I have search hi and low. Got a pitman arm puller but it slides off the pitman arm. Any good ideas cause I got to get this to the shop tomorrow.

 

To take the center link off the pitman arm, remove the nut and hit the pitman arm with a big hammer right at the center link hole. A couple of whacks and the center link should pop right off. You're not going to hurt the pitman arm.

A pitman arm puller is for pulling the pitman arm off the steering box usually when you need to change the seal.

 

hell beating the **** out of it didn't work. Its the only side I need to get off everything else is off.

 

I've never had a problem popping a center link from a pitman arm by hitting on it. Your only other choice is to use a pickle fork.

 

I had to use a pickle fork and had to beat it like a rented mule

 

you could use a tie rod prees, sorta looks like a pitman puller but longer and the arms swivel and has a female pilot to recieve the stud side, BFH works best but you can`t be afraid to swing at it.

 

I u have advanced auto parts in ur area, they have front end rebuild set for loan.

They have couple different type forks and pullers. use some PB blaster too.

hopethis helps

 

Are you trying to get the linkage off the pitman arm? Or the pitman arm off the steering box shaft?

Im assuming you are trying to remove the entire pitman arm off the shaft. Here is what ALWAYS works for me. Jeeps, F-bodys, whatever. I use a little bit of heat on the pitman arm. Its not 100% nec, but it helps. I also spray the crap out of the area with PB Blaster. If you dont already have 5 cans of PB Blaster sitting around on standby...you need some.

Put the pitman arm puller on. If the puller is slipping, you need a different one. Go to autozone or something and rent one that isnt used very much, so the fingers are nice and sharp and tight.

Once you get the puller on, start to tighten it. Make it pretty tight. Get yourself a decent sized hammer, and give the end of the puller a little smack. Dont deform the tool....just give it a strong love tap. Then tighten up on the tool some more and repeat the tapping. The tapping breaks the corrosion that is holding that sucker on. Sort of like a manual impact tool.

Im sure I dont have to tell you to make sure you are wearing eye/face protection and probably gloves. Those pitman arms can come off a flying when they decide to let go. Usually with a loud pop when they do.

Good luck!

J.

 

Like was already said, the puller is to get the pitman arm off the steering box. Get a pickle fork, and a big big big big big hammer. Hit it alot. Eventually it will come off.

 

There is a much better solution to get the center link off of the pitman arm if thats what he's doing.... I wasnt sure what part he was talking about removing... I have no problems tapping the side of the pitman arm...but I dont like the idea of wailing away on the end of the pitman arm. Plus, pickle forks are over rated in my book. Lots of violent action to use them, and they usually ruin the grease boots. The only times Ive used them is for applications in which they werent intended to be used. haha.

The puller that he bought is most likely a "pitman arm puller". And everyone here is correct...thats to pull the pitman arm off the box. HOWEVER...as greezemonkey mentioned, there is another puller for the job. Its called a "tie rod end puller". It looks EXACTLY like the pitman arm puller, but its smaller. Its designed to...you guessed it...pull tie rod ends and related, smaller components. THAT WILL WORK for the center link to the pitman arm.

Here...

Pitman Arm Puller. Autozone# 27016


The one you want if you are removing the center link...
Tie Rod End Puller. Autozone# 27022


Ive yet to have either of these pullers fail to remove what they were designed to do. Plus, like I said above, if you are re-using the rod ends, the boots wont get all chewed up. And trust me...Ive pulled a lot of steering parts between my two thirdgens and my and my buddies jeeps.

Again..good luck!

J.

 

ghettocruiser
greezemonkey

 

Ooops...forgot I read that. But...no offense man...I had no clue what you were describing. You called it a press and said it was longer and has swivels and some sort of female pilot to recieve a stud? Maybe a picture would be good...because I personally cant picture what tool that could be.

The picture that I posted of the tie rod puller is what I would consider the most conventional type...as well as the easiest to use. Its not longer really...its basically a smaller, skinnier version of the pitman puller.

Did you mean one of these maybe? The thing on the right?



or



I dont know that autozone rents any of the other styles. I was a manager there for 3 years and dont remember seeing them. Thats why I suggested the simple design and I know that one works. But...since Ive never used the other kind, Im sort of bias.

J.

 

If you haven't tried a pickle fork, give that a shot. It's always worked for me. Wail on that sucker with a sledge hammer.

 

Just wanted to let you guys know did it got it done. Took it for alignment and found I put the draglink in backwards. Now tomorrow doing the struts and need to know how to get the top nut off. The little post is fed up.

 

Draglink? There's no draglink on a third gen. Do you mean the centerlink?

I have my centerlink in backwards on purpose. Flipping it over drops it down a bit and allowed me to lower the engine a little more. I still need to drop the centerlink to pull the oil pan off. A BBC sits over the centerlink.

I wouldn't recommend flipping the centerlink over on a street car. Just flipping it over will changing the toe alignment and having it flipped over will change the bump steer geometry.

 

Got it in there the way it suppost to be. Today changed the rear shocks 40 min and done. Now I cant get the top nut off the front struts. I have tried everything, tomorrow I will use a cut off wheel.