Stubborn Pitman Arm!!! HELP PLEASE

[jeev]

Got a Drop pitman arm so I go to remove the old one and it just wont come off the damn PS box!!! I have heated, hammered, pryed.... everything!!! I dont want to damage my newly rebuilt PS box does any one have suggestions for removiing the pitman arm?

Thank you.

 

[HotWheels]

get the pitman arm puller. that way you can keep the stress off of the box. Harbor Freight $10. Works nicely too.

 

[jeev]

Thank you ;D

 

[broncotime]

I agree 100%, use the puller. However, if it the arm has been on there for a long time, you might have to really crank the thing pretty hard to pull it off. When mine finally came off it shot down towards the floor and just about crushed my foot. So, stand back and crank the bolt on the puller hard until some thing gives (the puller or the pitman arm).

Good Luck

 

[airman]

you can leave the nut on a couple threads and use the puller. Try some good penetrating oil too. Not WD.

Jeff in AZ

 

[jbeyer]

get the pitman arm puller. that way you can keep the stress off of the box. Harbor Freight $10. Works nicely too.

or blow a whopping 14.00 at napa if you dont want to wait.

 

[bob_lafrentz]

Yeah, what they said. Get a puller and use penetrating oil. If it is still really stuck, hit the puller with an impact wrench. Thats what I had to do. It was the only thing that worked. I couldn't even get it off with a three foot cheater bar on the puller.

Be careful with the heating so you don't melt any seals in the PS box. Good luck.

 

[HotWheels]

Thank you ;D

keep us posted.

;D

 

[Bronchole]

Most of your local auto parts stores will let you buy one and return it used for full refund, they call it loaner tools. Make sure no matter what you do you bring the new arm with you and make sure it will fit in to the tool.

Also while you are using the puller tap on the exposed area of the old arem near the sector shaft with a hammer, like you were hitting a large nail that you were holding in your hand to start it. The vibrations combined with the preassure of the tool will do wonders.

 

[HotWheels]

There is that also. But a puller is a invaluable tool to have and cheap.

 

[murdock]

loaner tools

I pulled mine off recently using a loaner tool from Autozone. The first tool they gave me was the pitman arm puller (two jaw, pic on left). It does NOT fit the stock pitman arm (it isn't wide enough to go around it).

I returned that one and got the 3 jaw universal puller (pic on right). Now that thing did the trick! Cranked it up tight and then one wack with the hammer (on the top of the pitman arm) and it popped right off!

Oh, I also had been spraying the arm with WD-40 for a couple days prior to this. Good luck!

 

[HotWheels]

great news. still stand by having one in the tool box!! ;D

 

[airman]

great news. still stand by having one in the tool box!! ;D

I agree completely. Once you have a socket set, a set of wrenches, screw drivers, allen wrenches, a hammer, and all od the toosl that dont need other tools to operate, you need a 3 jaw puller like the one on the right pictured above. A slide hammer puller is nice too. Keep it next to your sawzall and 30.00 ball/u-joint press. And under no circumstances do you EVER sell tools. Tools are only meant to be bought. It is ok to let others break this rule.

Sorry for the lecture
Jeff in AZ

 

[Broncitis]

I've pulled dozens and dozens of these on broncos I have parted out or worked on and have never had one I could not get off.

Step one, get a pitman arm puller

Step two, loosen the nut but DO NOT REMOVE IT, leave several threads engaged as was mention (will prevent the crushed foot or other destruction)

Step three, take a grinder and grind flats on two sides of the pitman arm and try to chamfer the top corners where the newly ground sides meet the top surface. This will allow the pitman arm puller to slide ocer the width of the arm and will keep the puller pulling on the flats of the fingers rather than the radius of the puller fingers.

Step four, tighten it with an impact or breaker bar. This will often do the job, if not, take a BFH and hit the pitman arm opposite of the steering arm. Do this WHILE the puller is in tension. It may take a few hard hits, but it will come off.

This same technique can be used to break most any taper fit such as tie rod ends in knuckles (simply smack the knuckle on the end of the steering arm) or on the pitman arm to drag link connection.

I do not recomend heat since there is a lower seal in the box that can be ruined. Exccesive heat could also damage the shaft.

Only once I had a box where the taper or box machining must have been on the limit or out of tolerance. On this box I could not get the fingers of the puller between the pitman arm and the end of the box housing. I ended up taking one of my pullers and slightly grinding down the fingers so I could get it in between them.

Good luck

 

[kontinu]

Be carefull I have broken 2 pitman arm pullers from too much tension. It's like a gernade went off and don't be in the way! Pieces break off like bullets. I finally took it to a garage and had them pull it.