dcw7

Hey my friend said I need a new pitman arm for my 1984 pickup with 4wd. I'm having trouble finding one online. This one came up as a match but it doesn't look like the one on my truck. Do you guys have any suggestions?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trail-Gear-P...953905&vxp=mtr

dcw7

Stock height. Tomorrow, I'll measure the length and drop of the pitman that's on there.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Did your friend say why you need a new pitman arm?
Stock height? So you're saying it has no lift but it has been converted to hi-steer? Or is it stock height and still has the original push/pull steering? I'm just trying to figure out what you got going on, lol.

dcw7

I posted some pictures in another thread and a user told me it was stock height. I don't know the difference between hi-steer and push/pull. I'm just getting to know the truck but it's nearly all original.

https://www.yotatech.com/attachments...bed-4wd-02.jpg

dcw7

I told him that the steering didn't feel good while driving. The faster I go, it starts to get very wishy washy. He showed me how there is a lot of play in the steering linkage parts and explained that they are moving on their own, so that the truck will drift without me moving the steering wheel. He told me the pitman arm was the problem.

Just reading up briefly, I think I have push/pull steering.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

^^^This is stock push/pull steering, judging by your pic I believe this is what you still have, you need at least 3" of lift for hi-steer. The reason I'm bringing this all up is because the link you posted is for a TG pitman arm used for hi-steer, I'm pretty sure it won't work with your stock push/pull steering box.


^This is hi-steer (or crossover steering) notice the ifs steering box mounted in a different position, it has a "drop" pitman arm instead of the "flat"pitman arm in your link, (can't tell in the pic, but it has aftermarket steering arms instead of the factory "J" arms), and the drag link and tie rod run parallel to each other and above the leaf springs.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

I'm no expert on stock steering systems, (nor hi-steer for that matter) but I don't think the pitman arm is the problem. I think your buddy was on the right track, you mentioned steering linkage, I think there is an adjustment on your drag link, to take out the slack. (The drag link runs from your pitman arm down to your steering "J" arm.) I'm sure someone else with more experience in this area will chime in, just hate to see buy parts that you don't need!

dcw7

Thanks Rusted, I have the push/pull steering in the first picture. When we had the truck up on his lift, he pointed to the pitman and said that it was the problem. I didn't ask why it was the pitman and not the drag link or something else, I just took his word for it.

FrankTorres

You may have your play in the gear box.
Grab the steering shaft, twist it and see how much free play there is at the pitman arm.
There is a preload adjustment on the sector shaft opposite the pitman that will take out the free play in the box.
Less than 1/8th turn might do it.

dcw7

There is definitely more freeplay in the steering wheel than recommended. I'm going to take another look from underneath again. It's starting to make less sense that replacing the pitman would correct the wandering, since I'm just swapping one piece of metal for another.