Seering linkage rattle!!!
 

Ok i assume this is the steering linkage, no pics sorry (my dad stole his digital camera, damn him!).

Passenger side, where the swaybar connects to the linkage which connects to the frame.

The part where it connects to the frame can slide up and down a bit less than a cm, it rattles while i drive.

If you need reference to this part, it is connected to the bar that runs beneath the oil pan, where it branches up and connects to the car there is a cylendrical hinge w/ a bolt on the top, and arm out the bottom.

Is this simply a matter of tightening something up? If so, what, or is this a bushing problem??

Thanks guys so much! This scared me so much!!!

Geoff

EDIT: Its called the "Idler Arm" in victoria british catalog.

Maybe a worn through bottom bushing?

The idler arm bushings are notorious for a short life, as they live next to the hot exhaust manifold. They are cheap and easy to replace. Good luck

Oops. Looks like an entire new idler arm!

Its not only just moving up and down, i moved it in other directions to see what would happen, and it moves about 1-2 inches rotated up and down at the tie rod.

Whadya think, new assembly?

in many cases it's cheaper and easier to replace the whole idler arm anyhow - if you get just the bushing you still have to remove the old bushing, install the new one, and R&I the idler arm to do so.

Yep, its your idler arm bushings. They're known to wear fairly quickly as compared to other bushings of similar material due to their proximity to the exhaust heat shield. Mine were totally gone when I bought my car. I picked up two new ones (they're slightly conical on the outside) at O'Reilly's for like 10 bucks. Its a simple replacement, but you really should let the engine cool down before you do it, 'cause you'll be working in close proximity to it. Here's what I remember about the swap:

1) remove the cotter pin from the upper nut on the chassis end of the idler arm.

2) using a second person to keep the lower nut from rotating, loosen the upper nut using whatever tool you can fit down in there (my friend and I ended up using a 7-piece homemade extension "rod" out of various socket set parts in order to get a tool that we could operate above the hood level, because there really isn't much room down there to work).

3) remove the upper washer

4) separate the idler arm from the chassis mounting point (I don't remember specifically how, but I know you can do it without turning the steering wheel, if its pointing straignt)

5) remove the worn bushings (if anything is left)

6) clean the inside of the idler arm, the outside of the chassis attachment rod, and both washers.

7) install the new bushings, making sure to use a heavy lubricant (jeff and I used axle grease - that's crazy shit, btw!) on all the moving parts (inside the bushings, the outside of the attachment rod, etc...).

8) reassemble the parts

9) tighten the upper nut (not too tight, remember, the part has to rotate)

10) install a new cotter pin (make sure it goes through the notches in the "castle" nut, as well as the hole in the attachment rod, as this part will keep your suspension from falling apart

That should do it. If you have any questions, PM or email me at kc0abh@hotmail.com

Is there supposed to be up and down play in it, like a rotation almost, to provide room for suspension? or is it royally screwed and i need a new assembly?

???