Whether
your truck is stock height or lifted and running oversized tires,
Pitman and Idler arms have always been a problem on the steering systems
of GM vehicles. PPE's Pitman and Idler arm Support kit fixes a wear
problem that is present on the factory and aftermarket steering system.
Some aftermarket companies have come out with heavier duty pitman
and idler arms that fail the same way that the factory parts do. This
design solves the problem in an innovative way. The problem when not
using the Pitman and Idler Arm Support kit: If you are not familiar
with how the GM steering system works, here is a quick lesson. The
pitman arm is connected to the output shaft of the steering gear box.
When you turn the steering wheel of your vehicle, the motion is directed
to the steering gear box which then rotates the pitman arm. The pitman
arm has a stud protruding from the end of it where the center link
connects, also called the drag link. To help control steering motion,
the center link is connected to an idler arm on the passenger side
of the vehicle. The idler arm is bolted to the frame and swings in
the same arc as the pitman arm, and is fastened to the center link
the same way the pitman arm is. The two mounting points for the center
link give it support in the motion left and right relative to the
vehicle, but there is not enough support in the direction of forward
to backward relative to the vehicle. This lack of support is what
causes the joints inside of the pitman and idler arms to wear out,
which provide the pivot and connection point for the center link.
The larger the tire on the vehicle, the faster these joints wear out.
Even with a beefed up aftermarket pitman and idler arms, the still
can have the same premature wear issue in the same joint. What happens
if you are not using this kit as a solution? The front alignment toe
settings can not be held because of the slop in the pitman and idler
arms allowing the center link to move forward and backward. No control
over the toe setting means that your front tires will experience irregular
and premature wear. When the center link swings toward the back of
the truck, it is also swinging up in an arc. The center link swinging
up increases the tie rod angle and can cause tie rod breakage. Most
tie rod problems actual originate from pitman and idler arm problems.
The support kit can be
installed on pitman and idler arms showing a lot of wear, and actually
revive them! If the worn parts have approximately 40,000 miles or
less on them with a close to stock size tire, they probably will
not have to be changed. If the worn parts have approximately 20,000
miles or less on them with larger than 33in. tires, they probably
will not have to be changed. If the parts have more miles than that
on them, it is recommended to replace the pitman and idler arms
with factory units and add the PPE Pitman and Idler Arm Support
Kit.
Features:
Comes Complete
with All Parts for Installation
Supports
your Pitman and Idler Arms from Stress and Wear
Includes
hardware for factory or after market pitman and idler arms
