I got under there and made a movie, hopefully enough to get some views if this idler arm is what is causing my bonka-bonka-bonka driving over city streets.
You can see the idler arm in the video, it is the light gray tube in the top of the video.
Could that be the sold cause of my problem, the bonkas and the alignment?


Edit trying new video
__________________

 

Your link is dead so i cant watch the video however if you have noisy front end issues your missing ca bushings and baljoints are more suspect than the idler arm

 

That arm got clearance to move in every direction. I would change that.

 

I replaced the idler arm, not as easy for me as the pros here but I'll tell my tale and maybe help the inexperienced.

In my 2002 Xtreme (2wd) the nuts holding the idler arm to the bracket and the center link were an odd size. I think they take an 18mm socket, which does not exist. After spraying a day before with PB Blaster and putting the truck up on ramps, I was able to remove the nuts with an assortment of a 23/32 "metrinch," a 3/4" socket (loose, but okay for holding the bolt inside the frame rail), open-end and crescent wrench. I did not have to resort to vice grips. If you can find a 18mm socket: get it!

The nut on the center link ball joint was just a regular-looking nut, not a castle nut. And the nut that came with my new AC Delco idler arm was not a castle nut either. However, I think all the nuts were slightly tapered because after a few easy turns the turning got tougher.

I was able to loosen the nut on the ball joint. Then I used a Harbor Freight ball joint separator tool to pop the centerlink stud out of the idler arm by putting the fork end under the arm and the anvil end on top of the stud. I cranked it real tight and when went to get a cheater bar for more cranking the joint popped by itself, thereby not scaring me.

Using a vice I turned the new arm at 45 degrees to the bracket and set it into the bracket bolts, which luckily had not fallen into the frame rail. I took the bracket nuts to the hardware store and found two metric nuts (maybe M14?) that fit (nice and loose) on the inside and were 19mm outside, so that way I could use a normal 19mm socket. I also got two lock washers for them, and back under the truck, tightened them on. At this point the idler arm was not on the stud but you can grab ahold of the linkages and push and fit them together.

The trouble began when I started screwing the last nut onto the ball joint stud. As the nut turned the stud started turning, too, and I could not get the joint to snug up. This problem may have been caused by excessive PB Blaster, IDK. To solve the problem I got a C-clamp and a piece of 1x2" wood and found a way to squeeze the centerlink and the idler arm together, which tightened up the stud enough to stop it from turning. That let me tighten the nut and torque it to 35 ft-lbs. The bracket nuts take 79 ft-lbs which is just about as hard as you can crank it from under there.

I screwed in the zerk and pumped the arm with lube. It takes a lot, you see how full it is by lifting up the boot. Just four hours and job done. I hope this experience helps someone.

 

Craftsman makes 18mm sockets in all lengths and in 6 and 12 points they even make the odd ball 16mm - They have a life time warranty - I own several

Craftsman was just sold at Sears but over the years they have expanded out to Kmart, Ace hard ware and Prob. a few more outlets.