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Steering arm of the UNIT.

Pa PITT

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Jul 15, 2005
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Stephenville TEXAS
so wHAT DO YOU GUYS DO .. WE my Running Buddy & I have just had a power steering gear box rebuilt . .. My steering arm has 4 flat splines to clock the steering. The last time I did this .. My arm had to have those flat spline cut into spline. But then I had a neighbor who was a machinist . & He took them to work with himself. & cut them in about 15 minutes.
.... Not sure if we'll have this issue but want to know what to do in advance.
 
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Pa PITT

Pa PITT

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Bronco Guru
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Jul 15, 2005
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Stephenville TEXAS
I wondered if it could be done with a file . But Neighbor RICHY HAD some kind of LATHE THAT would do it. PERFECT .
... wHAT KIND OF MACHINE DOES THIS
 

DirtDonk

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Not sure what type of bit in a lathe or whatever is used by a pro, but I simply used the sharp edge of a triangular file. Had the blocks cut into splines that fit perfectly in a jiffy. Did not take long at all, even by hand.

You may not need to however, unless it is a swapped-in gearbox, or a non-Ford style pitman arm? What is it you're dealing with, parts-wise?

If you make sure to center the box first, before anything else is connected to it, most Ford boxes will have their key/master splines facing directly to the sides and front to back. An early Bronco's original manual steering gear, and some of the early power steering gearboxes, have their splines skewed by one spline (10°) so the arm is pointed slightly to the driver's side.
I've never heard any argument that says one way is better than the other, or that one way is worse than the other.
But in most cases I set them up pointing straight back along the frame, but only AFTER I determine the center point of the box.

That way once the steering wheel is attached, you can easily pinpoint the center position from there on out without looking underneath.

Paul
 
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Pa PITT

Pa PITT

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Bronco Guru
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Stephenville TEXAS
This was a 6 turn . Bronco gear box but when it was rebuilt it's now a 3.33 to 1 box .
I think that says it's now gor S10 CHECVY PARTS IN IT
 

DirtDonk

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Sounds good. The box splines are usually oriented at 12-3-6-9 o'clock positions. Typically it's the arm that has whatever offset Ford decided to use that year.
If it's only pointing at the driver's side by 1 spline width, you can use it that way if you want. If you'd rather have it pointing straight down the frame rail, you can file/grind/machine down the splines to fit.
All depends on what your parts have now.

Be interesting to hear what your friend used to machine the last ones down. Or these too, if you have him do this arm as well.

Paul
 
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Pa PITT

Pa PITT

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Stephenville TEXAS
PauL I called the local machine shop today &ask them if they could do it. I told them after the meet & great. .. I said he said it was very easy .. But easy with a $300,000.00 .. The old class mate that now owns Her parents machine shop.
.. She just loves my HUMOR.. Yes a 300K machine makes most things easier.
Then she starts naming shop in WACO & Ft Worth Abilene that might have a machine to do it..
I don't know & She never called the lathe by it's name.
... Ricky .. is getting an higher education from the STATE at this time.
but as he described the machine .. It had some very small brass type wire .. you threaded it inside the hole on the pitman arm. Then the wire fed through on a roller .& It was charged with some amount of electricity for heats . The wire was ruined as it passes passed the cut . But it fed through & was put in a waist tank... It was computer controlled .So it just fed the wire in & cut the ''V''.
... i HOPE THAT'S A GOOD ENOUGH .DISCRIPTION .. That's about the best I can do. Surly with this crowd someone will know what I'm talking about .
Bill step up.
 
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Pa PITT

Pa PITT

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Bronco Guru
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Jul 15, 2005
Messages
11,252
Loc.
Stephenville TEXAS
Wow Slowleak .. Thanks for showing that. Rick did this for me about 10 or 15 years ago. He did explain it that well. & I'd wondered how He did it but sice there was no charge.
I just said Thank You.
... I sure miss that young man. He was a neighbor .. I'd come home & He'd be working on some project I had going . Polwing a field I left half done .. I think he just like to work.
 
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