There is a lot of play in my steering idler pin (it is banging as you rock the wheel). Bought a refurbish kit and just got the job stripped ready to replace the pin & bushes.. however.. there is virtually no side-to-side play in the pin/bearings at all, the only play is up and down, i.e. with everything tightened up, the pin can move up and down a few mm, causing my banging (the steering arm is knocking on the top of the housing on the beam as there is nothing between them). Can't see I am going to achieve much by changing the bearing, the issue is what's missing to stop the up and down movement? Should there be anything between the metal cap covering the top seal and the steering arm itself? I'm sure that metal on metal contact cannot be right? Or has the spring washer at the bottom become flattened? Any suggestions/advice gratefully received. Thanks.
It does sound like something is missing, I'd fit the whole kit anyway and see where you are then. Spring washer won't be flattened.
^this, I'd say. Whack the new one in with all washers/spacers and see what it's like. Shouldn't move up and down.
Put the new pin in with all the washers and it's fine now - steering a bit tighter and cured the knocking noise. Must admit I left the old bushes in - the new pin seemed a little tighter with the old bushes than it did with the new bushes and there's no play side-to-side or up and down now! Think the play up and down was caused by a combination of a very slighter longer pin (measured from base to cut out for steering arm pinch bolt), slightly flatter spring washer and the fact that the rubber o ring/washer was missing - each only a tiny bit, but think it all added up. Anyways, all is now good so thanks as usual guys.
