I have a link to it in this thread. Post 23.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ml#post7812079

 

After 182,000+ miles I decided to go for the new Red Head gear box and walla done deal. Installed it yesterday and only drove 8 miles on it so far but very pleased. One note I'd make is to make sure you have a beefy puller to get that pitman off the gear box and another person to help. I did it alone and if it weren't for spending better than an hour getting that dude off the job wouldn't have taken the 5 hours it did. I don't get in much of a hurry anyway;-) My 99 was due big time and it was worth it.

 

For less than $35 delivered, I went ahead and ordered a new Moog Pitman arm from RockAuto. I figured that after 159K, the old one had put in a good life.

If my knee cooperates (had it scoped last week), I plan on doing this Saturday or Sunday.

 

The pitman arm is cast iron so I wouldn't expect it to wear much.

 

The arm isn't what wears, the joint that connects it to the drag link is what can wear out.

 

Take some out and put some leak repair in it from the auto parts store.

 

The pitman on my ole girl looked great. I replaced the drag link and tie rods earlier this year so that was all good as well. I just popped and played I've drove around 50 miles on it since and during heavy winds and wowser did it make one heck of a difference.

 

I can see that happening with a large hole 32 spline pittman arm simply bolted to a smaller 26 spline shaft.

Yep, gonna buy in on this next buy in.

 

I like many others I'm getting for installing my new gear box later this week and have a question. Instructions say to put truck up on jack stands and tie of the wheel so it stays straight. My issue is going to be getting the bolts out and the pitman arm off, I fit just fine under my truck and when working from the topside it's much easier for me to reach if it's not on stands, and I have plenty of wheel well clearance to reach the bolts. So is getting it up on stands a requirement because you need to have the weight off steering? If so I may turn the wheel to expose those bolts well and just break them lose, straighten the wheel, tie it off and then put it up on stands, and get my little giant ladder back out for the topside reach. But if it doesn't need to be up I would prefer to leave it on the ground. Anybody see any "stupidity" in that logic?

 

Sammie...I believe you pull the pitman arm off once you take the steering box out of your vehicle.

Lifting it is probably just to get under the trucks...some of these guys aren't the smallest (sorry big guys). I can move around easy under my so lifting it may not be needed.


Tim M

 

The only reason for jacking the truck up so the tires are off the ground is to bleed the power steering system once everything is buttoned back up. Up until this point you don't need to jack the truck up. I actually didn't jack my truck up until I bleed it but for some reason I decided to out this first in my instructions.

EDIT: Like timf150 said you remove the pitman arm once the steering box is out of the truck. I recommend an air impact on the pitman arm puller while hammering on the pitman arm. If it was rusted like mine be prepared for a bit of a fight. It take me a few minutes of hammer and running the impact to get it to pop off.

 

Last I believe he means to tie off the steering wheel because if it gets turned too much to one side when the steering box is off you will mess up your clockspring that is in the steering column under the steering wheel.

Tim M

 

I mean getting the pitman arm off the tie rod end, not even taking it off the gear box, I got a new arm just for that reason. I have a friend that's going to take it to his shop and pull it off the old gear so I can send the core back. If there is "no reason" the weight needs to be off the steering, it's just easier for me on the ground, so hoping that's not a have too.

 

Getting the tie rod arm off the pitman arm is an easy task and from what you have done so far it will be a no brain'r for you.

Do you have a puller or a fork?

Edit.. You don't need it off the ground to pull of the tie rod from the pitman arm.

Tim M

 

I have 2 ramps I run the truck up on which beats jacking it up, You know?; those red ones about 3 feet long, portable.