Ordered in a new front end set up - complete tie rod with ends, drag link, and track bar - everything is OEM quality and went together well. Measured the old stuff very carefully and the new stuff went on and goes down the road just right. However, when the job was finished the steering wheel was not centered. No problem I thought, I'll just adjust the sleeve on the drag link as I usually do in such a case. Now I discover that the threaded portions of the link and end joint are too long and meet in the middle about a quarter inch to soon for me to reach dead center on the steering wheel! Can't imagine why this link should be too long - checked the old one and sure enough it's a quarter inch shorter on each side. NOW, I either have to take it off and send it back (a big hassle) ...or take it off and cut each end off a bit and reinstall it. I have never taken a new link off - obviously I can't use a pickle fork on it (like I did to get the old one off) and wonder if I can loosen the nuts on the ball joints whack them with a brass hammer to get them off without damaging the studs or boots? Everything works fine as it is, it just bugs me that I can't center the steering wheel. What would you do?

 

I'd get them to send me the right parts before I'd be cutting/grinding anything. Having a cocked steering wheel drives me nuts.

 

Is the pitman arm in the right slot when i did mine it did the same thing i moved my pitman arm over one click than re ajusted the turn buckel and was good to go. For some reason all of thoes parts that i have ordered were longer than stock

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pitman arm on an 01 for sure you cannot shift it on the splines as it has master splines.

use a hammer(or high quality air hammer) and hit the pitman arm right where the taper of the tie rod end goes in...
it does work best if you can hit it on both sides with two hammers(you need 2 guys swinging at the same time).
also a bar under the drag ling prying up at the same time your hitting will help
just remember you are hitting the pitman arm, light little taps will do nothing, a couple well placed blows will dislodge it easily
DO NOT ever hit the ball stud, even with the nut on it.

twenty plus yrs of twisting wrenches, and can count the number of times I've used a pickle fork on one hand...useless tool if you ask me

 

get a ball joint puller, there cheep and wont damage the joint . also the junk that is shipped in from china is a PITA
take it back or cut it your choice

 

Isiss,

That sounds like the easiest solution and one I hadn't thought of , but won't moving the pitman arm over a click cause you to come up short on your turning radius on one side or the other - or is that not enough adjustment to make much difference?

 

Nick,

Thanks for the input - good to know!

 

Rebal,

You got that right - funny thing is these parts come with Moog part numbers stamped on. The last set of these lasted 120K - if these do as well that's about another ten years for me :^)

 

I didnt notice any difference in turning radius but it straightend out my steering wheel i hated haveing it turned to one side a little bit. Now that is on my 96 so im guessing yours is the same but you might have a master spline i dont know. And i second the ball joint puller i love mine

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