pitman arm removal
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2010
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pitman arm removal
my steering wheel is off center, its in about the ten oclock postion. everything indicates to me that the pitman arm is off of where it should be. dont know how this could have happened and not been corrected by previous owner. my lovely snap on puller just doesnt fit this ford. its angled right into the pumpkin. is there a special puller for this?
i tried a ball joint separator but mine was just a little to small to clear the shaft.
i need to get it aligned anyway so should i just have the shop pull it?
i tried a ball joint separator but mine was just a little to small to clear the shaft.
i need to get it aligned anyway so should i just have the shop pull it?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,346
Likes: 8
From: Baltimore
The pitman armed is keyed so you can't change it's position on the steering
gear. On my 88 the steering wheel is also keyed.
On some of the older trucks you can reposition the steering wheel but that can
cause problems with the cancellation of the turn signals.
To center the steering wheel you adjust the tie rods.
gear. On my 88 the steering wheel is also keyed.
On some of the older trucks you can reposition the steering wheel but that can
cause problems with the cancellation of the turn signals.
To center the steering wheel you adjust the tie rods.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,234
Likes: 2
From: Upstate NY
The pitman armed is keyed so you can't change it's position on the steering
gear. On my 88 the steering wheel is also keyed.
On some of the older trucks you can reposition the steering wheel but that can
cause problems with the cancellation of the turn signals.
To center the steering wheel you adjust the tie rods.
gear. On my 88 the steering wheel is also keyed.
On some of the older trucks you can reposition the steering wheel but that can
cause problems with the cancellation of the turn signals.
To center the steering wheel you adjust the tie rods.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,615
Likes: 0
From: Hagerstown, Md
yes they are keyed and a slight taper so they will only go on one way! but you can adjust it yourself with a pair of channel locks iirc loosen the 2 bolts that hold the adjuster on the steering rod just about 6-8 inches back from the pitman arm and get a nice set of channel locks and rotate the adjuster that you just loosened till the steering wheel lines back up to center or the pitman arm faces forward again tighten the 2 bolts back up and take it for a test drive and if it needs adjusted more than repeat the process
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,319
Likes: 4
From: Elk City, OK
first, its nearly impossible to get that pitman arm off with a fork. its on there pretty hard. you can get a pitman arm puller but you gotta get the large one. and they will center your steering wheel if you ask them to when you have it aligned.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,227
Likes: 149
From: Higginsville, MO
oh lord im having similar issues with my 94.... the PO who was again an idiot.... managed to wear the steering wheel shaft that goes through the firewall so bad the steering wheel would just flop around everywhere.... the steering wheel is on it now is good but off a 96
its not on straight and it bugs me goin straight down the highway the wheel is sideways like i should be making a left turn.... from what im reading there is no easy way to straighten it....
the turn signals don't come on and off right you have to have the wheel turned just right to get them to come on and stay on on their own
its not on straight and it bugs me goin straight down the highway the wheel is sideways like i should be making a left turn.... from what im reading there is no easy way to straighten it....
the turn signals don't come on and off right you have to have the wheel turned just right to get them to come on and stay on on their own
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Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,319
Likes: 4
From: Elk City, OK
you have 2 ways to straighten it. 1 is you can loosen the clamp for the inner and outer tie rods that go from your pitman arm to the connecting rod and either turn it in or out depending on what direction your wheel is turned. you have to make sure if you turn it out that its not too far or you weaken your steering. you can turn it in all the way. that adjusts where your wheel and steering box sit. second is you can just unbolt the steering wheel and turn that straight. some cars (dont remember if these are or not) will only let you put them on 1 way, some let you clock it however you want.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Eaton, CO
This is what I did when I installed a new steering gear:
Point the wheels straight. Now start turning left and count the complete revolutions of your steering wheel. Remember that number. Point the wheels straight. Now start turning right and count the complete revolutions of your steering wheel. They should equal one another.
As far as the steering wheel being "keyed"... that doesn't mean a thing. You can force it onto the shaft. The flat spot is so minute, it's irrelevant when it comes to a press. The previous owner of my truck did that. So I had to force it back to home position when I corrected the steering wheel slant.
Point the wheels straight. Now start turning left and count the complete revolutions of your steering wheel. Remember that number. Point the wheels straight. Now start turning right and count the complete revolutions of your steering wheel. They should equal one another.
As far as the steering wheel being "keyed"... that doesn't mean a thing. You can force it onto the shaft. The flat spot is so minute, it's irrelevant when it comes to a press. The previous owner of my truck did that. So I had to force it back to home position when I corrected the steering wheel slant.
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