Off-Road Suspension Quick Fixes
GM Pitman & Idler Arm Support Kit
Fixing a common flaw in most GM trucks and
SUVs steering
By Dan Sanchez
Photos courtesy Cognito Motorsports
Oversized tires can cause excessive wear on GM trucks and SUV steering systems where excessive forward and backward movement of the idler arm can wear the joints in the pitman and idler arms. Over time this can alter the alignment and cause excessive tire wear.
Cognito Motorsports offers a patented, quick and permanent fix in the form of an inexpensive support brace, which offers a better solution than replacing the entire pitman and idler arms with more expensive heavier duty units.
Installing the support kit increases steering component life and as a result, can also decrease tire wear and land wandering. Systems are available for 1993 to 2020 model GM pickups and SUVs and are simple enough to bolt-on in about an hour, according to Cognito Motorsports.
Source
Cognito Motorsports
www.cognitomotorsports.com
1 Access the steering
and idler arm under the
vehicle by removing any
skid plates and anti-sway
bar mounts.
2 Support the steering
box with a jack and
unscrew the pitman arm
nut, then the bolts holding
the steering box to the
frame.
3 Remove the nut
holding the idler arm pivot
then unbolt the idler pivot
from the frame.
4 The Cognito
kit comes with
an idler arm
and pitman arm
support that is
patented and
comes with
everything needed
for installation.
5 The support arms bolt to
the factory studs and are bolted
using the hardware provided to
the torque settings specified in
the instructions. Once everything
is buttoned up, the installation is
complete.