pitman(?) arm

I am having a load of trouble getting the arm attatched to the steering box off. I have tried everything I can think of but it wont budge :rattle:
How do I remove it without breaking it? :smsoap:
Thanks in advance.

They make special, heavy-duty pullers for pitman arms. You should be able to borrow one from Auto Zone or Advance Autoi.

A pickle fork and a BFH...
(thats slang for a Big F*ckin' Hammer, in case you hadnt heard that term)

Or use an impact gun with the pickle fork attachment

If nothing else, heat (like an Oxy Acetelene torch) usually does the trick, when a pitman arm puller will not.

However, as the other guy mentioned, a heavy duty puller should work best... especially if you use it in conjunction with some of the above.

A pickle fork on an output shaft of a steering box isn't the best idea. A puller is a much better idea.

First question, why are you removing the pitman arm?

...as I stated. However, when one method doesnt work, plan B needs to be implemented.

just rented Autozones pitman to pull a 97 TJ and it busted. we just undid the draglink and took the box out with the pitman arm and the short end draglink thingy.

Now we are trying to figure out how to get it off on the bench. I am on here trying to figure what box he should buy. Since he is going to run 33's, we are thinking stock box, as it seems the bigger 3.5 bore will have to much assist and feel wierd going down the highway.

Anyone disagree?

Now, how do we get this crazy pitarm off?

we are trying a torch and RBH (really big hammer)

Jason

I am removing the pitman arm to replace it with a ZJ arm.
The steering box is currently out of the car, on the bench and I still can't pull/push/pry/bash/curse the arm off the box.
I think the reason mine is stuck is because I pulled it off a heep that had a HOT engine fire(entire intake manifold melted down), but the box works fine. My next option is to just cut the thing off, but I'd rather not run the chance of damaging the box, if I don't have to.

I would say just keep trying. Get another dedicated pitman arm puller, soak the shaft with WD40 as much as you can, and keep prying. It will pop loose. One time, I had to stand on the socket wrench to get it to break loose. Maybe get a breaker bar for your socket wrench if you can put the box in a vice.

This has always worked for me: tighten the puller as much as you can, then take a couple good swings at it. Tighten some more, then follow with a couple more good whacks. Repeating that process is slow, but has always worked for me. Good luck.

i'm no expert, but I don't see ANY downsides to running a 3.5" bore box, especially with 33s.

and call that hammer what it is, a BFH. Big Frickin Hammer. feel free to substitute for "frickin" depending on the company.

I went through a puller before I finally got the arm to come off. Really leaned into the breaker bar too, sent me flying across the garage. Word of caution there,when it goes, it goes! Also, I'd wrap a shop towel around the arm/box. Ya never know how those things will fly off and hit a concrete floor and ricochet......HTH

P

this won't help ya if you are keeping your old steering box, but if ya are using it as a core to buy a rebuilt one, then try this as a supper easy way to get the pitman arm off IF THE PITMAN arm puller won't work.

DO NOT FORGET TO MEASURE FROM THREAD TO THREAD on the the outside edges of the two seperate drag links outside of the threaded clamp, so you know where to put if back to when you reassemble with new box. Undo the draglink clamps, twist the tube with pipe wrench, the short end of drag link hooked to the pitman arm will now be loose, pull the box from Jeep. Reassembling this way will insure your "center" is the same, assuming you have the box at its center. Only is nascar is it fun to turn one way.

Take the 4 bolts opposite the pitman arm out, take big nut loose all the way to end of shaft to protect threads. Put box in vice, hit big nut that is on the shaft the the pitman arm is on with a Really Big Hammer. The shaft will get pushed thru the box housing, leaving the pitman arm off the shaft.

Reassemble steering box for core $.

good luck,
Jason

P.S. I do want to make clear that a pitman arm puller will be much easier, this is if that won't work.

I heated up the side opposite the arm and it almost fell off. It just needed a little pull with a cheap puller.