My truck thinks it's a boat....

My truck thinks it's a damn boat right now. It sure as hell drives like a boat right now anyway. It's like drivin an old skool Impala or Cadillac. You move the steering wheel from left to right slightly, just to keep it gooing straight down the road. And sometimes it feels like pulling real hard to the left, and other times it pulls hard to the right. Whats really messed up is when it changes it's mind while going down the road. no joke, I was driving on the highway and had been keeping my truck from veering off to the right, and all of the sudden it started pulling left. It's as if it said "fine, if I can't go right, then I'll go left."

Anyways, I put it up on the lift today @ lunchtime and found out it's the idler arm and pitman arm. The bushings decided to run off I guess ;cause they ain't where they're supposed to be! I'm a paint & body guy so I don't mind gettin' dirty, but I hate gettin "greasy" unless absolutely necessary. I've never changed these out in a vehicle before so what I wanna know is how "unfun" are they to change, and is there anything I should take caution with or any tips that may help me out?

Get you a ball joint seperater or a nice size prybay and a decent size hammer. I belive the bolts and nuts on the idler arm are 18mm and you will need two ratchets with extentions. To access these nuts and bolts you have to reach through the frame. It's not a hard job I changed the idler arm on my 88 in my back yard in about 35 minutes. Make sure you don't get any dirt or anything in the joint and grease it well. I haven't changed the pitman arm yet (it needs it though) but all you need it a pitman arm puller (or a gear or wheel puller would also work i suppose). Line you steering wheel up and make sure you get the pitman arm in aroundabout the same spot as the old one otherwise you steering wheel will be cocked to the side.

Ha! my steering wheel IS already cocked to the side! THATS how bad my front end is. Just today, on my way to work, truck pulled to the left real hard. Went home for lunch and my truck didn't pull.....MUCH! Returned to work, taking the same route I did to get to work in the morning, and then it decided to pull hard to the right. On my way home, hard to the right but then about half way home, started pulling hard to the left! Telling ya, where the bearings are supposed to be, there is NONE.

Oh yeah, thanks for the info/advice broughy84

maybe you should buy a paddle