I have a 95 Blazer and I removed the gear box to replace the pitman arm. I removed the old pitman arm without any problems, but the new one does not seem to to move down the splines to match where the old one was. I cranked the pitman arm with my impact wrench but it just wont move anymore. I smacked the new pitman arm with a hammer, hoping it would slide down the shaft, but unfortunately the gear box cracked. The shaft was clean and the splines matched up correctly, but the nut would not tighten anymore to move the pitman arm down the shaft.l

Can anyone tell me what I did wrong and how I would of gotten the new pitman arm to the same location on the shaft as the old one was? The old pitman arm was flush on the top of the shift and the new one seemed like it had probably about 1/4 to 5/16 of an inch before it would have been flush from the top of the shaft where the bolt tightens down. Any help would be appreciated because I do not want to make the same mistake breaking the new gear box and waist 100 bucks,

Thanks bizzs

 

ive had issues with cheap arms etc. was it a gm replacement or at least a moog etc?

 

If you are convinced that you need to have the pitman arm on the same distance, then please check the splines on the new pitman, for a master spline, sometimes more than one.

 

The replacement part was made by Raybestos and I purchased it from rockauto. What would of happened if I would have left the new pitman arm where it tightened to and installed it back onto the truck?

 

probably nothing

 

I do not know, if it was positioned on the splines correctly and torqued up, it would probably be OK. But I do understand your concern, steering is not something to get wrong.

 

Same issue on a 3500 Crew Cab.


Splines and keyways matched, but wouldn't fit.


Get it really hot, use gloves, and work fast.

 

i thought there was a post about this on this site a few days ago, may have been another one though. but pitman arms never seem to go back to where they were at. over the past few years ive probably, just guessing, done 30 or more and not one has ever gone to where it was supposed too. some get very close others are like a 1/4 inch down.

maybe the companies figure its better to have it to tight then too loose. all those pit man arms are notched so you really cant put them on wrong

 

^ what he said.


If you have access to heat,heat it up,stab it on and hit it with a hammer etc( seat it )

then add the nut and go.

 

Torque the nut to spec, then level the linkage using the adjustment provisions at the idler arm mount. That's what the adjustment is for