Pitman Arm removal

Post by **Jwlman** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:03 pm

Any good tips on this? I just broke the autozone lend-a-tool puller in half trying to get mine off.

Post by **Steinberg** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:06 pm

been there broke that. get another puller, crank it on there so tight that it's just about to break in half again, then beat the shit out of the arm with a big hammer to try and pop it loose.

Post by **yotacowboy** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:37 pm

try this:

soak the pitman arm/steering box shaft in PB blaster for a couple days before you even put the puller on it. one evening, put the puller on it, tighten it down and give the pitman arm a couple whacks with a small hammer (swing perpendicular to the arm, where the steering box shaft goes into the pitman arm). tighten down the puller again and let it sit over night.

next day, give the pitman arm a couple more good whacks, and tighten the puller down a little more.

lather, rinse, repeat... eventually it'll just fall right off.

Post by **jonesy** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:27 pm

i have always had good results with getting the puller on there as tight as you can with a 24" breaker bar, then smacking the shit out of the puller stud (inline with the sector shaft) with a BFH.

tighten puller
beat your shaft
tighten the puller
beat your shaft some more

repeat until it can take no more beating and just pops off into your hand

that process sounds vaugely sexual :hehe:

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:11 pm

Cut the pitman arm off with a bandsaw. Just run the blade parrallel to the splines and just a nats ass away from them. Then take a chisel and knock out the remaining material. Then just tap the thing off with a regular hammer.

Oh, you need to reuse the pitman arm? Sorry. The above method works great though. I got the pitman arm off my rusted ass '86 steering box that way. I doubt it had been off in 20 years.

Good luck.

Post by **Jwlman** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:37 am

Arya Ebrahimi wrote:Cut the pitman arm off with a bandsaw. Just run the blade parrallel to the splines and just a nats ass away from them. Then take a chisel and knock out the remaining material. Then just tap the thing off with a regular hammer.

Oh, you need to reuse the pitman arm? Sorry. The above method works great though. I got the pitman arm off my rusted ass '86 steering box that way. I doubt it had been off in 20 years.

Good luck.

I don't need to reuse it, I have a dropped one going on, I actually already cut as much of a slot as I could with an angle gringer right before I broke the puller, guess I need to make it deeper. Right now it is soaking in pb blaster and I am gonna go get another puller tomorrow

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:04 am

Once I was done, you could actually see 3 of the splines before the arm came off.

I wish I had taken pictures before I reassembled it all.

Post by **Leach** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:30 am

CODY, you finally used sector shaft in relation to the actual part. CONGRATS. And remember, the other things are just steering shafts.

Post by **jonesy** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:37 am

Leach wrote:CODY, you finally used sector shaft in relation to the actual part. CONGRATS. And remember, the other things are just steering shafts.

blah blah blah ... my name is leach, i am awesome, i kill skunks with a bow.

yeah yeah, rub it in

Website · Post by **tsmall07** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:37 am

actually, leach has yet to kill a skunk with a bow.

we just went over this last night at macadoos

Post by **Username** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:50 am

Carquest sells a hefty puller. You won't break it.

Post by **Dred** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:19 pm

Yeah, buy a puller from Snap On or Mac Tools. Then put in on there and use an impact wrench. I've gone through a bunch of cheap ones before I got a good one.

Post by **Jwlman** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:32 pm

I finally got it. Had to gouge out more of the arm with my angle grinder till it finally broke loose.

Post by **Leach** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:30 pm

The arrow was covered in blood and pieces of flesh, skunk didnt make it far into the woods. And my feet were getting wet and cold as I didnt have time to get fully dressed after hearing Miller run back up the stairs and yell skunk.

Post by **Leach** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:30 pm

Congrats on getting the arm off, now finish that shit and get it down here. You have less than a week.

Better be here mofo.

Leach