The pitman shaft seal went out on my 96 Dodge 2500 CTD today. Anyone have some good advise on replacing the seal? It has never leaked and just let go all of a sudden. Does anyone know what it would go out all of a sudden? I'll have to wait till Monday to pick one up at NAPA.

Bobg

 

Bob,
Pitman seal replacement can be a crapshoot. Sometimes the new one will last a long time. Its possible that yours might be OK with a replacement seal. The sleeve bearing wears out and allows the pitman shaft to wobble. The seal can't move enough to seal against the wobbly shaft. Sometimes, the shaft has a groove worn in it. I had good luck changing the seal on my old '72 Dodge. My '96 got a new PSC box because the leak just got too bad even with the SolidSteel support and the box was just sloppy.
That's another thing too. The Solid Steel support bracket might help prolong the life of a new seal or new box. Pricewise, its cheaper to try the seal (obviously) at about $35. The SolidSteel bar is about $160. A PSC box is about $300.

 

here is a link to the steering stabilizer that BlueRam is talking about...


http://www.protintnw.com/steeringsuspension.htm