ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: SandRat on November 03, 2003, 01:29:13 AM
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Hi all, new to board and have a problem. I have tried to remove my pitman arm to replace with dropped unit, but cannot get stock arm off! I have used two sizes of pitman pullers and a 5 ton 2/3 arm gear puller with no success(I crank on them until the puller pops off). I have used a little heat, as well as smacking it with a hammer, but it won't move.
Any ideas before I get out the air cut-off tool and cut a notch almost to the splines and finish with a chisel?
TIA
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That's how I did it. Just be extremely careful when you get close to the splines. The heat will cause a stress fracture when the metal gets thin then just use a pickle fork and she'll fall right off. ;D
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I'm guessing this is a Sammi, and did you fully
remove the bolt? even loose the bolt acts like
a safety so the arm can't fall off, like this one
is gonna fall off LOL.
Hey I bet if you went for a drive it would fall off,
Murphy's Law you know.
You might have to get a good quality puller, as they
don't pop off, I had to use one for my brothers truck,
He has a cool 68 International crew cab truck (rare)
we were converting to power steering, as manual with
38" military tires is a pain in the arms.
It took a 3/4" impact and a good puller with a screw down
jaw brace to get that arm off, and when it popped off I thought
we broke something, I mean it went bang like broken parts.
Moral of this story, have a shop pull it for you, won't cost much
but will save you a lot of headache, and perhaps a smashed
finger or two.
Good Luck
Darrin
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Thanks guys! I have a local shop that works on a lot of off road jeeps. I will try him and find out if he has a better/bigger puller before draging out the cut off tool.
And yes, it is a 88.5 Samurai. Just finished installing a s/r kit from Calmini to improve the ride. Don't use it for any rockcrawlin, but play in the desert sand alot as well as using it as a toad behind my motorhome when I hang at the ocean beaches in the summer. it works real well when crossing the soft dunes to get to the beach.
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use a torch to heat the pitman arm, it will fall off when the metal expands, doing my second calmini super 5" lift this weekend, gotta change the pitman to use the kit. better get another tank of gas, ran out last time ;D
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Mine was pretty hard to get off too , but I dont know exactly whick one it the pitman arm? is it the one on the steering box or the one on the right front ? if its the one on the steering box I didnt get mine off either I ended up putting a gear puller in between the engine and the fan shround and got it off on theat side , I think I worked on it a whole day , is this the same one you are haveing trouble with?
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The steering box side is the pitman arm
the other side is the drag link, if I'm not
mistaken.
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If thats the case I didnt get the pittman arm off , I did remove the drag link , and it did take a good while .. I purchased the Z bar eliminator from petroworks... I was very suprized at the ease of the steering , even with the bigger tires .. almost like power steering , but now that I have a rear locker its a little harder , but not as hard as it was stock ..
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well calmini instructions call it the pitman arm, i am confused now lol, drag link sounds right though
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What are you trying to install ?
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Some times when you use heat let it sit for a day it will some times just fall off!
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Now I remember......... I was wrong, and nobody
corrected me. Pitman arm is on the steering box,
Idler arm is the other side, SideKicks have em,
Sammies don't.
Sammies have a drag link (steering box to wheel)
and a cross link or tie rod (wheel to wheel)
What you want to do is replace the old drag link
with a new Z-bar to help steering after a lift.
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he might be putting on a three inch drop pitman arm!
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Yep, that's what he said in the first post,
if that's what a dropped unit is, or did he
just drop the box ??? ::) ;)
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The box stays in factory position on the frame, a 3" drop pitman arm replaces the stock one on the steering box. I'd avoid a z-link...if you have to buy something to correct for the lift, go with a crossover type. I used a Breeze Industries setup, excellent quality and fit I'm really happy w/ it.
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I HAVE DONE TWO THAT BROKE THREE PULLERS; HERE IS WHAT YOU DO.....
I found a 3/4 inch long solid steel shaft about 24" long, open the hood all the way... Set the shaft on the top side of the pitman arm (remove the nut) and hit it straight down the splines with a large 4-8 lb hammer. I Borrowed, rented, and purchesed pitman arm pullers and they just don't fit properly and I broke two of them. The shaft I used was a piece of an anchor bolt for parking light poles, but an old axle or maybe a heavy wall pipe will also work. It took 5-6 good hits and popped it right off.
Good luck!