What's the trick for getting the steering arm off of the box? Spent pretty much the entire day running back and forth to the parts store, banging, and cussing. I got the nut off eazy-peazy because I have a 1 1/4" socket. But the arm just laughed at the small ("2-Ton") puller I got on the first trip to AutoZone. And the jaws of the large one ("5 Ton") wouldn't fit the relatively small diameter of the arm. Is there an easier way? Or do I just not have the right size puller? Or am I missing something else? Thanks, Y'all. mark.
A few more minutes on the AutoZone website says I need a "Pitman Arm Puller", rather than the generic 3 jaw pullers. Back to the parts store tomorrow - hopefully I'll have time to get back to it this week. Y'all already knew that, didn't ya?
I was going to screw with you and say it was held on with reverse threads but ... Actually I can't remember what I used so I wouldn't be much help anywho. I do know I cross pollinated. The arm of a 52 and the drag link of a 49. (Or something like that...)
Get the Pitman arm puller and put it on the pitman arm and try to remove the arm by tightening the puller. Once the pitman arm puller is really tight and the arm STILL won't come off, give the bolt of the puller a sharp rap on the end with a lump hammer. The arm should pop loose. Andy
Pitman Arm Removal What Andy said : Don't just mindlessly wind the puller up 'till it breaks , put some force on it then WHACK the puller's bold head with a hammer , 32 oz. ballpein not some Chinese thing made of balsa wood . What you're trying to to is : shock loose a tight swadge fit so the harmonics is the thing here , not brute force . Once you've done these a buncha times you get a feeling for how hard to hit it , it's not a tap , not bashing it for all you're worth either . Once it makes a ' click ' , it's loose so pay attention .
The pitman arm puller should do the trick but I have removed dozens, may be hundreds, using two hammers. One big hammer for swinging and then a really big one to hold exactly opposite of where the first hammer is striking. Just did this recently on a 41 Ford 1.5T when our puller wouldn't fit over the pitman arm. The danger here is swing accurately or bugger up the threads on the pitman shaft. There isn't room to have the nut part way on.
Got it! Forget those 3-jaw pullers. This is the one you want, with the crossbolts to keep it from spreading or walking on you. AutoZone "rents" them for a $90 deposit, fully refunded if you bring it back in 90 days. Ten minute job with the right tool. (Of course, my truck has been apart at least once before by the DPO, so your experience may vary after 65 years or so...) Other tools you need -- 26mm socket for the end screw. Yes, it's Metric. Hammer of suitable size. 4 lb was enough for mine, with a good whack but not too crazy. Snug. Bang. A little snugger. Bang. A little snugger. Bang. Once it starts, just roll it off with the endscrew. This truck may take me forever, but it's nice to get little baby steps done. Next is pull the column, then lift the cab off the frame. Cheers.
! Warning ! DO NOT fail to center the steering box before reinstalling the pitman arm ! . They're often several splines off centered from new and even ONE spline off makes a huge difference in how it drives .
Centering The Steering Box Pretty much yes . I use a cheap , free degree wheel I downloaded off some two stroke Moto cycle site and laminated . Harbor Freight etc. all sell cheap plastic ones you'll wonder how you lived without once you get used to using it to check things . Disconnect the steering box and turn it all the way in one direction until it *gently* stops , tape the degree wheel to the steering post or steering wheel and turn it all the way to the other extreme , counting how many degrees total . Do this again from the other extreme again to ensure you didn't make any mistake then divide the total number of degrees turned by half and turn it that (half) number of degrees from one extreme or the other and stop . The box is now centered no matter where the steering wheel is set . Make a careful note / mark on the steering shaft , remove the steering wheel and re install it perfectly aligned , now button up the rest of the front end and set the toe - in , if the steering wheel goes a little off center when the toe is set , loosen the tie rod pinch bolts / jamb nuts and turn each tie rod *exactly* the same amount , each in the opposite direction until the steering wheel is once again centered , lock the adjusters and re check the toe . Obviously this takes more time than effort but once you drive anything that's properly centered you'll notice the vast improvement in road manners as there's a lot of geometry involved so even one spline off makes a big difference . Next question : ? how much toe - in ? this is the fun part , most vehicles use very little , each one will have it's own sweet spot I encourage you to seek out by driving and testing . I like zero to 1/16" toe - in , nothing likes any toe - out but some seem to prefer 1/16" to 1/8" toe - in , I find too much toe causes heavier steering effort , more tire scrub and noise plus the steering doesn't want to unwind as fast / easily when you're coming out of a corner and tramp on the throttle , to me or perhaps it's the way I drive , this is unsafe ~ I want steering to unwind as fast as possible when I accelerate out of a corner , the spokes are often just a blur when I'm roaring 'round a 90? corner in town at speed . I hope this is helpful , if Evan or Russ chime in with other ideas , try theirs first . The main thing to remember is : never , EVER trust the guy who built it when new , to have done it correctly as they were doing it as fast as possible so often you'll find two or three splines off , masked by the steering wheel being installed wrong to hide it .
