what can I do with this idler arm?

Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with a lead pipe. Seriously, your pic didn't work, but If'n it what I think it is, It needs to be pressed out with a, um, press. And the new one pressed in. As to what you can do with it now, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination, doorstop, paperweight, pencilholder, dogpoker.. Sorry, too much sugar.

lol :D

Jan

Had you given any thought to removing the other end of the arm from the steering linkage. I am not familiar with how this is set up but most cars I have worked on, you could remove it there. That way you can take the whole assembly off the car and get it up on a decent workbench where you have more options. If I am wrong about being able to separate this from the steering linkage end then just ignore me I am an idiot!

....well let me give the regulars a flashback and offer you this advice, as posted by Brian M. Whittling, on 6-23-99 :

"seeing as how its hunk of crap super-beetle, i'd just junk the thing and use the bread you saved to buy something worht the effort. i would suggest a 67 beetle, but an older one would do just fine."

...Gareth

Ant,

I saw your pic. Not pretty is all I can say, but it looks like it's already free from the fender well, so why not stick a tie-rod end puller on the other end and pop the whole idler assembly out of the car? Failing that, disconnect the center link at the steering gearbox drop-arm, disconnect both tie-rod ends, and just pull the whole front steering linkage out. It'd be loads easier to deal with on the floor or on a bench than in the car.

My gut feeling is that you're going to need a new idler arm assembly. I know John @ Aircooled has the bushing for it, and I bet BFY Obsolete has a good used arm/bracket assembly.

Chris