2000X Pitman Arm
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Joined: Apr 2004
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2000X Pitman Arm
HAs anyone had a problem with a Pitman Arm. I had to replace my steering box and also the Pump do to mechanical problems. The steering is still some what erractic. I am looking at the Pitman Arm as a possible cause. Any idea what problems a worn or bent pitman arm would cause?
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 331
Likes: 3
From: St. Louis, MO
Hello,
I also had major problems with the factory steering. The pump was spewing fluid badly. Noisy. The gear was loose, had over 4" of play even after replacing both tie rod ends. Tires were new. Around 100, 000 miles i replaced it all.
I had PSC put together a kit for me using a Saginaw 808 from a Hummer with reverse rotation & variable gears 13:1-16:1. Included an aluminum reservoir & a ram assist cylinder. They fabbed me a 1" adapter to bolt it to the frame. Used various parts from Borgeson & Flaming River to put things together.
I had to redo all of the lines with larger, flexible, high pressure hoses. Even all the hydroboost lines. Lots of AN fittings. Had to hack off some of the Ford intermediate shaft, used two rubber isolators to dampen jiggling at the steering wheel.
PSC put me off for months, sent things out in pieces. The first gear had terrible play in it. Don't know why at all. They never sent me all of the pieces i needed so i spent extra money & time running around to every race shop i could find. It was a nightmare.
I've put over 20, 000 miles on the kit. The Pitman arm they sent me was old & worn out. Can't even get the serial numbers off it. Barely fit the tie rod end. Had to stack washers in there to tighten it up. A loose or worn Pitman arm will make a huge difference in steering play. A little there will mean allot at the wheel.
I still have a couple inches of play in the wheel. It is very light & turns much more quickly than stock. Seems like it even has a tighter turning radius. Used to freak out my girlfriend making unbelievable turns. At low rpms like when making a u-turn at a stop light with the brakes applied, the ram doesn't even feel like its there. The wheel gets suddenly heavy, requiring two arms to turn the wheel. Just doesn't spin the pump fast enough.
They quit helping me out some time ago. The first pump died after less than a year. Fortunately i was in the driveway when it went, not driving. Had only manual steering & brakes. Hydroboost can be scary in that you loose both steering & brakes. Sent me a new one that was redesigned & couldn't be used. Had to swap parts off the new one & run the old unit again. Such a hastle. That time i had to pay a shop. I have over a grand into my steering & am still not happy with it. Gets low on oil once in a while & whines. Have to top it off every several hundred miles.
If i had to do it again, i'd go with AGR. You can buy it all with a good warranty from Auto Zone. I would have gone with their stock ram assist setup. The Ford pump is a joke. The gear is loose, always. You're never really going to like it. With a smaller pulley & a better Pitman arm, i tihnk i'll have mine just about perfect.
Part of my play may be in the front springs. No clips up front. Bushings are worn out. Axle wrap in the rear doesn't help but i'm talking about low speed manuevers & just trying to stay in my lane between stop lights. I like how light it usually feels.
Have someone steer the wheel back & forth all the way. Watch underneath for any twisting or play everywhere. Have them straighten the tires so the wheel is centered. Jiggle the wheel back & forth lightly, changing directions once you barely feel the weight starting to make the tires, change directions. This will give you your measurement of how much play you have at the steering wheel. Watch that Pitman arm while the wheel is being jiggled. Normal should be no more than 1.5" of play at the wheel before the tires move.
If you see no movement under the truck but still feel slack at the wheel before the tires turn, the play is somewhere from the steering gear box to the steering wheel. It is possible to tighten the steering gear on the top, but i you're having to that, you're box is on its way out already. These Ford boxes won't take much adjustment. Your steering will also get heavier the tighter you make it. It may get rid of some play, but your box will actually wear out faster. That's what happened to me. No more than 1/4 turn at a time. But mine was in really bad shape.
I also had major problems with the factory steering. The pump was spewing fluid badly. Noisy. The gear was loose, had over 4" of play even after replacing both tie rod ends. Tires were new. Around 100, 000 miles i replaced it all.
I had PSC put together a kit for me using a Saginaw 808 from a Hummer with reverse rotation & variable gears 13:1-16:1. Included an aluminum reservoir & a ram assist cylinder. They fabbed me a 1" adapter to bolt it to the frame. Used various parts from Borgeson & Flaming River to put things together.
I had to redo all of the lines with larger, flexible, high pressure hoses. Even all the hydroboost lines. Lots of AN fittings. Had to hack off some of the Ford intermediate shaft, used two rubber isolators to dampen jiggling at the steering wheel.
PSC put me off for months, sent things out in pieces. The first gear had terrible play in it. Don't know why at all. They never sent me all of the pieces i needed so i spent extra money & time running around to every race shop i could find. It was a nightmare.
I've put over 20, 000 miles on the kit. The Pitman arm they sent me was old & worn out. Can't even get the serial numbers off it. Barely fit the tie rod end. Had to stack washers in there to tighten it up. A loose or worn Pitman arm will make a huge difference in steering play. A little there will mean allot at the wheel.
I still have a couple inches of play in the wheel. It is very light & turns much more quickly than stock. Seems like it even has a tighter turning radius. Used to freak out my girlfriend making unbelievable turns. At low rpms like when making a u-turn at a stop light with the brakes applied, the ram doesn't even feel like its there. The wheel gets suddenly heavy, requiring two arms to turn the wheel. Just doesn't spin the pump fast enough.
They quit helping me out some time ago. The first pump died after less than a year. Fortunately i was in the driveway when it went, not driving. Had only manual steering & brakes. Hydroboost can be scary in that you loose both steering & brakes. Sent me a new one that was redesigned & couldn't be used. Had to swap parts off the new one & run the old unit again. Such a hastle. That time i had to pay a shop. I have over a grand into my steering & am still not happy with it. Gets low on oil once in a while & whines. Have to top it off every several hundred miles.
If i had to do it again, i'd go with AGR. You can buy it all with a good warranty from Auto Zone. I would have gone with their stock ram assist setup. The Ford pump is a joke. The gear is loose, always. You're never really going to like it. With a smaller pulley & a better Pitman arm, i tihnk i'll have mine just about perfect.
Part of my play may be in the front springs. No clips up front. Bushings are worn out. Axle wrap in the rear doesn't help but i'm talking about low speed manuevers & just trying to stay in my lane between stop lights. I like how light it usually feels.
Have someone steer the wheel back & forth all the way. Watch underneath for any twisting or play everywhere. Have them straighten the tires so the wheel is centered. Jiggle the wheel back & forth lightly, changing directions once you barely feel the weight starting to make the tires, change directions. This will give you your measurement of how much play you have at the steering wheel. Watch that Pitman arm while the wheel is being jiggled. Normal should be no more than 1.5" of play at the wheel before the tires move.
If you see no movement under the truck but still feel slack at the wheel before the tires turn, the play is somewhere from the steering gear box to the steering wheel. It is possible to tighten the steering gear on the top, but i you're having to that, you're box is on its way out already. These Ford boxes won't take much adjustment. Your steering will also get heavier the tighter you make it. It may get rid of some play, but your box will actually wear out faster. That's what happened to me. No more than 1/4 turn at a time. But mine was in really bad shape.
