checked out the front end today, all joints compress toward eachother, up and down. I did find a little slop in the pitman arm. Should I just go with the stock replacement?

Is it normal for all other joints to compress?

 

I don't know about up and down but if you watch them while someone turns the steering back and forth you will see slop if it's there. and I'm sure I don't have to mention the trackbar joints.

 

Well, they all move. Every joint in the steering linkage moves when I have someone saw the wheel. They move toward one another though, and do not exude a shearing movement, more of a compression movement. The pitman arm does have some shearing play, so it's going to get replaced.

next is the track bar and maybe a ssi.

 

have fun. i just did mine and it really wanted to stay where it was. broke two pitman arm pullers.

 

Trying to tighten up the steering. The only thing that moves under the front end is the pitman arm. Only it moves up and down. The sector shaft may have a very small amount of shear but I took the pitman arm bolt off and the arm came right off the shaft. I mearly had to tug a little w/ my hand. So should I replace the steering box or the pitman arm. The only reason I hesitate to replace the pitman arm is that it is comprimised of nothing more than a chunck of iron. Could the pitman arm really be worn?

 

It took a 20 ton shop press and a oxy/act. torch, getting the pitman female splined part red hot before it came off. It popped so loud my Brothers wife came out running to the garage, because she thought something happened.

 

ok, so mine is much different. It took nothing to get it off and it wobbles. I suppose I will be replacing it then. I just hope it's the arm and not the shaft.

 

They're right - factory installation takes ~10tons to remove once the nut is off - yours prolly wobbled because it was loose - put it back on and give it a hard cinch on the breaker bar - then see if it wobbles

 

yep, that was the first thing I tried. I cannot get it tight enough to keep it from wobbling. I'll be replacing it as soon as I can get the part. Still seems like a very simple hunk of iron to go bad though.

 

Ok, If you reinstall it and torque it down thin take the nut off and it still that loose Ill sell u a pitman arm. It must have been loose wore its self out..... If its still loose once you titen it back down.