I have not had any problems with my front end or steering, but I am getting ready to cross the country again, so I started 'shaking things out' again. When I sit in park, or with the brakes on, with or without the van running (key must at least be on), and jerked the steering wheel to the left, I got a slight clunking noise. So, I took it to a couple of the local suspension shops and they putzed around with it enough to make it worse. Both shops swore there was nothing wrong, but there is.

I finally got a friend to jerk the wheel while I got under the van and kept my hand on certain parts. The only one that vibrated to the touch when it happened was the drag link. So, I grabbed it and tried to move it. It rolls forward and back, not sure if it is supposed to. But, when it does, the left side (driver side) 'pops'.

Picture of my suspension

Could someone tell mewhether it is the pittman arm that is bad or thedrag link? Autozone and Advanced Auto have drag links, but no pitmans. So, I am making an assumption that the pittman rarely goes.

Is this something I can do without jacking anything up? If I could do it myself, I could save enough money to get some other parts that I need. The manual I have does not match my suspension at all. Mine is the one pictured(link above) and it is an AZ vehicle, so no rust!

Any advice/guidance/help would be most welcome.

 

The center link is #3 and does not connect to the pitman arm, the pitman arm is #1. The item at the end of the center link is an idler arm #4. If that is the where the noise and free play is coming from then it's the idler arm that needs to be replaced.

It's extremely difficult to replace any front-end part without jacking up at least one wheel and unlocking the steering wheel. If you don't get one wheel up you do not get any free movement to be able to remove and replace the part.

 

I believe the problem is between the drag link (#2) and the pittman arm (#1). When I roll the drag link forward and back, there is a popping feeling in that joint. First of all, I am not sureI amsupposed to be able to roll the drag link!

 

It should move/rock but not loosely. The joint is built into the drag link not the pitman arm, so yes it's the drag link that you have to replace. That part can be changed without jacking up the van since you can unlock the steering wheel to get the play you need to do the R & R.

 

I checked Autozone and they only list a center link #3, not a drag link #2. These are two different parts, so make sure you're getting the right thing.

 

It rolls back and forth a good inch worth, maybe more.

Looks to me like I simply remove the cotter pins and smack the nipple that it is attached to with a hammer to pop it out. Then, I assume that the new drag link has to be identical in size to get close to the alignment. And after I have it back on, grease and get an alignment. Am I right?

I know that Autozone does not show the drag link, but Advanced Auto (Parts America) does:
http://tinyurl.com/3ax3nn

 

Remove the cotter pins and the castle nuts yes, but I wouldn't recommend smacking any steering part with a hammer. Use a tie-rod fork or rent the correct puller, else you risk damaging or bending other attached components including the rather important steering box.

An alignment should not be necessary after changing the drag link. The worst that will happen if the length is not exact is your steering wheel will not be straight. The drag link does not go from wheel to wheel which is why it won't effect the alignment. If the new drag link is adjustable, simply adjust it to be the same length as the old one and you should be good to go.

 

I just wanted to tell you all what happened. I got the new drag link from Advanced Auto (PartsAmerica). It was not adjustable, like the original. But, I put it in anyway. Once I got the old one off, I could see several points that were 'catching' on it. And, for the first time since I bought the van (used), the steering wheel is straight. This part was shorter than the original, which meant I had to turn the steering wheel to get it on both sides. That may be what straightened out the wheel.

But, the clunk did not disappear, entirely, although it did lessen a lot. What is left is very slight, so I am going to leave it. A mechanic friend of mine looked at it and it is in the steering column as it comes through the fire wall. There are several connections there, and not sure which one it is. We both feel it is so minor, it is not worth looking into any further.

I wanted to do all of this because I am heading across the country from NY to Texas and then Arizona. So, I have lots of miles in front of me.

Thanks for all of your input and advice.