IDLER ARM BROKE

[HUMMER H1]

Guys i wanted to review this part,
I drive my trucks on average about 50 to 75.000 miles a year, I am very aware of using only AM GENERAL or AM GENERAL approved suspension parts on my trucks.

last time I did my suspension parts, i said what a heck let me use those eBay aftermarket parts and see what happens,
those parts are purchased from Mid west military parts an wolfer parts
Ball joints lasted under 10.000 miles
Tie rods lasted much less than that.
I Bought idler arm for my friends 2003 H1 ( street driven hummer )
The idler arm broke in half, his hummer rarely sees 5k miles a year.

don’t throw away your money or risk your safety,
only get original parts,
Here is a picture of purchase date and it says HD A2 idler arm.

since I put so many miles on my truck, I thought I would share my test results.

love you guys, drive the heck out of your humvees

 

[biscuitwhistler37]

Cheeeeeeeeeap. Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[juanprado]

I wish moog would sell these items directly to us. AMG contract folks made a great job of locking up access to these parts as propriety so they control the market.

Damn shame the crap these firms put out. A cracked idler arm sounds like a class action lawsuit if multiple failures can be documented and hopefully no one has been hurt.....

 

[87cr250r]

I'm not a fan of aftermarket chassis parts with grease fittings. The sealed units have long life greases that most people don't know about. Polyurea greases are not compatible with the auto parts store lithium greases.

Of course, this wouldn't cause a link to break.

 

[Mogman]

I'm not a fan of aftermarket chassis parts with grease fittings. The sealed units have long life greases that most people don't know about. Polyurea greases are not compatible with the auto parts store lithium greases.

Of course, this wouldn't cause a link to break.

The factory components have grease fittings, the military is big on greasing everything even though most people have no idea how to properly do it, most think you grease a ball joint until grease runs out which ruins most of them.

 

[HUMMER H1]

Putting back the original idler arm that was kept as spare until new one arrives.

 

[juanprado]

In another lifetime I sold parts for 20 years.I do not recall seeing that kind of failure in an idler arm. Scary to think the loss of steering.....

What is the back story? On trail, on road, chasing zombies?

 

[HUMMER H1]

Street driven truck, look at the first picture, suspension is still clean
No trail drives.

The location it broke tells a lot about metal quality they have used to produce this part.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Guys i wanted to review this part,
I drive my trucks on average about 50 to 75.000 miles a year, I am very aware of using only AM GENERAL or AM GENERAL approved suspension parts on my trucks.

last time I did my suspension parts, i said what a heck let me use those eBay aftermarket parts and see what happens,
those parts are purchased from Mid west military parts an wolfer parts
Ball joints lasted under 10.000 miles
Tie rods lasted much less than that.
I Bought idler arm for my friends 2003 H1 ( street driven hummer )
The idler arm broke in half, his hummer rarely sees 5k miles a year.

don’t throw away your money or risk your safety,
only get original parts,
Here is a picture of purchase date and it says HD A2 idler arm.

since I put so many miles on my truck, I thought I would share my test results.

love you guys, drive the heck out of your humvees View attachment 914750View attachment 914751

gee, no kidding….
I’ve been telling folks for years to stay away from these components, especially pitman and idlers as the catastrophic failure could cost you your life.
I see to much if this as a shop owner, far too many folks are trying to save a buck, I get it, but ask yourself, is the extra few bucks worth your life?
unfortunately the vendors you cited are fine not stating the items are not of TACOM approved suppliers.

 

[mgFray]

I'd recommend you file a report with the NHTSA with mentioning the seller of the part.

It very well could have been a "1 time" event, but it also could be the parts of just crap and NHTSA can force a recall. (Not so much for folks to get their money back, but be told to look for these parts and get them replaced before someone is injured!)

 

[87cr250r]

How did it get bent? It looks like it had been fractured for some time. There is corrosion in the break.

 

[Milcommoguy]

I'd recommend you file a report with the NHTSA with mentioning the seller of the part.

It very well could have been a "1 time" event, but it also could be the parts of just crap and NHTSA can force a recall. (Not so much for folks to get their money back, but be told to look for these parts and get them replaced before someone is injured!)

OHhhhhh Here we go... NHTSA and all the other letters in the alphabet would likely recall all HumV's . LOL

Lucky no one was hurt. Yes, things break. Question ? Was it found during inspection, was felt not right while driving OR let go with WTF is going on.

Lots of stories to the Chineeeeze parts. I had a new nice looking speedometer replacement. 9 miles later JUNK. Nobody died.

Ask the question, USA or __________, CAMO

 

[mgFray]

OHhhhhh Here we go... NHTSA and all the other letters in the alphabet would likely recall all HumV's . LOL

Lucky no one was hurt. Yes, things break. Question ? Was it found during inspection, was felt not right while driving OR let go with WTF is going on.

Lots of stories to the Chineeeeze parts. I had a new nice looking speedometer replacement. 9 miles later JUNK. Nobody died.

Ask the question, USA or __________, CAMO

I used to work in the automotive parts industry. There are a lot of misconcenptions into what the NHTSA recalls do. The main point is to alert people of a problem. The secondary point is to promote compliance to ensure we don't have bad parts in the parts supply.

So lets say this isn't a one-off part failure, but someone selling unsafe parts (doesn't matter where they are made). What SHOULD happen is they are notified by owners of failures. They gather the parts and look for a systemic failure, and then can notify the public to inspect their vehicles for these parts and warn people to not buy them any longer.

(Doesn't matter if the manufacturer is Ford, GM, Moog, or some no-name chinese factory imported via Ebay or Amazon marketplaces.... NHTSA collects data and publishes warnings or recalls based on findings.)

 

[Mogman]

gee, no kidding….
I’ve been telling folks for years to stay away from these components, especially pitman and idlers as the catastrophic failure could cost you your life.
I see to much if this as a shop owner, far too many folks are trying to save a buck, I get it, but ask yourself, is the extra few bucks worth your life?
unfortunately the vendors you cited are fine not stating the items are not of TACOM approved suppliers.

At least one of the vendors mentioned has no problem claiming his Chinese junk IS TACOM approved, or at least he used to.

 

[HUMMER H1]

How did it get bent? It looks like it had been fractured for some time. There is corrosion in the break.

It didn’t bent that’s the shape of the part,
part has been on the truck for a year, I can’t imagine corrosion eating through that thick metal.

Loud noise and lost control of the stirring, meaning it was not stable at all, you could turn the wheel but wheels would not go the direction you wanted to go

 

[Mogman]

I agree with 87cr250r, it looks like it had a fracture to begin with, it was probably incorrectly formed.
pure junk for sure.

 

[87cr250r]

I meant to say that it has been cracked for some time before it broke. That's what the corrosion on the fracture face indicates.

 

[HUMMER H1]

I meant to say that it has been cracked for some time before it broke. That's what the corrosion on the fracture face indicates.

That’s a possibility

 

[Mullaney]

That’s a possibility

.
Do you remember "curbing" one of the front tires?
After you installed the new idler arm - but before it broke...?

 

[HUMMER H1]

.
Do you remember "curbing" one of the front tires?
After you installed the new idler arm - but before it broke...?

No curbing, and even if that happens the stress should not go on idler arm
It should be absorbing by tire rod and the enter link.
Truck went through 100% frame powder coat restoration only 5000 miles ago and that’s when new idler was put on.