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#396949 - 18/05/05 10:12 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
datz510 Offline
Member

Registered: 06/06/02
Posts: 93
Loc: Mesa, AZ
I've never modified the Calmini setup (my rig is SAS'd with a D44 now), but theres no reason that it wouldnt work. The bearings would completely eliminate the wear that is showing up on the arms. With the spherical bearing setup, the bearing to arm contact is static and all movement is entirely within the bearing itself.

I've looked at the dimensions of the Calmini arm, the bushings, and the mounting bracket, and the bearings I found will work well with it. The Calmini bolt is 1" diameter so should work perfectly with the above mentioned bearings. Like I said, any machine shop will know how to do it... just tell them exactly what you want and take them all the parts so they can machine it and assemble it for you.

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#396950 - 18/05/05 11:02 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Aero Steve Offline
Member

Registered: 26/12/01
Posts: 2527
Loc: Land of OZ - Home of the Jayha...
Why the choice of the ball joint bearing vs. needle bearings or a timken bearing?

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#396951 - 18/05/05 01:17 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


use sphericals because timken & needle bearings are expensive, and usually larger for the same shaft diameter.

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#396952 - 15/06/05 10:40 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
Quote:
Originally posted by datz510:
I'm tellin you guys.. Do something about the problem rather than complaining. Its not that hard of a fix.

Take the idler to any competent machine shop and have them mill the inner radius out 1/16" to a depth of 3/4" (or deeper.. mill as needed to allow a nice fit into the Calmini idler arm mount) top and bottom to fit two spherical bearings.

Have them cut down the original sleeve to fit between the two bearings so there will be no static side loading on the spherical joints once its all tightened up. Reinstall, Torque the bolt down. Grease it up and go wheeling..

Here is the part you will need.. order two of these and take them with the arm to the machine shop.

McMaster-Carr Extended life ball joint bearing. #2699K13 .. $23.07

through hole I.D.: 1"
Outer Diameter: 1 5/8"
spherical bearing width: 7/8"
casing width: 3/4"
Spherical bearing swivel: 14°
Static Radial load capacity (lbs): 37,700

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Any machine shop will do this for you for less than $100. If you have a friend with a good metalworking lathe, you could have it done for a case of beer.

The Calmini arms are made from billet 4140 heat treated steel alloy. This material will have NO problem handling the use of these bearings. My steering was constructed from heat treated 4130 and had the bearings closer together (ie: more radial load and impacts exerted on them) and it was just fine.

BTW, I ran smaller 25,000lb rated spherical bearings on my custom centerlink setup for over a year with no issues.. I sold it when I SAS'd and its still being used today on another truck, after 3 years of hard abuse, on the original bearings with *zero* slop. And it didnt even have grease zerks to lube the bearings.
I ordered my bearings this morning and will try doing this. I'll take pictures and let everyone know how it turns out.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396953 - 26/06/05 05:29 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Quote:
Originally posted by Axle:
I ordered my bearings this morning and will try doing this. I'll take pictures and let everyone know how it turns out.

Axle
So how's it working out so far?

Ooooh the frustration!

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#396954 - 26/06/05 04:29 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Axle, you can change your club to RMXC. Keep us informed as there are several RMXCers fed up with the crappy design.

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#396955 - 26/06/05 06:31 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
Quote:
Originally posted by Dirt Guy:
Quote:
Originally posted by Axle:
I ordered my bearings this morning and will try doing this. I'll take pictures and let everyone know how it turns out.

Axle
So how's it working out so far?

Ooooh the frustration!
Well here's the bearings.



I should get my idler arm machined this week so I'll be ready for the run this weekend. Once again I'll take pictures and let everyone know how it turns out.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396956 - 30/06/05 05:42 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
xterraintx Offline
Member

Registered: 23/12/00
Posts: 2352
Loc: Eddy, TX..
I received my idler arm back from Calmini yesterday. It's been rebuilt with their new process and materials.

I will put it on tonight and finally drive my X to work again smile

I sure hope the challenge has been solved !!!
_________________________
"Caribbean Soul land locked in Texas" frown

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#396957 - 30/06/05 06:06 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
XOC Offline
Admin
Member
*****

Registered: 16/08/00
Posts: 17103
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
Good to hear Roger..

Let us know how it works out. Take pics.
_________________________
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#396958 - 30/06/05 07:05 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
I should get mine back from the machine shop today also. I'll take pictures and let everyone know how it turns out.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396959 - 30/06/05 07:16 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Sweet

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#396960 - 30/06/05 11:20 AM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
Scratch that, it'll be tomorrow.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396961 - 30/06/05 01:20 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Steel_City_X Offline
Member

Registered: 10/09/01
Posts: 934
Loc: Pueblo, CO
Axle,

I may want to spend the $ to get the work done on my spare idler arm. When you are done, I may want to check it out. It is only a few miles north to Colo. Springs.

Todd
_________________________
First Xterra IFS or SAS up Moab Rim...#2 up Mt. Blanca.
African Adventure pictures....
http://homepage.mac.com/ahlenius/

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#396962 - 30/06/05 02:13 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
TJ Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 08/03/01
Posts: 7756
Loc: Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
I'm still running on the original Calmini bushings...I think 15K or so,... so far...no problems. (I have the Xcursion improved versions on deck if I need them, I just thought it would be sooner.

laugh
_________________________
- TJ

2001 Xterra '03 VG33, SE 5 spd, 305/70/16's, Revolvers, UBSkidderz, Doubled AAL's, 3"SL/2"BL, winch/bumpers, skids, sliders, OBA, Snorkel, pine stripes....

Friends don't let friends drive stock.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/501230/tj-tackling-crawlers-ridge-o.gif

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#396963 - 30/06/05 07:34 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


I just exchanged my idler arm out for a rebuilt one from calmini under warranty its supposed to have been improved and hopefully will be the end of the problem. My original one had about 35k miles on it with the bushings replaced once. I'd like to thank Steve and the rest of the guys at calmini for helping me get back on the road after the centerlink tie rod became damaged and unusable.

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#396964 - 01/07/05 01:56 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
Well here it's done.

Here it is with the new bearing in it.



And here it is installed in the brace.



The bearings are just slightly larger than the original holes for the bronze bushings. The bearings were slightly pressed into place so they wouldn't rotate in their hole. The original sleeve had to be turned down to fit inside the new bearings and it too was slightly pressed into place so the only movment in there should be where it's supposed to occur. There is ZERO slop in this new setup.

Well I'm going to go and grease it up and put it on the truck to test it out this weekend. I'll report back on how it does.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396965 - 01/07/05 02:04 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Damn, I really want to check that out. I should be up to St. Elmo Sunday.

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#396966 - 04/07/05 04:35 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Essentialy what you have done is build a hub-n-bearing assembly. Which is used in alot of front wheel drive cars and accepts radial and axial loads. Might just do the trick.

good luck! I hope to see this resolved

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#396967 - 05/07/05 07:32 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Hows it holding up?

Josh

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#396968 - 05/07/05 09:48 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
Well I took it out this weekend and wheeled on it for a day. It still appears the same as it was before. No slop at all and holding up well.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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#396969 - 08/07/05 04:39 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
datz510 Offline
Member

Registered: 06/06/02
Posts: 93
Loc: Mesa, AZ
Very nice, Axle...

Glad to see you took my advice on the bearings. From my experience, that setup will be pretty much indestructible and should outlast the truck.

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#396970 - 09/07/05 06:55 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Well i'm doing it, i just ordered my bearings. Called calmini to see if they would just sell me the arm and the sleeve itself, so if things went bad i wouldnt be screwed, but they said no. O well.

Josh

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#396971 - 09/07/05 08:24 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Powerguy38 Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 11/08/01
Posts: 1032
Loc: Greensburg, PA
Quote:
Originally posted by DarkwarriorX:
Well i'm doing it, i just ordered my bearings. Called calmini to see if they would just sell me the arm and the sleeve itself, so if things went bad i wouldnt be screwed, but they said no. O well.

Josh
Hey Josh, come check us out
HERE

We're close by with a few members in Morgantown and Fairmont.
_________________________
ECXC 2K12 Organizer

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#396972 - 13/07/05 07:26 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Anonymous
Unregistered


Bearings came today. I am having trouble finding a shop that will work on the part. The three close ones I’ve been to so far say they won’t do it for liability reasons. I suggested that I just bring them the arm and the bearing so they "don’t know" that it is for a vehicle. One shop agreed, but with them not being open on the weekends, and me having two classes plus research during the week, would be really tuff. I was planning on having them take the part off since I don’t really have the tools here to take it off, plus transportation would become difficult. Was thinking about renting a car, but what a pain. It looks like I might have to wait till the end of this semester before I can get it installed. Sorry, just needed to vent my frustration. What ever happened to giving a guy 50 bucks under the table to do you a favor? I even told them I’d give him 200 bucks cash if we could do it on the weekend so I wouldn’t have to deal with taking it off, and dealing with transportation, no dice though. frown

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#396973 - 14/07/05 01:57 PM Re: Calmini Idler Arm - fix for failing bronze bushing?
Axle Offline
Member

Registered: 18/03/02
Posts: 1229
Loc: Fort Carson, CO
You don't have a buddy with a car you could inconvenience for a couple of days while you get your truck fixed? I know it's a pain but it's worth it in the end.

Axle
_________________________
My wife - "We haven't even made a payment on it yet and you're scratching it all up!"

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