yes.it is in front.when i bought this i did not know you need at least 15 in wheels.i had new 14 in so i modified the tie rod arm to make the 14 fit. this was a few years ago and I'm about finished with the car.trying to get this figured out.
the only time I experienced anything like you're describing, was when a guy brought an old IH Travelall to me with similar issues. It turned out he had installed the idler arm upside down. I turned it around and problem solved.