Removing the Pitman Arm

[BLennon]

My question is what else can I do to get the pitman arm to pop off? The nut is off. I have the pitman arm puller hooked up as tight as I can and it isn't budging. I have been going at it with a hammer too. Are there any tricks you guys have learned over the years to get them off? Thanks

 

[IOPort51]

I have been told that the pitman shaft is tapered, this makes sence. The technique I have heard of is to put a sledge hammer on one side and rap sharply on the other side with a hammer you can swing comfortably. This is supposed to squeeze the collier to force it to slide the only direction it can which is off. I would think that having a strain on it with the puller would help. The other possibility is to warm it I don't think tak9ing it to AMC 150 degrees or so would harm anything. Keep away from the seals!!

Now hopefully some one else will jump in and confirm or tell you I am full of it and they have done this 100 times and the technique they use always works.
Let me know how it goes.

 

[mylittlecj5]

IO is on the right track...thats the way I always pull them. 1 large sledgehammer on one side and a smaller one on the other side. Crank the puller down, then rap the small hammer to the upper part of the pitman, while holding the sledge to the other side. A few real good whacks will pop it off.

 

[Old Dog]

The nut is off.

Do what they said but put the nut back ON, a couple turns will do, it will keep everything from falling on the floor.

 

[mylittlecj5]

Do what they said but put the nut back ON, a couple turns will do, it will keep everything from falling on the floor.

Yea that! And it will keep you from boogering up the shaft threads, making reassembly a PITA!

 

[BLennon]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll go back at it later today and let you know how it goes.

 

[BLennon]

So I'm still having problems with this. I put the puller on as tight as possible and have whacked at both sides with a hammer at the same time. I have also pryed at one side with a bar while banging at the other with a hammer.
This sounds stupid, but Where exactly should I be hitting with the hammer. Do you guys just mean as close to the threads that the the pitman arm is stuck to? I'm not really sure what you meant in earlier posts. Thanks

I'm thinking about just trying to disconnect the other end of the pitman arm from the tie rod and take the gear box off with the pitman arm still attached. Would that be ok with a tie rod puller??

 

[mylittlecj5]

You need to be striking the uppermost top part of the pitman arm, where it is attached to the shaft. As near to the box as you can get on the pitman arm. Not the box, not the lower part of the pitman arm, not the steering shaft. On the round part of the arm where it slips over the splines on the steering box shaft.

I'm thinking about just trying to disconnect the other end of the pitman arm from the tie rod and take the gear box off with the pitman arm still attached. Would that be ok with a tie rod puller??

Yea it would work to take the tie rod off at the knuckle, but what are your plans after that? It will be Much harder to get the pitman arm off with the box removed.

Edit: here is bad pic I had. Hit only at the arrow to keep from damaging the box or seals...

 

[IOPort51]

The idea is to squeeze the hole in the arm to make it slide on the tapered shaft.
A friend who has done this several times , claims to have done it with no puller at all, just rap on the sides of the pitman arm and it pops off.

This is like trying to explain what a banana tastes like.

 

[BLennon]

Thanks CJ5 and IO... that's what I needed to know. I'll go back at it tomorrow with some more enthusiam. It's starting to get pretty annoying. My questions were probably pretty obvious but thanks for helping. I'm probably just being too gentle on the old Jeep

 

[Old Dog]

I had to use the blue wrench on mine, just be carefull you don't toast the seal.

 

[DHugg]

I just pulled my pitman off an '80 CJ7 to replace the steering box. Penetrant liberally applied, then heat with a propane torch. As the arm hub cooled, a couple of good whacks with a 4lb hammer got it off quite (unexpected) easily.

 

[BLennon]

I finally ended up getting it off. Heating it up definitely helped a lot. Then I just pounded at it with a hammer while the pitman arm puller was attached and it slipped right off.
I had been working at it for a couple days on and off and nothing was working without the heat.

Next question... I got a replacement steering box for it. Is there anything I have to do to it before I install it other than new o rings?

Thanks a lot for all the help

 

[CJ]

Nope - just use the nut to pull it on. I always anti seize compound when I have metal on metal contact though...

 

[Petescj]

While you have that steering box down and out of the way look for any cracks around the mounting holes on the frame. Take a good look on both sides. I know yours wasnt a wheeled hard , big tired rig but check just in case. Also look for where on that coupler to the box itself. Im thinking you dont wanna go through this again a year from now correct?

I finally ended up getting it off. Heating it up definitely helped a lot. Then I just pounded at it with a hammer while the pitman arm puller was attached and it slipped right off.
I had been working at it for a couple days on and off and nothing was working without the heat.

Next question... I got a replacement steering box for it. Is there anything I have to do to it before I install it other than new o rings?

Thanks a lot for all the help

 

[BLennon]

Also look for where on that coupler to the box itself. Im thinking you dont wanna go through this again a year from now correct?

You're definitely correct! Do you know how to take off that coupler? I've been messing with it but can't figure out how it comes off.

 

[BajaEdition]

Nope - just use the nut to pull it on. I always anti seize compound when I have metal on metal contact though...

CJ, you are destroying all the fun for the next owner.

 

[DHugg]

BLennon, I just pulled the Pitman off a 1980 CJ7 . I overnighted it with penetrant, wrapped in a soaked rag. I heated the collar with a little Bernzomatic until it was 'way too hot for bare fingers, just to where the penetrant started to smoke. I kept a 4lb sledge on one side, and whacked with a 2lb ballpeen until it dropped, during the cool-down cycle.

The puller I used wasn't a gee-whiz tool but a cheapie from Advance Auto.

You can't get a slide- or rolling- part TOO greasy, and a pitman collar fits the slide-part desciption.

Denny in Gulfport