Pitman Arm bolt?

[Malicious]

Hi All,

Struggling to get the pitman arm set. I've got maybe .5 of an inch of a gap between the pitman and the steering box, I've attached a pic.

So the question sis two fold. First, is this set enough to use or do I need it to go further up the spline?

Second, assuming it need to go on further (which I expect) how the heck do you do it?? do I need to hammer it on? I'm using a breaker bar and yanking it with alot of force. I just don't want to screw the steering box, how hard is it to install these??

Thanks!

 

[red72]

Looks good in the photo. Tighten to the torque spec. for the vehicle you have. Probably around 150 ft. lbs. DO NOT use a hammer. You will damage the gear. Be sure you have the master spline on the output shaft and the pitman arm lined up.

 

[Malicious]

Are you sure it engages enough? this is a new box so I have the old as a reference and that old box seamed to have the pitman arm covering the entire spline? Which is why I was concerned... That pitman could have been reused a few times on the old box, so the arm opened up and being wound onto the spline further each time, but it just had me worried about using it as is and threading the spine on the arm during use...

If its fine, then great! but I just wanted to triple check!

 

[red72]

If it is lined up and torqued properly, it will be fine.

 

[Malicious]

I'll back off the nut and check the spline from below tonight, if it's confirmed to line up I'll torque her down. Thanks mate!

 

[5.7 hemi]

They are a tapered spline, so the arm will only go so far up.

 

[Meep-Meep]

They are a tapered spline, so the arm will only go so far up.

What he said ^^^^^^

 

[firstgencharger]

I've had the same question for the exact same problem since I rebuilt the front end on my 67 Charger last summer. It's hard to believe that the picture is correct, but referencing my before pictures validated that it is correct.

 

[Yatzee]

If you remove the nut and find the bottom of the arm is flush with the end of the steering box shaft, then it won't go any further no mater how tight the nut is. Is that the original arm because if not, the original may have been thicker and covering more of the splined section of the shaft. If you tighten the nut, the shaft will only go to it's proper seating position and no further. Let the nut set the position as you tighten it - do not use a hammer. If there's a lock washer and you split it open when torquing, remove the nut and use a new lock washer.

 

[Sixpactogo]

It Looks correct to me........You have a full nut with a thread or so left over. Turn the Wheel lock to lock, count the turns and go back half as many turns. It should end up about where it is in your picture. Straight in line with the torsion bar.

 

[Cranky]

If the master spline is not in the correct location, then it won't even go on....unless you're Godzilla. When you back the nut off (if you do) check to see how much spline engagement you have. That is probably the most important question.....do you have enough engagement.