Play in steering relay arms

[Malahki]

I finally got my Pinz in for an Alberta Out of Province Safety Inspection. The only problem so far has to do with the steering. Their is an excessive amount (1/8") of up and down movement in the upper and lower relay arms that mount on the front diff. Their is already a shim on the upper arm but is not enough. Do I just need to have the shop (they are not familiar with pinz's) add another shim or is their more to it?? Also how big of a job is it going to be? Can the relay arms be removed without disassembling the entire nose piece??

I have tried searching for more info and this is all I could find
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3753&hilit=steering+relay

Any help would be appreciated as I am trying to keep the shop costs to a minimum

[Malahki]

As seen in the parts diagram relay/idler arms are listed as #16 and #28 and the shim as #13, Swiss army does carry the shim but does not list multiple sizes.

http://www.pinzgauer.com/parts.php?cat= ... view=05-05

[undysworld]

It's been several years, so this is from memory, and I'm sure the manual will give the precise details. But here goes...

Yes, you need to remove the front nose piece. I got a package of shims from some company in Chicago. It only took a couple to correct the problem.

[Malahki]

Any idea what kind of time is involved in a job like this? Because I am using a shop that is not familiar with the Pinz it would be very helpful to know roughly how long it "should" take.

[undysworld]

Sorry, as I mentioned, it's been several years. It seems that it was less than a day. But I've always found that the first time through something, it takes me a lot longer than it "should" take.

From memory, you need to pull the bumper, bottom guard, and both tie rod ends to get in there. You'll need a tie rod splitter like the one in the manual (not the fork unless you want to replace the tie rod boots) to get the rods off the center pivot. I got one from OTC, but harbor freight now sells a similar version for real cheap. http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarte ... 99849.html

[Twin Pinzies]

I just did the same job myself last fall to solve a "skipping/notchy" feeling in the steering. Yes, you probably need to add a shim or two to the pitman arm pivot. Yes, it does require that you disassemble the entire nose section. It took me a full day. It did take some trial and error adding and removing shims until it felt smooth when operated by hand.
Make sure that you have a tie rod remover tool. You have to remove the bumper, tie rods, and nose cone.

After I did my repair and put it all back together, it felt like it made NO improvement at first. I thought that I had wasted my time. Then it seemed to "break in" with use and now I can barely feel any "notchyness" any more.

[Malahki]

Thanks a lot guys, sounds like a bit bigger job then I had hoped. I will go talk to the shop this morning and decide whether I am going to spend the money and let them do it, or try and find the time to do it myself..... All repairs must be completed within 10 days of when the inspection was performed or it becomes void.

[Jim LaGuardia]

It is a 3-4 hr job. Replace both nylon washers and Centering arm pivot Orings(2, located in front diff cover). Any extra shimming is done on top of the top nylon washer. Leave enough play to move centering arm freely.

[Malahki]

Thanks Jim, I will add the O-rings onto my order with SAV before it goes out in the morning. What about the bushings? Do they typically show a lot of wear? Wondering if I should be ordering them as well?? Their listed at $88 a piece

[Jim LaGuardia]

Have not yet found a bad set of bushings