What is the best way to remove a pitman arm on a 52 ford truck. I took the drag link off yeaterday and on the pitman arm the ball has a flat spot on it so I ordered another one yeaterday. Now I have to get the old one off. After I get it off how do I line it up as close to where the old one was so my alinement will still be the same?

 

DIADQ

You'll want to get a pitman arm puller.



How it works is fairly obvious but there are some finer points that aren't. Apply stout pressure with the press screw, but don't overtighten it or you'll damage/bend the tool. Once you have it under pressure, whack the end of the screw smartly with a hammer a couple times followed by whacking the side of the pitman arm in the area of the splines between the fingers of the puller. Tighten the press screw a half turn or so and then whack it in both places again. If you can't get it to move, soak the splines with penetrating oil and let it sit overnight under pressure from the puller and repeat the bash and tighten routine. Some are more stubborn than others, but they will always eventually come off.

It's been a day or two since I had a pitman arm off, but I want to remember that the pitman shaft and arm both have a master spline, so it's only possible to put it back on one way.

 

I don't think the pitman shaft from the steering box it is a tapered press fit, it flat and kind of hangs up on the spline next to the box but once the nut is off a couple of big taps usually is all that is needed? (I think).

 

When hitting the arm with the hammer, it's best if you used two large ones. Hold one hammer firmly against one side of the arm while striking the other side with the second hammer. That forces the striking energy to work better.

 

Go to Autozone - They will rent you one for free - You deposit the purchase price - they give you the rental unit - you return it when done and they refund the money.
Saves fingers, buggered splines and a number of other things.

 

Thanks for the information on pulling the arm off. I will try and go to auto zone and rent the puller that I need. Is there only one way in one position that it will go back on or do I have to mark the old one so the new one will go in the same spline for alinement?

 

..............what he said!

 

I've used a torch to heat the pitman arm, I don't over do it, just enough heat to expand it a bit. Put a wedge between the frame and the arm and it'll pop right off. The heat won't hurt it as long as you don't get it hot enough to start to melt it.

 

The pitman arm on the 52 has four master splines. You only need to have the steering wheel in the middle of its lock to lock turns and line it up with the closest master spline.

 

BOR shows the same puller I have and it works great, but on some trucks that specific puller tabs will not fit behind the pitman arm (for some reason the space between the frame and the arm is narrower) so you may need to use a ball joint tool like this one.http://www.northerntool.com/images/p...9094003_lg.jpg

 

I had no problems removing the pitman arms with that tool from all of the trucks that I've parted out (at least 10 of them), including on an F6.

 

The only reason that I don't own one is that I eather put them away in the Magic Place or some borrows them then moves.