Help! Major steering problem!

[kennyj]

So my idler arms were getting sloppy and today I went to change them out for some new ones, and now my steering is messed up. It's like it's steering backwards, or upside down. I can't figure this out. Is it possible to put the idlers on the wrong sides, or upside down?
If you want to see what I'm talking about look at the vid. This is messed up, I don't think I can drive it like this!

[Lumpy]

That's major weird. Here's a diagram of the steering components for a RWD -



I don't think you can install the idler arms in the wrong place. One has a bent mounting bracket, the other has a straight mounting bracket. But I can't imagine the idler arms having anything to do with the steering being backwards. I think you could remove them entirely and it should still steer right for right, left for left.

It's almost as if the pitman arm was installed upside down. But that's impossible, it's keyed and only fits one way.

Any chance you got the Relay Rod installed incorrectly? Not likely if all you removed were the idlers. But maybe looking at the diagram while looking at the actual front end will help you see what's connected goofy.


Lump

[Dirk]

It kind of looks like an April fools joke

[chevymaher]

I am in a rare position because my van apart. I had to go down and sit in the chair twice and stare at the front end parts. That one is for Ripleys believe it or not. Like Lumpy said pitman arm only way I see to make it do that. But it would be passing straight through the lower pulley. I think call a priest and perform an exorcism. It is amazing and I am beside myself on this one. When you figure it out post it. I just got to know what this is.

[Dirk]

I'm sticking with an April fools joke. It's April first today

Excuse me for being suspicious, I've been tricked once too many today.

[chevymaher]

I'm sticking with an April fools joke. It's April first today

Excuse me for being suspicious, I've been tricked once too many today.

I did look hard for a line like it was photoshopped. But just kept silent.

[Lumpy]

If it really is an April Fool's joke, then me and Jasen will sneak over to his house tonight and turn his pitman arm around so it really DOES steer like that.


Lump

[Mr_Bowtie]

Thats a pretty good April Fools joke....

[paintdrying]

No, I was fooled again this year. Oh, this beat the lawn mower gas in the rear end.

[Mr_Bowtie]

^Ya that was a classic one....was that last year or the year before?

[kennyj]

I need to find the fill plug for the steering gear; I'm going to try Seafoam in the steering box and see if this gets any better.

[TDMobile]

What all exactly DID you take off the front end? I almost feel like somehow you switched the steering arms around.......

And looking at the video, if it's fake - it's a damn good one, if you look at the reflection of the tire on the body, it matches the position of the tire, and with his head moving back and forth through the whole thing, that'd have to be a damn good editor

[Big_kid]

My money says that the steering linkage is disconnected, and there's an accomplice on the passenger wheel turning in the opposite direction.

Best April Fools joke I've seen all day.

[Jasen]

Lumpy, I'll meet you at the truck stop, we can have a piece of pie first.

[Thunderball]

I'm with Big Kid on this one. I think there's someone on the passenger side manually turning the wheels. There's no way this could happen from changing idler arms...I just did it and it's fine. Unless the Pitman arm is 180 degrees off, and that can't happen.

But that does look pretty bizarre...be weird to drive like that!!

[kennyj]

I was just reading that YouTube has been released on DVD.
I'm excited that my video will be part of the boxed set!



Happy April 1st!

[kennyj]

My money says that the steering linkage is disconnected, and there's an accomplice on the passenger wheel turning in the opposite direction.

Best April Fools joke I've seen all day.

Nope, no hands got dirty for the video. I shot the video (with camera on a tripod), then cropped out the steering wheel part into a new clip. Then I pasted edited portions of that clip back into the original video. It was really tricky getting the timing right, then matching up the clips lighting and movement. There's a few tell-tales; the line through my jeans below the steering wheel, and a few stray thumbs below the crop, like at :26 seconds.

I love April 1st!

[Jasen]

Happy April 1st!

[RECox286]

Finally ! A breakthrough on the problem of backing up a trailer.

I knew it was just a matter of time...

Uncle Bob

[Mr_Bowtie]

That was good....