Tips for pulling a pitman arm.

[Feed Bunk]

Well the only thing holding me back from finishing my D60 swap is the F250 pitman arm. Ive soaked it with pb blaster, but cant budge it. I borowed a pitman arm puller but it wont fit between the arm and steering box. Ive tried pickle forks and hammers but cant seem to make much progress. Other than that the swap was really quick. Any tips would be great.

Thanks

 

[redneckaggie]

i know of a few that claim to have used an air chisel but i forsee that reaking havoc on the seals. mine wasnt that hard to get off. i soaked it with penatrant and used a pitman arm puller from auto zone with an impact on the tightener bolt, just put the impact on low speed and the banging action helps to get it off there.

 

[icanfixall]

These are pressed on the taper and thats all that holds them in place other than the nut. Try some heat but don't go above 250 degrees. Then place a sledge hammer on one side of it and hit the other side with a 4 lb single jack (sledge hammer). The shock will get it loose. When done correctly you will feel the shock wave travel thru the arm into the heavier hammer. It will bounce the heavy hammer off the other side.

 

[dukedrummer89]

If your good with a torch you and put a small notch in the side of the pitman arm, then use your puller to pull it off... it will come right off

most people say dont put heat to it becouse it will ruin the seal, but ive never had a problem and ive done this half a dozen times.

you also might be able to use an angle grinder and a cutting wheel, just an idea

 

[david85]

You will regret the results if you try and bang it off. Get a proper puller and use that instead. Much less grief in the long run.

If the box was junk anyway, then I would say have at'er and bang away, but steering parts aren't something that should be serviced with a hammer and torch if you intend to keep the parts IMO.

I used a puller, then had to tap it gently once or twice right on the puller nut to break the fit. Worked everytime.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

If You used a pickle fork and hammer, You've prolly already damaged the steering box.

 

[HammerDown]

The Snap-On Pitman puller I've seen looks like a 1/2 bell...I'll be borrowing it soon as my box is a sloppy mess.

 

[Cat_Rebel]

If You used a pickle fork and hammer, You've prolly already damaged the steering box.

Not always....

We pulled 2 pitman arms off, one on a 95 the other a 05. Hit it with the torch to warm it up then stuck 2 chissels on it one in the front & one in the back & kept banging on em. No damage to the steering box on either one.

 

[Agnem]

It'***** or miss (pardon the pun), and not worth the risk. Just because you do it once and suceed doesn't mean you will get away with doing it again. I heard a story recently about a new tech who came to work at a Ford dealer. They put him in a bay next to a dyed in the wool veteran, who told the new guy "I have no time for you. Stay out of my tools, stay away from my bench, and mind your own business". Well this new tech, saw the old vet pounding away on a pickle fork to take the pitman arm off an F-series truck. The new tech, unable to control himself, grabbed his pitman arm puller out of his own tool box, and attempted to hand it to the old vet. The senior man sneered at the newcommer and proclaimed he had been doing it that way for 32 years, and never had a problem. The green man, disturbed by this went to the parts counter and found out if a steering box was in stock, and what the cost was. He then went to the service manager and gave him the part number and price. The service manager asked what this was, and the new tech replied "it is the partnumber and price of the steering box your buying." To which the manager inquired and the tech explained. Steam was said to have eminated from the veterans ears when his inquiry into the availability of a new steering box was readily proclaimed by the parts counter man, who explained that the new guy had already come over to ascertain that info for him.

 

[david85]

The problem with a pickle fork is where exactly it applies the force. On one side it presses against the pitman arm, but on the other, the force is trying to pull the shaft itself out of the case. This in turn causes the internal bearing to bear all the force of that wedge and thats well beyond what that bearing was meant to support.

An actual puller contains all the force of the pull between the to most durable parts of the steering box, the arm, and the shaft, without spreading force or shock impacts to more delicate internal parts.

I would argue the steering gear is more important even than brakes. Ford boxes are not lightly built junk, but its still not worth the risk considering how cheap a puller is and how much easier they are to use.

 

[Feed Bunk]

Thanks everybody. I didnt like hitting it myself, this morning a buddy of mine lent me a puller he never uses we ground it down to fit between the steer box and pitman arm. Had it off there in a snap. All I got to do is bleed the brakes and Ive got me an F350(kinda).

 

[Devilish]

Congrats on removing it the proper way. You never know all the hidden damage caused by a hammer. I have come to the conclusion that using an impact gun to remove an axle nut on a fwd to change an axle more often than not leads to wheel bearing failure. No need to thank me for my after comment Nuff' said.

 

[Diesel_brad]

If all else fails and you are scraping the old pitman arm, I used an exhaust cut off wheel and deaplly scored the pitman arm on 2 sides. then just tapped it w a small hammer. It fell off, literally

 

[oldmisterbill]

I hate pickle forks-They were designed to remove parts that are to be replaced.I vote for Gary,s method when it comes down to a pickle fork or 2 hammers.No cut seals-no damaged tierod ends.and if done correctly the impact is absorbed by the other hammer. On a pitman arm- puller first then go from there,but never a pickle fork on a steering box.
My 2 bits not really enough to buy a coffee these days-More the equivelint of an ATTABOY