Pitman Arm Removal . . . . . . Simple as That ? (1 Viewer)

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Searched the archives and seems to be pretty simple, if you don't have a tourch, use a quality screw puller, PB Blaster, impact wrench, and get ready to crap your pants when it goes.


But as I followed links, to links, to links, I may have lost my way. I began to see refernces to cotter pins. By the time I read the archives it was dark outside, so doused it in PB blaster for the night and came back in to peck out this posting.

I have a 1980, OEM power steering. Just wanted to confirm that all I have to remove is the big nut, the biggest lock washer I have ever seen, then I am ready to start putting excessive pressure on the pitman arm.

Hate to start reefing on things if there is an obvious oversight why it will not come off.
 
The cotter pin you speak of belongs to the drag link which attaches to the end of the pitman arm. If you want to get the arm off of the steering box, you are correct, just remove the nut.
 
Hopefully your puller is specific to the task and looks something like this:
gInimhyty1gUnaYBw9DWC5ncArC_m2-gE1Q8bMUZsVdZGUaSIOPb11s-fX4Fs5i0wybCLykgeG5tkklqpa-JSS-mvjyEstOISw76KJOyO5W-nCuTtS_bVJihmkxnLj76xvhIz8vS4yYD2nPjT3Hg4G6PMQlNIFvNY5MtYOqaZWpguUXxhxBXeRvS

A regular two jaw puller won't cut it
 
My advice is to be patient. If your puller looks like the one pictured above, put it on and tighten it down. Then, whack the tightening bolt a few times with a hammer and walk away for a while. Come back and spray with more PB, tighten another turn or two, whack with hammer a few times and walk away. It'll come loose.....

I will say that it helps to use the PB Blaster for about a week before you actually do the job......spray and then whack the pitman nut with the hammer.....lather, rinse, repeat as needed :)
 
Broke one that looked like that.:D

Heated up one pitman arm till it was cherry red... Still wouldn't come off. Even when cut in 2 or three places 3/4 of the way through with the oxyacetylene torch, it still wouldn't budge.

Not to try to scare you, but they can be a real bugger.

Soak, bang, repeat, and be patient.

Snap on makes a good puller also..:D
 
I soaked my in ed's red (acetone, ATF, & kerosene?) for a few days, put the pitman arm puller & It came off pretty easily... Must've been beginner's luck! ty :beer:
 
Well, here is strike 1, and strike 2

My plan was to remove the pitman arm while the steering box was still bolted to the frame, since I do not have a decent bench vise. Obviuosly I am going to have to try something different, and get the steering box on my bench for some PB soaking. Plus I am worried that some of the tension involved with these forces is being transmitted to the drag link, and could possibly bend it.

Looks like I need to chase down the Snap-on truck for the bell shaped puller.

To remove the drag link from the bottom of the pitman arm, do I locate the pitman arm as far to the rear of the drang link as possible? Seems like it should just pop out with little force. Does that seem right?
strike 1.JPG
strike 2.JPG
 
Steve... you can borrow mine if you want. (They are cheap at the parts stores too...)

I pulled a pitman arm today as it happened... I only used hand force on a wrench to turn the puller screw... but I had to heat it with the torch and whack it quite a few times.

Edit: mine is the same as the pitman arm puller that you broke... that is why I usually only use hand force and not an impact. ;)


The removal of the pitman arm from the box does not put any force at all on the draglink.


To remove the drag link, if you have need to... remove the cotter pin and screw the insert out of the end... this will let you shift the ball in the socket and it will slip out with no force.


Mark...
 
Why does it have to be on a bench to soak with PB? I say leave it on the frame....much easier to work with IMHO.

How long have you been soaking with PB? Have you been using your BFH to whack the nut a few times after you each time you squirt it with the PB?
 
I soaked my in ed's red (acetone, ATF, & kerosene?) for a few days, put the pitman arm puller & It came off pretty easily... Must've been beginner's luck! ty :beer:

Nope... "Ed's red" is the real thing. :) It fixes everything (cures baldness too.!)

I have some ubolts drenched in it right now.


Mark...
 
I removed the DS tire to get better angle(s) with the cheater bar, and with less resistance of only 1 tire, the steering was turning when I was reefing on the puller screw. That implied to me that some of the tourque force of the cheater bar has been transmitted to the steering.

I have only been squirting with PB the since this a.m.. One of my thoughts on putting it on the bench, is that it can litterally soak in a pan of Red. (or I can send it out to Mark's !!!!!)
Probably can keep it under tension tonight, and see if it pops loose tomorrow with another bump.
 
How I removed pitman arm

It's been years, but if I recall correctly I removed the steering box, put it in a vise, heated the arm with a torch and used two pickle forks facing each other and hammered away... takes three hands, minimum...:banana::banana:
 
I removed the DS tire to get better angle(s) with the cheater bar, and with less resistance of only 1 tire, the steering was turning when I was reefing on the puller screw. That implied to me that some of the tourque force of the cheater bar has been transmitted to the steering.

I have only been squirting with PB the since this a.m.. One of my thoughts on putting it on the bench, is that it can litterally soak in a pan of Red. (or I can send it out to Mark's !!!!!)
Probably can keep it under tension tonight, and see if it pops loose tomorrow with another bump.

Okay, I see what stress you mean. That is well within what the steering components are designed for. ;)

Not sure if soaking will do anything that spraying has not.


Heat is the sure fire way to get it off... but it taks an oxy/acetelyne torch, not just propane or map gas.

Are you replacing the box or rebuilding it?


Mark...
 
I didn't use heat.
Managed with just a large Sykes Pickavant hydraulic puller and pentrating oil.

:cheers:

Oh .... and patience. (I'm sure I let it soak for at least "overnight" and probably even repeated that too.)
 
Mark,

Contrary to some good advise, I am going to try and rebuild the OEM PS box. Expect the worst inside. OEM rebuild kit seems to only be seals, seems to me there could be other "wear items". Steering has needed a rebuild probably for as long as I have owned the rig. I expect it will be in sorry shape due to years of driving with steering "slop".
 
Just removed a pitman arm from an old scout box, used some of the above tools, soaked in aero kroil for a few hours. Finally came off with a few choice words and a heavy hammer.
 
To remove the drag link from the bottom of the pitman arm, do I locate the pitman arm as far to the rear of the drang link as possible? Seems like it should just pop out with little force. Does that seem right?

No, the draglink won't just pop out. You need to remove the cotter pin, unscrew the end (that's the tricky part), and remove the springs and cups from the inside as you remove it. You'll jack up your ball on the pitman arm, or damage the drag link if you try to force it off.
 

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