuff when you can't get it on the aftermarket. So the same applies for Roughtrax, stuff like the bronze bushes in the hubs is only evey Toyota stuff.

[plumb bob]

Hi y'all, not been here for a while, hope everyone's cool!

For a while now I've been living with a terrible steering wobble and play, it was only when I drove the wifes car up to Scotlandshire, then Waleshire, then drove my Smurf did I realise how bad it really was!

Anyway, today I jacked the front end up and got a mate to turn the steering wheel, the only linkage that was loose and making a noise was the pitman arm ball joint.

Now here are my questions, can I buy just the ball joint from somewhere? I've checked the Milners and Roughtrax sites and they just show the whole unit at £38 and £65. I've read previously that Roughtrax are better quality, but nearly twice as expensive?

Secondly, I've read on here that rough off-road use can bend the pitman arm... how can I tell?

Cheers all,

Damian

Check the link, although you have to buy the kit, you will probably need the other bits at some point, and if not, you can aways put them up for sale, as there's always someone who'll need 'em.

With the exchange rate, the whole lot is only £65 + P+P.

Might be worth a look.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ball-...87960131QQrdZ1

[craigl]

It has been known for milner ones to fail again with in a year.........


Buy roughtrax

oh and did you know if the part no. ends in a g on milners site it's genunine toyota

interesting. I have used milners for the last 7 years, found all parts used so far to be upto the job. Sure it was when I had my last brake comp from them that they told me they supply most of roughtrax's parts.....

[TonyN]

interesting. I have used milners for the last 7 years, found all parts used so far to be upto the job. Sure it was when I had my last brake comp from them that they told me they supply most of roughtrax's parts.....

I think you'll find thats complete B/S, maybe in the early days way back when Barry was getting started, but not now. I've never had the same brands from Roughtrax as Milners for the same parts.

[craigl]

maybe it is but have been told it on more than one occasion, not stating fact except that I've had no bother with anything from them.

[davemaxx]

Check the link, although you have to buy the kit, you will probably need the other bits at some point, and if not, you can aways put them up for sale, as there's always someone who'll need 'em.

With the exchange rate, the whole lot is only £65 + P+P.

Might be worth a look.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ball-...87960131QQrdZ1

i worked it out to £103.84, but still pretty good, but also don't you have to keep your fingers crosed that the customs and excise don't charge extra tax on it. if memory serves correct UPS Shipping will cost you about anouther £140.

[plumb bob]

Yeah, I think I got me maths screwed up there, but you'd probabl recoup the cost when you sell on, and I'm sure the P+P won't be that much, maybe £50

[davemaxx]

i know it sounds horendouse but i got quoted from the ups site £140 to send a 7 kilo parcel to berlin so heaven knows what the usa would be, i did follow the link and read the item description and the firm do use ups, i recon all that iron would weigh at least 15 kilo.

its a shame, i would have been happy to buy and hold thoes items at the original estimate.

[plumb bob]

Just had an email from arm-cam, the postage for the items is;

$105.00 surface postage..........3-4 weeks

$189.00 air parcel....................4 working days

so divide by 2 to get your actual cost in £ sterling.