loose front end / clacking sound?

So I have been advised that I need to replace tie rods and idler arm on my wagon - and that it isn't save to drive...

Any ideas as to what else I should have looked at / replaced while they are in there? The steering is kinda vague - is there an upgrade that will make that a bit more direct/responsive?

s1l1sc wrote:

So I have been advised that I need to replace tie rods and idler arm on my wagon - and that it isn't save to drive...

Any ideas as to what else I should have looked at / replaced while they are in there? The steering is kinda vague - is there an upgrade that will make that a bit more direct/responsive?

replace everything,...including the steering box,. it'll be just like new,.

If the tierods and the idler arm are in need of replacement, I would check the ball joints and the center link too. The rag joint on the intermediate shaft may also be showing its age. Take pressure off of all of the parts, and wiggle them to check for looseness. The lower ball joints should have a wear indicator at the grease fitting. If it is not visible, the ball joint is worn out. The uppers can only be checked by range of motion. If they move excessively they are worn out. You can get a ball joint press as a loaner from Autozone, and swap out the lowers. The uppers have 4 rivets. You should also check the bushings for the upper and lower arms. If they are bad, it is cheaper to get a set of new suspension arms from Rock Auto than replace all of the parts. Then all you do is bolt them on. If you change them, make sure you tighten the bolts with the weight on the suspension. You can jack the arm up while the car is on jack stands, and tighten them at that time. If you get the parts, you should be able to rebuild the front end completely in one day. You will probably need the sway bar standoffs as well, because the nut is usually frozen, and has to be cut off, as well as the bushings being as old as the rest of the suspension components. It would only cost you a maximum of another $250 or so to do everything if you order all of it from Rock Auto at the same time.

Replacing the idler arm will help immensely but even when new these were not precise systems.A 12:1 steering box will make the steering more responsive to your imput,I have been looking into a Rack & Pinion conversion but it will be costly to do.I had a 04 crown vic with the rack and pinion steering that was a absolute blast to take down my favorite road,excellent feedback and very good "on center" feeling!

The easiest way to get a rack to fit is first to find one that is very close to the same distance for the tierods to bolt up to the center link. Then make a bracket that holds it away from the frame so that the centerline of the lower arm pivots lines up with the pivot points of the tierods when the steering is centered. At that point you will not have bump steer. Then it is a matter of getting the right pressure for the power aspect, and hooking up the steering column with a custom intermediate shaft.

Jack it up by the control arm and see if there's any play in the wheel. I replaced damn near every part on my Caddy before finding out the ball joints were the problem the whole time. Also check the upper control arm bushings, their at that age where they probably could use replacing.

95BRMW wrote:

Jack it up by the control arm and see if there's any play in the wheel.  I replaced damn near every part on my Caddy before finding out the ball joints were the problem the whole time.  Also check the upper control arm bushings, their at that age where they probably could use replacing.

I have a set of upper and lower control arms all ready to go with delrin bushings,proforge upper ball joints and moog lower ball joints,just trying to decide who to go with as far as the steering components go!Leaning towards Pro-Forged but cant get the rack and pinion idea out of my head.

So the current list is:
tierods
idler arm
suspension arms
center link
rag joint on the intermediate shaft
sway bar standoffs
12:1 steering box (part number?)

There is a lot of play in the steering, has been for a while. some of the tie rods and ball joints were done last year, so I might be ok on some of these items.

I do appreciate the help -now to price out all of this stuff. (I have new springs/shocks for all four corners, so this might drive like a new car once I get everything done).

My mechanic is going to love this list - my wallet - not so much.

Just check the rag joint. If it is OK (no play), don't mess with it. If it is loose, get a jeep shaft to replace it.

Make sure you have the correct box. There are some rebuilt "quick ratio" boxes that have internal stops that make them look like a 12:1 box. The box you want came on the 9C1 and SS. The box you want is a 2.6 turn lock to lock, but make sure it has the same rotational travel at the output shaft.