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Just a picture of the steering bits for my MH. The pitman arm is new, the steering arm had a new ball and stud welded in some time in the past. I know the adage of welding steering parts, but this survived some time as a field sprayer, and ranch work, so im not worried. No wear on replacement. All hardware is original, just refinished, save for stud nuts; the originals were pitted. New nuts were refinished. The ball seats in drag link fit the ***** with no slop, so they were polished.
Thank you! Hadn’t looked at steering arm too closely since I dis-assembled front axle. I knew the pitman arm ball was egg-shaped. Lucked out with the steering arm being in great shape.
Once I saw the shape of the pitman arm, I started looking at new one on line and saw someone on eBay with a new DC piece for a third of the price from DC. Hit the buy it now button quickly.
Last edited by 1952henry; Apr 3, 2026 at 01:19 PM.
Owen, be sure to have a close look at that steering arm ! I thought mine looked good also until I sandblasted it for paint, that's when the cracks revealed themselves, YIKES!!!. Had them welded and also added some gussets to reinforce the weak area, something I would highly recommend.
Thanks for warning. I did blast it, and examine it. I didn’t see any cracks. The actual ball/stud was welded in top and bottom. I trimmed remains of threaded stud off and dressed welds slightly. Gussets aren’t a bad idea. Seems rather spindly.
I bought this from the original owner’s son. I have the original title. It spent its life on the same Badlands ranch. Most likely trips to town on snow covered, muddy, rutted roads, along with trips into pastures, and finally as a field sprayer were its life. Main frame was good, the radiator crossmember had some cracks, as well as a small crack on MH modified transmission crossmember. Hard to believe the puny steering arm survived.
Last edited by 1952henry; Apr 5, 2026 at 12:43 PM.
I will have to look again at steering arm on MH F6 axle I have. I don’t believe that is very sturdy. The bearing caps are a little bigger than the R32s, but the actual housing is the same size afaik.
Thanks for the heads up on your fx’d arm Dave, and for the gusset idea. I’ll have to look more closely at my R32-4 that is done and painted, and at the R3-4 waiting its turn. Like Owen said, each of my trucks has had/still need frame repair from the abuse endured in past life. Stu
Yeah knowing how hard these were driven and abused, after I saw those cracks it seemed that catastrophic failure was eminent and it would have been at the time a guy needed the steering most. Feel like maybe this should be treated as a safty bulletin fir all the MH people.
