I had all this replaced 6 months ago and now I need to remove it to put my TTI headers on. I got the ball joint off with pickle fork but can't get the pitman arm off the drag link. I already destoryed the new rubber boot and it still won't come off. Oh yeah, I think I broke my thumb with the hammer too. Ouch!!! any tricks before I destroy something else?
pitman arm off drag link Help????
- Thread starter Dustedu2
- Start date
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Well, I think, after searching around, the K-D 2289 pitman arm puller may be the trick. Tighten it up really tight and then sneak up on it with a BFH and wack it. I'll try it and let you know how it works.
1wild&crazyguy
Banned
autozone has the remover for like 12-16 dollars.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
By "drag link" I assume you mean the steering linkage. I recall I used a Pitman arm puller like 1wild&crazyguy shows. While not intended for this, it works for many things like ball joints. I have 2 sizes and probably used the smaller one. Harbor Freight sells them for <$10 I recall.
I recall it kept wanting to **** sideways, so probably used a thick cutout washer I keep around to span the jaws. I have other pullers, but the Pitmanns fit in tight spaces, like to remove the lower ball joint from the LCA. I might have switched to a pickle fork and jammed it in then beat it down like a lever. That is usually a last resort since I hate those things. I used polyurethane "tie rod boots" as the seals for the steering idlers.
I recall it kept wanting to **** sideways, so probably used a thick cutout washer I keep around to span the jaws. I have other pullers, but the Pitmanns fit in tight spaces, like to remove the lower ball joint from the LCA. I might have switched to a pickle fork and jammed it in then beat it down like a lever. That is usually a last resort since I hate those things. I used polyurethane "tie rod boots" as the seals for the steering idlers.
66cuda
2011Armada K of C 1st PL
LMAO...NOT being a Ahole....but might be a good idea to study/check things OUT BEFORE breakin out the BFH ( and your thumb)..... being prepared is not just a saying as your thumb will certainly attest to......I have discovered that asking these kinds of questions and accumulating answers before taking action is the absolute best way to approach problems..... all of us have likely done the exact same thing trying to get that impossible part free, then being told there is a tool that does it kinda easily AFTER we have spent hours and digits attempting to beat it off ( no pun intended)
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
When I put TTI's on my Dart Sport, I didn't remove any of the steering links! Starter and oil filter would need to be removed and the engine lifted up and possibly tilted around some. Passenger side should be a piece of cake. Driver side may take some snaking and wiggling.
The higher you can get the car, the better, as long as it's safe & secure. May take some steering movement while installing from the bottom. I have manual steering so I don't know if it will be harder to install with power.
The higher you can get the car, the better, as long as it's safe & secure. May take some steering movement while installing from the bottom. I have manual steering so I don't know if it will be harder to install with power.
aDODGEmann
Active Member
I just use about a 3 foot pry bar. Pry down on the drag link and hit it with a BFH right where the pitman arm go's thru. Might take a few hits but will pop off with out ruining the rubber boot. I remove most all balljoints, tierods like this... Ya must use the above puller to get the pitman off the steering box tho...
Ohio Ironhead
Well-Known Member
I was a front end mechanic for years. I have found one tool that takes off tie-rods, pitman arms, drag links, idler arms, balljoints, lets just say it does it all. Its a CP717 air hammer. If you use it right you will not damage rubber boots like pickle forks and not screw up threads like some pullers do.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
One way to easily and securely lift the engine is to place a 1/2" rod in one of the large holes in the bottom of the block. That avoids messing up the oil pan. On my '65 Dart 273, there is an opening in the K-frame that lines up with the front hole. Don't know about 318's and later models. Of course, unbolt the engine mounts.
damnimcooltom
Too Cool For School
Pickle forks are really hard on joints. I never use them. Two hammers work very well. Hold one hammer against the outside of the tapered part of the "joint" and smack the other side really hard with the other hammer. You don't hit the balljoint part, or the treads or anything, you hit the part that the threaded part of the joint slides through. It's pressed into the tapered hole, and a few good whacks will cause it to fall loose. If you loosened the nut first, of course. I was taught this method by a suspension mechanic that had been doing it for decades before he showed me. I've also seen it demonstrated on websites that sell front end parts. I've used this method on dozens of cars. It works great, as long as you don't use a Harbor Freight hammer. The head will pop off.
RustyDusty
Rabid Cross-eyed Opossum!
Phew. I looked up a CP717 air hammer. That costs some $$$!
I saw that last night also on the net, I am doing it because the instructions said too. TTI seems to know what they are doing. I think my pitman arm is so hard to remove cuz its brand new (6mo on). I wish TTI would recommend the tools to use also in the instructions. It just says "remove this and that" tool suggestions would be nice for "do it yourselfers" Thanks for all the tips Guys. Yeah, the passanger side went in in 5 minutes.
Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
Another little tip is to leave the nut threaded on a couple turns.
This prevents the part from flying off when it comes free.
This prevents the part from flying off when it comes free.
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
I don't have the instructions handy, but I recall they said to disconnect the center link from the pitman and idler arms and tie-rods. Are you sure it said to remove the pitman arm? It seems like you should be able to just "steer" it out of the way during the header installation after the center link is removed.
1wild&crazyguy
Banned
and possible mushrooming of the threads.
Got my Headers on and didn't need to remove the drag link as the TTI instructions said I would. Wish I knew that before I ripped the new dust boot. Oh well, I'll just keep greasing it. Never did get it off.
Yeah, thats what I coudn't get disconnected was the center link from the pitman arm.
71b5duster
Well-Known Member
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
I have the Harbor Freight air hammer, but have never used to remove ball joints. What part do you strike and which hammer head to use? There are pickle fork attachments for air hammers.
damincooltom,
The two-hammer method sounds interesting, but not sure I understand. Do you use the hammers to force the 2 parts apart, but strike the bodies instead of the stud? I have done similar with one hammer by beating the stud down, usually on tie rod ends. I thread the nut up to beat as well but still manage to mess up the threads sometimes and have to fix w/ a die.
Another way I read it is that the hammers "pinch" the body that encloses the stud. Smashing it together squeezes the stud out, due to the taper. If that works, it is very interesting.
This ball joint stud problem hasn't changed on newer cars. I removed the lower one on my 2002 T&C last week to remove the tranny (what a job!) and resorted to the pickle fork. My 1996 Voyager is better. Instead of a pressed-in tapered stud, the lower ball joint has a short, straight shaft that is pinched by a bolt. Much easier to remove. Chyrsler engineers are back-tracking.
1wild&crazyguy
Banned
on the upper joint...you would want to place the chisel againt the out side [hexed part] of the joint and hit it like you are unscrewing it...cause thats what you're trying to do-unscrew it.
the lower, you go between -spindle/joint knuckle 'at an angle' so you don't hit the pin/stud and chisel on the knuckle itself.
Me?
I have done this 2 ways for last 12 years, and thats to use the remover from autozone that I posted a pic of, on the lower joint. BUT 1ST I use a dead blow hammer with the lower/upper still tied together, you swing it up to the under side of the upper arm.. This way u r using the torsion bar to assist/pull down/away from the arm-always have a block/jack about an inch or 2 under the lower, so that when it snaps down....it doesn't smack the ground,you or anything else.
the lower, you go between -spindle/joint knuckle 'at an angle' so you don't hit the pin/stud and chisel on the knuckle itself.
Me?
I have done this 2 ways for last 12 years, and thats to use the remover from autozone that I posted a pic of, on the lower joint. BUT 1ST I use a dead blow hammer with the lower/upper still tied together, you swing it up to the under side of the upper arm.. This way u r using the torsion bar to assist/pull down/away from the arm-always have a block/jack about an inch or 2 under the lower, so that when it snaps down....it doesn't smack the ground,you or anything else.
damnimcooltom
Too Cool For School
Sorry about that, Bill. I knew I wasn't describing it as well as I should have, but the words weren't coming. It is the second way you've described, where it "pinches" the body that encloses the stud. It shocks the pressed part loose, without damaging parts that may need to be reused, ot messing up the threads and making it so they won't come apart.
Here's an article on this method. It's the only method I've used for over 20 years. Just ignore the Mustang stuff.
http://www.mustangsplus.com/tech/shockandfall/shockfall2.htm
Here's an article on this method. It's the only method I've used for over 20 years. Just ignore the Mustang stuff.
http://www.mustangsplus.com/tech/shockandfall/shockfall2.htm
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