Pitman Arm swap
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Pitman Arm swap
any advice or tips to help out with a pitman arm swap
got a drop pitman arm from skyjacker. Loaned out a puller from autozone. However , doesn’t look like I can get a impact gun on the puller with leaf spring installed. Will a wrench with a pipe break it loose ?watched a couple videos where it bent the puller.
got a drop pitman arm from skyjacker. Loaned out a puller from autozone. However , doesn’t look like I can get a impact gun on the puller with leaf spring installed. Will a wrench with a pipe break it loose ?watched a couple videos where it bent the puller.
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
PB blaster...patience, put the puller on, tighten the draw bolt with a wrench or 1/2 drive socket or 3/4 dv if you have it. Tap on the pitman arm. Tighten the bolt, tap tap tap, do you have a tie rod fork/pickle fork? Or 2 big flat tip screwdrivers. Tighten bolt, pry, tap, tighten, pry, tap. It should pop right off.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: San Jose, CA
What he said. Even pretty good quality pullers will break if you try to use it's pressure exclusively to pull a long-installed pitman arm.
Probably only the very best, most expensive pullers won't break under those conditions. But I bet even some of those do!
Those arms are really on there, so the lighter pressure along with the hammer taps is what gets the job done.
Sometimes it takes some really good whacks with a hammer too, but I don't like doing that to a steering box, even if it is strong. If I'm going to really wail on it, I put an equally big hammer on the opposite side of the arm. It's not easy timing your swings just right to make them contact at the same time, but like I said, I really hate hitting a steering box sideways as hard as I can.
But then, that's where the "patience" part of what 77&79 was saying comes in. Smaller pressures, smaller hits, more patience, same result.
Good luck.
Paul
Probably only the very best, most expensive pullers won't break under those conditions. But I bet even some of those do!
Those arms are really on there, so the lighter pressure along with the hammer taps is what gets the job done.
Sometimes it takes some really good whacks with a hammer too, but I don't like doing that to a steering box, even if it is strong. If I'm going to really wail on it, I put an equally big hammer on the opposite side of the arm. It's not easy timing your swings just right to make them contact at the same time, but like I said, I really hate hitting a steering box sideways as hard as I can.
But then, that's where the "patience" part of what 77&79 was saying comes in. Smaller pressures, smaller hits, more patience, same result.
Good luck.
Paul
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