Pitman arm identification help?

[nvrstuk]

I have a Ford pitman arm that I need to identify. I am pretty sure its a Bronco arm...can I use these numbers to ID it?

Looks like DOT6-3580

or DOT6-3500?

36 spline...obviously get to file 4 more splines into another pitman arm.

Thanks!!

 

[DirtDonk]

It's a '70 model arm at least. Looks too beefy to be a stock EB manual steering arm though. At least to me.
And the draglink hole looks awful large as well.

It's possible that maybe it's just another version from what I'm used to seeing. Nothing says that all EB's had to have the same exact arm of course. Just that likely they did after the early '66 model was changed to the later version.

So I'm saying '70 to about '75 full size truck, or big car (think LTD or Torino, etc) arm.
I'll see if I can find out more about that number though.

Paul

 

[Viperwolf1]

It's a stock bronco arm, D0TA. The hole may have been embiggened.

 

[nvrstuk]

Small opening mic's out to .665".

Larger opening on the tapered end is .750".

Isn't this a stock taper size for a tie rod?

Sure appreciate you looking ...be great if I could get the year/model in case I ever have to replace it...

Thanks!

 

[DirtDonk]

Maybe it is. Doesn't sound that big when you put it at .665" now.
But that is the big side, correct? Or is that the small side of the opening?

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Got a full image of it? Do you have another arm to compare to?
I've got pics of some known Bronco arms and will post them up in a bit, but if size and orientation are consistent with EB arms, maybe it was a "tweener" used about then?

At least as far as the old books are concerned though, that is not a Bronco pitman arm.
Not a full-size truck arm either for that matter, unless it was a running change that got missed in a certain addition of the parts files in both print and micro-fiche form maybe. I'm sure it could happen.
Maybe it was an interim arm between the fairly small-ish earlier manual steering arms, and the later beefier power steering arms?

I don't doubt Viperwolf's knowledge on this kind of stuff (and he rebuilds Bronco boxes regularly, so has stared at more pitman arms that I've seen I'm sure. But it sure does not look like the '70 arms I've seen.
But the fact that it's a "T" part is the proof that it's indeed a truck arm of some kind. Just that it's origin has faded into obscurity...

Maybe it's an upgrade right about the time they were getting ready to put stronger Dana 44's under the EB's as well. Perhaps for the same reason they were beefing up the front end. Even when the first Early Bronco books were being published, pictures of Broncos sitting with their noses in the sand with busted-in-half Dana 30's were already circulating and probably leading designers to hunt down weak links. Maybe some steering arms were busted in the making of those books...
But if so, it was not listed with a specific application in the Ford books. Waiting to hear back if there was a known passenger car line it was from, but not listed in the Bronco file.

From another forum source with Ford parts books and fiche:
"D0TA-3590-AA crosses to D0TZ-3590-A but it's not listed in the parts catalogs for Bronco's or trucks.
O-S-I catalog says: Obsolete, there's no replacing part number.

1966 Bronco was C6TZ-3590-C, but this was replaced by C6TZ-3304-S draglink and C6TZ-3590-J pitman arm that was used in 1967.

1968/75 Bronco was C8TZ-3590-E (M/S).

1972/75 Bronco with P/S was D3TZ-3590-A (D3TA-3590-AA).

1976/77 Bronco with M/S: D6TZ-3590-A (D6TA-3590-RA)
1976/77 Bronco with P/S: D6TZ-3590-B (D6TA-3590-SA)"

If anyone has a listing for the arm in question though, would love to see it and put it in the database.
Of course, the bottom line is that if it fits, it'll work. Do you have a draglink you can try it on for size?
Or have all your parts been finally installed, and the rest were tossed out long ago!;D
I'm sure someone can measure a rod end and find out though.

Paul

 

[nvrstuk]

The end opposite the splined end has a tapered opening for a stock tie rod.

The small end of that taper is .665" ID

The large end of the taper is .750" ID

Both the above measurements are within a few thousandths.

I don't have any stock tie rods to try it on...nothing stock left on my rig! : ) In fact at a car show yesterday I won the "Most Modifications" category...but I digress...

I have several arms sitting around...I will pull them out and get some pics and try to compare them to the #'s you posted up.

Thanks Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Hmm, sure looks like the full size arm in the second pic...



The plot thickens...
(edit: hard to read, but the number on that one looks to be E6?A-3590-H but hard to tell for sure)

Paul

 

[Viperwolf1]

I was wrong. It can't be a Bronco arm. It looks as beefy as the 76-77 arms and it has the correct twist to fit on a Bronco box.

 

[nvrstuk]

Paul what is the center to center length of the 78-9 arm you have in the 1st pic? ...and is it flat or ? Thanks!

 

[nvrstuk]

On the bottom is the picture of the arm I want to use and on the left is just another Ford Pitman arm