Replacing Stock Pitman Arm Help

[sean9721]

So I went to Meineke today to get an alignment done. They looked at my wheel bearings, tierods, ball joints, and stuff and said that I need a new pitman arm. How hard are they to replace yourself?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

What is apparently wrong with the old pitman arm? I've seen the drag links wear out, but not too often a pitman arm will unless it was run loose on the steering box.

 

[sean9721]

What is apparently wrong with the old pitman arm? I've seen the drag links wear out, but not too often a pitman arm will unless it was run loose on the steering box.

I have slack in my steering. Thats what I told the guy. He said that they would look and see where the slack was at. They told me it was the pitman arm and that I still could get an alignment, but I would have to get the pitman arm replaced do to it will make the tires wear funny.

And the owner seemed to know what he was talking about. He explained to me all the points that could cause slack in the steering.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The steering gear itself can develop some slop or play in it, never seen a worn pitman arm tho. Unless it had come loose and worn the splines out that it.

If you do need to change it, you undo the large nut on the sector shaft (1 5/16" IIRC?) and then use a pitman arm puller to get it off of the splines of the sector shaft, install the new one (it will be keyed, make sure the key ways line up) and torque the nut down. A dab of red thread locker isn't a bad idea either.

 

[sean9721]

When I go tomorrow for the alignment I'll ask if they can check the steering box. I dont know anything about steering components so I'm kind of in the dark.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'd use blue threadlock (just in case you ever want to get that nut off again with a wrench).

I agree though, never seen a pitman arm that needed replacing except in cases of damage from something being left loose. I'd be suspect of the box as well.

 

[sean9721]

The guy told me today that it definitely is the pitman arm that caused my old tires to cup on the inside edge of the tread. He also said that the steering box might also have something to do with the play. I got the alignment today, the camber and toe were fixed, but they couldnt fix the caster. It pulls to the right, but he said that I wont have any tire wear issues.

 

[AllanD]

Go somewhere else, the Pitman arm is a big hunk of forged steel.

It's something that ford referes to as a "Non-wear item"

SOME pitman arms have a ball and socket joint like an uter tie rod joint in them.

The one on a Ranger does not.

The joint is in the drag link that connects to the pitman arm.

Like I said, either they are lying or stupid either way take it somewhere else
and don't repeat with those assholes already told you.

I find that stupidity is often contagious and you don't want
to accidentially infect someone who is going to be working on your truck.

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[Yellowsplash]

Agreed....Obviously the tech drives a chevy, haha. The only way a ford pitman arm can go bad is if the nut wasnt tightened and the play wore the splines down, but is highly unlikely.

 

[hickboy86]

+3

Sounds to me like the guy is slow on business and blowin' smoke out his uknowhat to make a buck.

 

[Gates.Ranger37]

Okay those guys were right.

I took a look at your previous threads, and it looks like you have a 2 inch drop on your truck. This would cause slack in the tie rods, which would require a different pitman arm. I'm not at all sure how you would go about doing that. It would have to be a lift pitman arm rather than a drop pitman arm. I'm no expert on lowered trucks, but those guys are definitely right about slack in your tie rods.

I'm not sure if that's why you have wear on the inside of your tires. The wear is most likely caused by the angle of the i beams. Since you cut your coils it causes your wheels to camber in, which would make your tires wear funny. It has nothing to do with the pitman arm.