3500 Golf

About 10k ago, I had a new steering box put on my truck and it now has 5" play in the steering wheel again. I've read about the DSS and bought one. The original nut was just about flush with the end of the shaft of the steering box when I went to take it off. Also, I could see a 1/2" to 5/8" section of the spindle between the pitman arm and the steeing box. When I put the DSS on and tightened down the cross brace, part of the new sector nut was sticking out past the brace and the bearing wouldn't seat against the cross brace. Is it possible that the pitman arm isn't on far enough? Is there only one way the pitman arm can go on (meaning, is the shaft splined all the way around or is there a locator area on the shaft? I haven't been able to get the pitman arm off to see. I have a puller on it and soaked it with aerokroil until I get a response hoping it will pop off.

bluechrome

I've always put a little heat to it and then used the puller and it has always worked even on our 3rd gens

Argo

my pitman arm poped right off, no problem with a puller.....

3500 Golf

I am more concerned about how far the pitman arm should be on and how it lines up.
Question 1 - Is there supposed to be only 1 thread showing at the end of the sector shaft past the original nut and should there really be 1/2-5/8" of shaft showing between the pitman arm and the steering box? It seems to me that if the pitman arm is out farther than it should be on the end of the sector shaft that it would be putting more strain on the steering box bearings.
Question 2 - Is there only one way the pitman arm can go on? Or is it possible it can be mounted several degrees off and then won't fully seat? Is there a locator section on the shaft and pitman arm (e.g. is the shaft splined 350 degress and then there is a flat spot the other 10 degrees?

cquestad

I broke and bent my puller, cussed, screamed...and then used a torch to heat things up before I could get either of my two truck OEM pitman arm off...

When they go...it sounds like a shotgun blast.

3500 Golf

Look at the gap between the pitman arm and steering box. I tried putting the DSS on the truck and the DSS nut sticks out past the bracket so far that the bearing is about 1/4" away from the plate. This is how it was before I took the original nut off (notice that there is only a partial thread showing past the nut and I can't get the arm to go up any further. I can make spacers, but this just doesn't seem right. Any thoughts? There are no burrs in the arm or on the shaft. The arm has 4 flat spots in it 90 degrees apart to line up on the sector shaft and they are lined up.

BTW, I rented a pitman arm puller from a local auto parts place and had no problem getting the arm off.
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