Steering Arm Removal - Help Needed

[Henry Boler]

Hi All,

 

I've got to the stage where I need to remove the steering system from the chassis of my 1930 UF-10 truck. I have tried and cannot make the arm budge. I put a hub puller on the arm and didn't get anywhere. Do I need to try harder or use some heat, or am I missing something? I don't want to do any damage to the part. Photos attached. My attempts so far will come out in episode 6 by the way. 1930 Dodge Brothers UF-10 Restoration.

 

Thanks in advance,

Henry

[Alan Cutler]

Should just pop off, after you remove the big nut, rather than using a pulley puller, try a ball joint wedge....tap it in opposite sides all the way around the spline.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Tie-Rod-Ball-Joint-Pitman-Arm-Tool-Kit-Joint-Remover-Separator-Pickle-Fork-/253076013947

 

(Love the video's BTW.)

Edited July 11, 2019 by Surf City '38 (see edit history)

[keiser31]

Get a pickle fork....https://www.zoro.com/performance-tool-ball-joint-tool-w1206p/i/G5707880/feature-product?gclid=CjwKCAjwvJvpBRAtEiwAjLuRPfP_20TqjhHgO2Oz0GHsiTWKvedRklzMHzTWPHCzqMs9zr8YgQ9_xBoCiKkQAvD_BwE

[ArticiferTom]

Lube back side splines and tap back on .Look for burrs .  Then pull again . If you heat do not use to much to cause color .

   As a FYI . Remove your electric switch ( CLUM ) on bottom of steering by loosening nut on shaft bottom . Then guard with your live . Replacements do not exist and few come up for sale . The wire at bottom go up to horn button and are usually bad . Test it should ground out ,  on button push . Bad one ,trip fuses or blow horn when turning . Keep up good work .

          Tom

[Spinneyhill]

1 hour ago, ArticiferTom said:

. Remove your electric switch ( CLUM ) on bottom of steering by loosening nut on shaft bottom . Then guard with your live . Replacements do not exist and few come up for sale . The wire at bottom go up to horn button and are usually bad . Test it should ground out ,  on button push . Bad one ,trip fuses or blow horn when turning . Keep up good work .

          Tom

Yes! there is one just listed on eBay for a mere 450USD!

 

Yes, do check for burrs and damaged splines (previous @@#%s with a big hammer), esp. at the very end of the spline before the thread - maybe it has been damaged by exuberant tightening of the nut. It should come straight off.

 

Yes, I am enjoying the videos. Oh to be young again!

[c49er]

Use the correct heavy duty Pitman arm puller tool...it will pull it right off.

I do several of them every year.

You can rent one if necessary. The one shown below is a cheap Chinese one... See the jaws bending... Chinese crap.  Use a good one.

Edited July 12, 2019 by c49er (see edit history)

[Stude17]

11 hours ago, Spinneyhill said:

Yes! there is one just listed on eBay for a mere 450USD!

 

Yes, do check for burrs and damaged splines (previous @@#%s with a big hammer), esp. at the very end of the spline before the thread - maybe it has been damaged by exuberant tightening of the nut. It should come straight off.

 

Yes, I am enjoying the videos. Oh to be young again!

 

I doubt that there would be any splines protruding past the end of the pitman arm boss to be damaged.  The ones I have dealt with all stop before the face of the boss so that it does not interfere with the shaft nut when it is tightened.  As for a hammer I would get a 2lb ball pein hammer and a heavy dolly and give that pitman arm one or two whacks diagonally.  If it does not then come off easily a two or three leg puller will do it. Hammers are made for a purpose. I would not heat it.

[Henry Boler]

Thanks all for the replies, really appreciate it!

 

I think I have enough information to have a go again. Regarding the light switch, it is off and in a safe box in a far corner of the tent well away from harm, so don’t worry about that one!

 

I have a friend with a much better stronger puller that I’ll try. I’ll put some releasing oil on it to soak in now too. Will let you know how I get on before you have to wait for the video!

 

Henry

[c49er]

Be careful pounding on  a Pitman arm hanging off a steering box sector shaft.... you can damage the box bearings or gears.

Also using a pickle fork can damage the gear box case.

A smooth pull is the way to go.

JMO.

[Stude17]

34 minutes ago, c49er said:

Be careful pounding on  a Pitman arm hanging off a steering box sector shaft.... you can damage the box bearings or gears.

Also using a pickle fork can damage the gear box case.

A smooth pull is the way to go.

JMO.

Read what I said.  There is a big difference between "Pounding" on a pitman arm and giving it a couple of "whacks" (hits )with a hammer against a heavy dolly.   Entirely up to the OP how he does it but as with all things knowing what you are doing is the key and often this only comes from experience. For what it is worth I would not do it with the box bolted to the chassis rail.   Personally I would not use a pickle fork either but as there appears to be plenty of room a shell clamp could be the way to go. 

[c49er]

9 minutes ago, Stude17 said:

Read what I said.  There is a big difference between "Pounding" on a pitman arm and giving it a couple of "whacks" (hits )with a hammer against a heavy dolly.   Entirely up to the OP how he does it but as with all things knowing what you are doing is the key and often this only comes from experience. For what it is worth I would not do it with the box bolted to the chassis rail.   Personally I would not use a pickle fork either but as there appears to be plenty of room a shell clamp could be the way to go. 

Wasn't picking on you or anyone else just stating that hammering on steering gears is not a good thing. The service manuals, All Data will state this.

I've had to do jobs on cars and trucks people have damaged things because they don't know to to do the repairs right or use the wrong tools.

Good tooling makes the jobs quick and easy but good tools cost money.

Good tools can be rented when in need to do the job right.

Edited July 13, 2019 by c49er (see edit history)

[Stude17]

1 hour ago, c49er said:

Wasn't picking on you or anyone else just stating that hammering on steering gears is not a good thing. The service manuals, All Data will state this.

I've had to do jobs on cars and trucks people have damaged things because they don't know to to do the repairs right or use the wrong tools.

Good tooling makes the jobs quick and easy but good tools cost money.

Good tools can be rented when in need to do the job right.

 

So your the Mr Fixit that fixes other peoples mistakes eh.    For your information I have the right tools and know how to use them so I don't need you to tell me or  reference to a service manual to remove the pitman arm in question without damaging anything.  Clearly you do not understand the rationale behind my  input so I will have no further input into this matter.  I wish the OP all the very best in his endeavours to restore this vehicle and quite frankly I am impressed with how he is tackling it.  By the time he finishes it his knowledge and ability to do things like this will be greatly enhanced.

[c49er]

Jesus buddy back off....I'm not trying to start a fight. I'm not trying to tell you anything.

If I was close I'd help him fix his issue and all for free.

I do that a lot for local fellow car hobbiests...I'm retired and have the time and good will...

Ihope you will some day too... God bless you says Tammy Baker.

[30DodgePanel]

14 hours ago, Stude17 said:

Read what I said.  There is a big difference between "Pounding" on a pitman arm and giving it a couple of "whacks" (hits )with a hammer against a heavy dolly.   Entirely up to the OP how he does it but as with all things knowing what you are doing is the key and often this only comes from experience. For what it is worth I would not do it with the box bolted to the chassis rail.   Personally I would not use a pickle fork either but as there appears to be plenty of room a shell clamp could be the way to go. 

 

Hey Stude17, I don't think he was directing anything towards you friend. After reading both of your posts it's obvious to me you both simply want to help. Kudos to both of you for your advice, I know Henry is thankful as those pitman arms can be a challenge at times. 

 

Henry, please keep us posted on your success once you get it freed up. 
Doing an awesome job ! 

[Spinneyhill]

I have used the method proposed by @Stude17. If you use a 2 lb hammer, use another of similar weight on the opposite side as a reaction. The reaction block is important. As @c49er says, don't hit it without a reaction block opposite! Do it on a couple of diagonals, just one whack on each side. This has the effect of flexing the shape of the opening and can break a stuck fitting free. It also works on freeing ball joint tapered bolts from their arm - oftentimes one tap and it falls out.

 

This method can also help on stuck nuts. Tap and react on opposite faces.

Edited July 13, 2019 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[c49er]

Just like using a dolly in body panel work. Feel is the key.

[Stude17]

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 7:02 AM, Spinneyhill said:

I have used the method proposed by @Stude17. If you use a 2 lb hammer, use another of similar weight on the opposite side as a reaction. The reaction block is important. As @c49er says, don't hit it without a reaction block opposite! Do it on a couple of diagonals, just one whack on each side. This has the effect of flexing the shape of the opening and can break a stuck fitting free. It also works on freeing ball joint tapered bolts from their arm - oftentimes one tap and it falls out.

 

This method can also help on stuck nuts. Tap and react on opposite faces.

 

Good  comprehensive summary of the process Spinneyhill.

[Stude17]

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 4:19 AM, 30DodgePanel said:

 

Hey Stude17, I don't think he was directing anything towards you friend. After reading both of your posts it's obvious to me you both simply want to help. Kudos to both of you for your advice, I know Henry is thankful as those pitman arms can be a challenge at times. 

 

Henry, please keep us posted on your success once you get it freed up. 
Doing an awesome job ! 

 

Thank you 30 DodgePanel for taking the time to post this response. Regards.

[knobless]

Wow, wtf happening to this forum, sensitive people all over must be a sign of the times!

Maybe when people ask for help don’t give it let them figure it out, beats getting insulted....

Edited July 15, 2019 by knobless (see edit history)

[Alan Cutler]

4 hours ago, knobless said:

Wow, wtf happening to this forum, sensitive people all over must be a sign of the times!

Maybe when people ask for help don’t give it let them figure it out, beats getting insulted....

 

+1

[Henry Boler]

Wow, it got a little fiery on this thread whilst I was away!

 

Thanks all of you for the massive list of suggestions, it's a huge amount more response than I could have imagined getting!

 

In the end as it was mentioned that it should just pull off, I just went ahead and pulled it. A friend lent me a very nice puller that didn't struggle in the slightest. It went with a bit of a bang but came straight off without doing any damage to anything. I wasn't keen on beating it with a hammer, but if it had to come to that I would have been extremely careful with it. I'm not the type to just destroy something I'm not familiar with unless there's no choice!

 

The chassis is now completely stripped of all parts apart from the 8 connections that hold the wheels on. All of this will be viewable in episode 7 I've also been working on cleaning the chassis and doing a bit of welding on the bad bits.

 

Also, just so you know, episode 6 has just come out. HenRefurb Channel.

 

Thanks again for all the help!

[C Carl]

On 7/16/2019 at 6:28 AM, Henry Boler said:

Wow, it got a little fiery on this thread whilst I was away!

 

 

Yes, certainly unnecessarily so. There really should be no need to be confrontational, mocking, or insulting here. No matter how talented and experienced mechanic the mocker may be. Someone recently insulted Bernie Jacobsen in Australia. Bernie just suffered an expensive, extremely disappointing, (to put it mildly), misadventure which deprived him of his dream of one last European tour in his Lagonda Rapier. Nerves raw from the fiasco of many aggravating months duration, poor Bernie over reacted and deleted his massive multi-year contributions on AACA forums. I am certain, both mocker and mockee being Australians, that the ongoing fires in their fair land contributed to the stressful confrontation. Pity.    -    Carl 

[countrytravler]

49er is just like me. A person with 50 plus years of experience. We all have different ways and procedures. And we don't charge a dime for the time. Unlike Drs and Lawyers.