Bushings Are Not Fun...Some pix, more to come.

[73AnneBoleyn]

i don't know what's going on. been working for a few hours now...
-pitman arm won't come off of the steering rod thing. i have a pitman puller, but it's not big enough to go over the pitman arm.
-drag link wont disconnect from pitman arm.
-track bar bolt/nut whatever at the axle won't come off. it will not move a hair. pulled every muscle in my body trying to get it to budge.
-bronco is leaning to the passenger side, even on jack stands. weird. can't figure it out. i'm on level ground. hopefully when i change the body mounts it will get fixed?

started raining halfway during this event. had to pull all my tools inside. rained for a half hour. pulled the tools back out. no new progress.

accomplished:
-bolts at radius arm to frame came out no problem.
-upper trackbar is free from the bracket.

very disheartened. maybe the ol' girl is too much for me.

need a beer... thanks for listening.

 

[Revelation]

You have discovered one of the joy's of owning a classic. Nothing ever goes easy or as planned.
Were you able to get an assist from any of the guys up there? Send out an all call, Beer and BBQ. Them Raleigh guys might drive the 2 hours for BBQ.

 

[zbronc]

Some days are better than others....

You do need the correct pitman arm puller, without it they won't come off. gotta have the right tool for the job.

Drag link...need a pickle fork, preferrably on a air hammer. A regular one will do fine with a BFH. Again, need the right tool for the job.

Trac bar bolt....did you remove the cotter pin? sometimes they rust off and can be a PITA....maybe soak it in something like pb blaster for a day...tap it with a hammer...try again. Got air tools? They can work miracles...sometimes.

Shes not to much for ya.....you figured the beer thing out. Once you round up a select few tools, a little patience, beer, maybe an occasional friend for some extra leverage/advice and or beer, and a little more patience, you'll realize it wasn't that bad. Just keep that vision of the finished Bronco in your head....be patient, frustration will cost you money in boogered up hammered on parts. Take a break...have a beer, you'll get'em in....and then there's those pesky body mounts....believe me i could strangle the next person that says "mine came right out, no problem" I've learned that leather gloves prevent loss of blood....and beer gives me a little more patience...to a point.

Just think, once you've gone through every rusted, seized, stripped component of your Bronco, its amazing how easy it comes apart the next time around when you decide to "modify and improve" the already decent ride that you built with your blood sweat and beers in the beginning.....its a terrible addiction.....and then you are led to the dark side...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

thanks guys. i appreciate the pep talk!
so my friend's brother just came by. he's a jeeper. he wanted to see my gal and boy was he jealous!!! now, let me tell you, my truck is in pretty bad disrepair. i often joke that the only things i'll keep are the dash and the front bumper. but this guy was all about my bronco! he said "well, if you ever want to sell it..." and i told him to sell his jeep, buy a bronco and we can fix them up together.

i'm in the garage lookin' at her right now...front end up on jack stands, tools and shop rags laying about...body several different colors...only one windshield wiper...headlights pointing outboard like a walleyed fish...left front quarter panel banged up... and i'm thinking "wow, what a life she's had" she has a lot of old duff parts on her...at some point someone built her up, but that was probably 15 years ago and many trails ago...now time and age and the elements have caught up to her...a good bit of rust...looking kind of sad...i almost feel like i'm here to give her a second chance at life...like it's my responsibility to fix her up...and i will...one bolt at a time.

man, i think i'm in love... :-*

 

[zbronc]

Amazing....the power of beer and Broncos

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

decided to put one last big effort into getting the track bar off. SUCCESS!! it's off! now i gotta get another pitman puller tomorrow and finish this bushing business.

 

[kbldawg]

The pitman arm can be a real pain in the butte!!

We tried a pickle fork, no help. Then stepped up to a puller, stripped the bolt on the puller. Last ditch effort was to heat it up with a torch. Once we had heated it up we put the pickle fork back on it and it came right off.

Don't worry, as soon as you get it all finished someone will be available to help you out.

 

[75bronco08]

dont use heat on a steering box tend to melt seals and make parts brittal pickal forks are ment for tierod end only.use the right tool for the job.

 

[Broncoman]

If you get the puller on there and it won't come off try using heat and lube. If it still doesn't work tighten the puller up then walk away the constant pressure may break the bond over a few min. It worked for me.

 

[Mark]

I wouldn't apply heat to the sector shaft of your power steering box (where the pitman arm attaches). This is the method I use...
"If it doesn't come off with the puller alone, take two big hammers I prefer small sledge hammers), or a hammer and a heavy piece of steel or whatever, and with tension still on the puller, lay one hammer or the piece of steel along side the puller adjacent to the splines, and hit the other side with the hammer. It isn't always easy to line up the hammers with the tool still mounted, but it can be done.
What you're trying to do is shock it into submission. You don't really want to wail on the thing from one side only as I feel that would put more stress on the box, splines, seals or whatever in the box. But with you either hitting it up against the heavy piece of steel on the opposite side, or using two hammers simultaneously, you put more shock into it than you would with just one, and you don't put just one direction of impact on the box/shaft.
I prefer the small sledge hammers for their weight."
I don't even use a pitman arm puller anymore, just two large hammers and that thing just falls right off after a couple wacks.

 

[DirtDonk]

The two-hammer method can work wonders on the other joints as well. I use it on the draglink and tierod ends to good effect.
A few good whacks to loosen 'em up and then some taps with the hammer on the nut and they sometimes pop right out.
Good idea to do that end before you get it off the box though. Just for stability's sake.

If I've ever felt the need to wail on the pitman arm end of the draglink I always tried to support the bottom end with a jack-stand so I wasn't putting all that downward twisting force into the sector shaft.
I know they're pretty robust, and are just thin bushings in the box, but I don't like beating on things that are that expensive to service!

Paul

 

[77broncoguy]

I'm with the two hammer crowd. I've used pullers with success. But the easiest way for me has been; soak with pb blaster or something, then come back with the hammers and usually a couple of good whacks and it falls right off.

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

any other ideas to get the pitman arm off? i have been to several parts stores, everyone has the same pitman arm puller, and it's too small for my pitman arm. gaaaaaaaahhhh!!! getting frustrated...project has hit a roadblock!

 

[Mark]

any other ideas to get the pitman arm off? i have been to several parts stores, everyone has the same pitman arm puller, and it's too small for my pitman arm. gaaaaaaaahhhh!!! getting frustrated...project has hit a roadblock!

Did you not read post 10, 11, or 12?
Forget the pitman arm puller and get the hammers out.

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

yep, i read them and wailed on it. no luck. i've doused it in pb blaster, too. i can't get the drag link off of the arm, nor can i get the arm off of the steering sector shaft. hope i don't have to do this again anytime soon!

 

[77broncoguy]

try hitting the end opposite the arm at the sector shaft with only one hammer, then switch to two hammers opposite each other. does your pitman arm puller fit on the other end to take the drag link off?

 

[77broncoguy]

other thing to try would be an adjustable gear puller

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

it does fit over the drag link. keeps torquing itself off of the bolt. it will eventually budge, i'm sure. it's just that dang sector shaft! what a pain in the neck!
someone suggested a double jaw puller. may try that tomorrow. i appreciate all of your help and ideas.

 

[Mark]

Wish I were in Charlotte.
I've never had the hammer trick fail.

 

[chuck]

The head of the pitman arm is larger than stock. Grind a flat spot on each side so you can use the std. puller or use a wheel puller. If you need to know what it is let me know and I can post a picture.