2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Pitman arm REFUSES to be separated from steering box

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

My dang pitman arm cannot be removed from the steering box! This is on a 2 wheel drive 2001 with 72,000 miles.



I bought a HD pitman arm removal tool from Napa, crawled under truck, removed retaining bolts at both ends of the arm and proceeded to install the removal tool at the steering box end. Tightened up on the center screw and cranked away with the ratchet. No results. Got 2' cheater bar, continued to tighten until I was certain the tool would explode. Still wouldn't budge. Almost ruined extension trying to remove tool due to it jamming.



Removed tool, added antisieze to screw threads and contact point and tried it again. Tightened it to the point I was leveraging myself on a tire and cranking full strenth with the cheater bar. The ends of the tool sliding over the back side of the pitman arm are deflecting considerably. At this point I hit it with the torch. Refused to budge. Next I whaled on it with a hammer. No go!



I soused it with Liquid Wrench and let it sit 24 hours. Today it was still welded on as ever. I removed the tool, tossed it across the shop and reinstalled the bolts #@$%!



If anyone has any ideas I am open to them, otherwise it is off to a HD truck shop to let them have a stab at it.



Nothing sucks more than to have a defective part go bad, spend money for a new one, buy a special tool so I can replace it, then have to farm the work out to someone else



My front end is tight as a drum except the pitman arm, which is badly worn, leaking grease all over the place and pops/snaps constantly.



Vaughn

 

[Mad Bomber]

pit arm

Yes they are a real pain to get off,the way I got mine off was using a air hammer on that tool.

 

[emjay]

Been there, done that. No threaded puller will take one of those off if it doesn't want to come off.

Get a good (Like Ingersoll Rand or Chicago Pneumatic, not one of those chinese ones) air hammer with a pickle fork attachment. You'll be amazed.

 

[Dane]

Vaughn,

Try tightening the pitman puller and then smacking the exposed sides with two hammers from opposite directions. Wear your safety glasses

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Thanks for the suggestions, but wouldn't putting a lot of loading on the steering box shaft do harm to its bearings and shaft? I would think an air hammer would be too hard on it. . . I can't afford steering box repair or replacement right now.



Vaughn

 

[illflem]

Vaughn, if you have an air impact wrench try using it to tighten the puller, sometimes the hammering of it is all it takes. Dane's suggestion is also a good one.

 

[M Barnett]

I third Danes suggestion.

 

[Snow man]

You need the Snap on puller tool,its the best,IMO. Ive never ,ever had one not come off with the snap on tool,run it down with a 1/2 air gun,one solid smack with a hammer,it will come right off.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Well thanks guys, I'll give Dane's suggestion a try. It's kinda tough to get at it on both sides but if I crank the wheel one way or the other I may be able to put the tool on at an angle where I can get to both sides of it.



Hmmmm, does it seem like I was a bit grumpy last night?



Vaughn

 

[Dennis Garrett]

About all you can do with what you have, is set up the puller, screw it up tight like you've done, then smack it a few times on the sides with a hammer. This usually sets up a vibration that will break it loose if it has enough tension on it from the puller.

 

[baby.driver]

I thought Chicago Pneumatic WAS Chinese

 

[emjay]

No, Chicago Pneumatic is not Chinese. Harbor Freight tools sells a brand called Central Pneumatic that is Chinese. Is that what you were thinking of?

 

[CUMAPART]

The best way is to make sure your puller is snugged up nice and tight then take the big ol hammer and lay into it. It should pop off. Repeat if necessary. If it doesnt come off then I wouild go to the air. You just can't be afraid to hit it.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Be SURE to wear a face shield, or at the bery least, some safety glasses. Parts that are stuck together so tight can literally explode when they come off. U-joints are a perfect example. I have seen them turn into shrapnel on our press before. So be careful! It's hard to drive when you're blind...

 

[Extreme1]

Originally posted by Snow man

You need the Snap on puller tool,its the best,IMO.

Ditto!



I tightened my Snap-On puller with a ratchet, whacked it a couple times with a hammer, no go.



Got ticked off and grabbed my 3' breaker bar. I figured "What the heck, the puller is warranteed!"



It popped right off...

 

[JoeyD]

The easiest way is to use a cut of wheel, And cut a grove down to the shaft then try the puller if still a no go use a chissel and split it apart some, it won't take much.

 

[jsimpson]

You think THAT's a problem; wait 'til you try to remove the drag link.

 

[dseabaugh]

If you cannot get to both sides to swing at the pitman arm hold one 2 to 5 lb hammer against one side and hit the other side. This will make the hammer being held bounce and it will strike the back side. works real well. Kind of like the clacking balls youv'e seen on peoples desks. this will cause a momentary stretch or distortion of the metal that sometimes breaks these stuborn buggers apart. Problem with heating is that metal shrinks more when it cools off than it expands when heated so if you do not get it off you only lose temper, heat damage other associated parts (seals) and with each successive reheat and cool make it tighter if you don't manage to loosen it. It is very OFTEN necessary to hit the end of the the bolt you turn on the puller to pop parts off a shaft. You gotta love those big hammers with short handles on jobs like this. One lick with a big hammer will do more than fifty with a little one.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

What jdecampo said is how I've had to get several off. The plus side is you put very little stress on the steering shaft.



Dan

 

[jsimpson]

The hardest part to get off is the steering damper stud. Just weld a large nut snugged up on it and use the air chisel between the nut and the drag link, and the stud will pop right off.