Secret to pitman arm removal

[BigSur]

I have soaked the pitman arm on my 88' FJ62 for weeks and have blown through two pitman arm pullers and she hasn't budged a bit.

How the heck do you remove this thing ? Whats the secret?

 

[Dynosoar]

Snap On CJ119b puller. And a good solid whack with a 5lb. sledge. They fall right off.

Dyno

 

[Enigma]

How the heck do you remove this thing ? Whats the secret?

https://www.google.com/search?q=big+fxxxing+hammer

 

[Elbert]

sometimes its easy and then you get the stubborn ones that take some force with a BFH. Like noted above sometimes you can put a lot of stress on the arm with the puller and then just hit the side of the arm where its mated to the gear and they will almost fall off... other times its pickle fork and hammer time. I would go with the puller first.

 

[muddogbob]

1) Get the puller snug on the arm
2) Hit down on the arm from above with a piece of pipe & hammer
3) Re-tighten the puller
4) Repeat
5) Profit

 

[lehiguy]

I cut the last one with an angle grinder since I wasn't planning on using it again. It cracked clean through once I was almost down to the sector shaft.

 

[TS888]

If you're pulling the arm to remove the box for a rebuild, then heat is your friend. But heat can kill the shaft seal, so don't heat on a box that is going to be used without a rebuild.

 

[morgan85]

one thing you can do is cut it down to the splines. Then in that cut use a air chisel and break it off if you are not gonna use it again.

 

[DaveWest5150]

puller.. snugged down real tight and just smack it a couple of time it will pop right off...

 

[PPFJ60]

Good puller, PBBlaster, heat, and a BFH.

Soaked it down with PBBlaster, used impact on the puller until it looked like it was going to explode put heat on it then hit it a hammer.

 

[ntsqd]

When you use the BFH on the arm and you're striking it at the splines have a friend hold a bigger BFH hard against the arm on the opposite side. Uses the taper to your advantage.

 

[rustybucket]

When owners of these 60s say they are tough, they are tough. I used my pitman arm puller I have used for 15 years on other vehicles. First time using it, put so much stress turning the bolt, it broke it in half. could not believe it. I may just use a pickle fork next time. My tie rod ends , expecially the one hooked to the steering box is worn.

 

[Parke]

Resurrecting this thread to add my two cents as I just had seriously tough time getting the pitman arm off the gearbox on my BJ42 (presumably same as FJ40).

First try: got free loaner puller from NAPA, thing with two arms and a screw in the middle. I had sprayed PB blaster on it a week before. I tightened the puller and whaled on it for an hour. Heated the arm with a propane torch. More whaling. Nothing. Got the bright idea to heat the screw on the puller, causing it to expand and pull even harder. My idea worked in that the puller pulled harder as the screw expanded, but it didn't get the arm off. Just broke the puller where it grabs onto the arm.

Second try: got another puller from NAPA thinking maybe the metal in the first was defective. Thankfully they didn't charge me for breaking the first. This time I just muscled down on the screw and avoided heat so as not to weaken the puller. I got some really good leverage on that screw and, sure enough, broke the second puller in the exact same way.

Try 2.5: too late to get another puller. Used an oxygen + something torch my buddy had to get the arm glowing a dull red and tried to chisel it off. Still nothing.

Went to sleep annoyed as hell.

Try 3: Next morning, I took the gearbox to a steering shop. They had a bunch of beefy pullers, including the Snap On CJ119b mentioned that the start of the thread. They air gunned that thing on and in like 10 seconds the arm was off. They didn't charge me because I'll be bringing the truck to them for an alignment once this is all done anyway.

Bottom line: Get the gearbox off the truck and take it to a steering shop where they can yank the arm right off in no time. Or if you are bent on doing it yourself, order the Snap On CJ119b.

 

[Seth S]

if there is a enough room then sometimes the two hammer trick works. basically simultaneously hitting at the same time on opposite sides of the arm where it sits on the shaft..helps to break it free.

 

[SteveH]

I'm a cheapskate, so I lean toward Chinese tools (for single/rare usage tools), but never again for suspension work.

I learned the hard way that when you use cheap tools, you are putting all your energy into tool deformation, which leaves little to get the job done. True of pitman arm pullers and pickle forks. After peening down Chinese pickle forks and watching them splay, it took one hit with a OTC pickle fork and joint popped apart. Sounds like this Snap On tool is the same way. (I did, however, snap the jaw off an OTC pitman arm puller on a minitruck pitman arm, which was the worst pitman arm I ever attempted).

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Agreed w/ Seth.... I used a puller and a 2lb sledge at the ball of the pittman. It’s on the backside facing the rear. The vibrations shimmy it down off the splines. Anyone who pulls the whole thing off to separate on a bench gives themselves a much harder job.

 

[Spike Strip]

Just an FYI

The Snap On CJ119b is expensive ('cuz it's a SnapOn, Duh), even $100 used ...

For about $40-50 NEW, the OTC 8150 is the same puller.

Amazon product ASIN B00061SMS0

 

[SuperDuperCruizer]

After you find/use a conical/bell-shaped puller, you never want to use a pickle fork again. No banging and so much less effort involved.

 

[NearJetties]

@OTRAMM did mine with a big conical puller like the OTC 8150, BFH, big impact, and air hammer.

Tighten puller, wap it, tighten puller, wap it, repeat. Didn’t need heat.

 

[kevin in okinawa]

i had one that wouldn't come off for three days! Be sure to anti-seize the shaft before you put a new arm on, lol.