BC847

. . . . . the nut that holds the Pitman arm to the steering gearbox.

With my heap getting faster and faster, the little chicken-poop in the back of my head keeps squealing about loose steering and such.

In going through things up front last year, I found the pitman arm nut loose by a quarter turn. I thought, almost 15 years and almost a quarter million miles . . .. OK. I tightened it up.

Yesterday, with completing a steering stabilizer install, I thought why not check it again? Dag-gum if I didn't find it a quarter turn loose again!

I removed the nut, cleaned all the threads, and this time applied the high-strength Red Lock-Tite and tightened the stinky out of it. The FSM calls for some 180ft/lbs but there's no way to get a socket and torque wrench in between the nut and front leaf spring. I used a big Crescent wrench and a little help from a three foot piece of 2" copper hard-wall tubing.

That ought'a hold it.

Y'all check your mess.

BearKiller

I haven't really looked at one; but, does it not have a castle-nut and cotter-pin ??

BC847

Nope, just a split lock washer.

G1625S

That's what I was thinking.

user name

most pitman arms don't have a castle nut I usually put them on impact tight, I don't like the red locktight you have to heat it to get anything apart I use the blue(med strength) on most stuff.

flashgordon

David, I have a sneaking suspicion that it will come lose again

I'm afraid that your round, tapered hole, is now oval in you pit arm................

Sorry re read your post

I think you may still need a new pitman arm................as the nut may not be becoming lose.but is walking up, and then loosing up. Causing you to tight it up even further.

If it comes loose again, you might want to consider this.

Flash

BC847

I can't help but think that with 15 years of some degree of un-noticed slop could contribute to some wallowing of the shaft or arm as it is a high-stress connection.

Now that I've gone a super-glued it, I don't know that I'll be able to tighten it further.


Oops?

We'll see.

Zarrinvz24

Well its probably for the best that way, getting the pitman arm off after 15 years is a doozy, honestly it was so bad that I just bought a new arm then I upgraded the steering box, all new parts. for me it was 80 bucks from summit vs an afternoon of pain trying to get it off undamaged.

flashgordon

I thing you should center punch the nut and the shaft............If it comes loose again you will know why.

Flash

BearKiller

I am with Flash on this one; I think the tapered hole in the arm is getting egg-shaped, and tightening the nut just takes up the slack.


There is such a thing as a taper-reamer that re-tapers these types of holes.