Compiled by Hannes la Grange

Much has been said about the draglink and idler arm and the wear experienced offroad especially when the vehicle is lifted up front. I have spent many Rands and time at Riaan's wheel alignment trying to sort this mess out. Out of desperation and exasperation we tried many different methods and all we could find off the Internet and tried some mods over the years. The biggest problem was, and still is, to get the engineering shops to make the parts we require.

The result is the system that is now fitted to my Sani. It has stood up to some hard trips over the past five months and does still show no play or wear. It feels good on the steering and no more ducking and diving and wondering at speed and when hitting bumps and no more diving to the one side when braking. All these problems usually associated with a lifted vehicle.

The Idler Arm.
This is usually where the trouble starts with a poor quality genuine part that has no support. The bushes are of poor quality and any movement here is amplified to a great degree to the draglink. The pirate part is much worse and usually shorter than the genuine part resulting in the draglink hooking onto the chassis in extreme conditions. Riaan then rebuilds the genuine part. It must be a genuine part and the shaft must not be bent. New bushes are engineered from a hi-quality material, a gusset is welded onto the top of the arm for added strength (because I have bent a few before), a brace is added, and the taper drilled to 18mm for the new draglink.

The Draglink.
The ball joint on the draglink is a bad idea because besides the turning motion there is a forward rolling motion as well. It is this forward rolling that destroys the link and causes the wheel alignment to change while driving. Riaan will recondition the old draglink. The balljoints are drilled out and repaced with an engineered 20/18mm bolt made from some kind of special steel. Some hardened brass bushes are added and grease points are added. This is a very solid construction.

The result.
I am very happy with this and the steering link problems seem to be sorted out for good. It is a bit tight at first with the steering wheel a bit lazy to turn back to dead ahead after turning. The system is serviceable.

Riaan will charge R1900.00 to do the full job. To fit the parts to the vehicle is quick but the time is in engeneering the parts. If you can supply the idler arm beforehand it would help. He does have a spare link that is fitted on a exchange basis. I do think that this is a very reasonable price compared to the new parts that only last a few trips anyway.

The next project that is almost completed is the new giant tie-rod ends (Massey Farguson style). The report will follow soon.

Hannes.