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How hard is it to replace pitman arm?

How hard is it to replace pitman arm?

You’ll need a big socket and a puller to get the pittman arm off. Possibly a fork to separate the idler and pittman arms from the centerlink also. It’s not hard to do but keep in mind you should have an alignment to re-center the steering wheel when you’re done.

How to replace your pitman arm or steering arm?

Lower the truck down on the jack stand and remove the wheel. You have to remove the big nut that holds the Pitman arm to the steering box. In this case, it was a 1-5/16 nut that was torqued to 180 ft lbs. I used a 3/4″ drive socket and a big mother breaker bar. I was all ready for a battle, and it turned out that the nut was hardly tight at all.

How do you remove a pitman shaft seal?

Using a ratchet, turn the tool’s center screw until the pitman arm releases. Tip: You can use a mallet to help in the removal of this end of the pitman arm if necessary. Gently tap the arm or tool to pop it loose.

What do Pitman arms and idler arms do?

Idler Arms and Pitman Arms are part of your steering system that links your steering box to the center link, and then on to the hub assemblies. The Pitman Arm, also known as the “steering arm,” is the main player while the idler arm supports the other side and allows the proper movement to take place when you turn the wheel.

How do you remove an arm from a steering shaft?

Use a Pitman arm puller to remove the arm. Take your Pitman arm puller and remove the arm from the steering shaft. It will release from the shaft and drop down some, but the arm is still being held up by the centerlink.

Lower the truck down on the jack stand and remove the wheel. You have to remove the big nut that holds the Pitman arm to the steering box. In this case, it was a 1-5/16 nut that was torqued to 180 ft lbs. I used a 3/4″ drive socket and a big mother breaker bar. I was all ready for a battle, and it turned out that the nut was hardly tight at all.

Do you need to replace Zerk on Pitman arm?

After you get everything back together, make sure to regrease the zerk on the pitman arm. You will also need to realign the truck so its always a good idea to replace all your steering components all at once so you don’t have to keep going back for alignments. Don’t forget to top off your power steering fluid as well.

How do you remove a Pitman from an idler arm?

Use a pickle fork or a puller to separate the Pitman from the centerlink. You should be able to remove the Pitman by pulling down on the centerlink and slipping it out. If you’re doing both the idler arm and the Pitman today, this is where you will appreciate the fact that you have not installed the idler arm yet.

Can a powder coated pitman arm be installed?

If you have a powder-coated arm already installed, and if the arm has been in service, re-check the nut torque with the pitman arm in the straight ahead steering position. 6) Always use the required torque wrench and socket to bring the sector/pitman nut to proper torque.

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Ruth Doyle