Author Topic: Having Trouble Pulling A Pitman arm. (Read 3902 times)

crawlerdad · « **on:** Jun 11, 2009, 05:45:34 PM »

I have been trying to pull the stock pitman arm off my Toyota box and have broken two pullers. Anybody have any tricks up there sleeves?

Yes I did take the nut off.

slabcs · « **Reply #1 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 05:48:03 PM »

Hit it with a hammer a couple times when you've got that puller on nice and tight.

Slolyfe · « **Reply #2 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 05:48:13 PM »

http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=50893.0;highlight=pitman+arm

I have the puller at the bottom of the thread. works awesome with a impact gun.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=10317&group_ID=1245&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

jimbo74 · « **Reply #3 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 05:49:33 PM »

heat it up with a torch

spray the splines you can get to with pb blaster

bfh

pickle fork

Rocksurfer · « **Reply #4 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 05:50:49 PM »

I usually drowned it with PB Blaster, let it sit overnight and it has always come right off.

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #5 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 06:06:29 PM »

cut off wheel

yjay · « **Reply #6 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 06:12:25 PM »

I had one I could not get off-broke a puller, heated it, hit it, PB'd it. I ended up cutting a groove in it with a skinny wheel as close to the shaft as I thought was safe, then put a big chisel in the groove and hit it to crack the arm. Works great if you don't need the arm.

crawlerdad · « **Reply #7 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 06:44:06 PM »

I think the cutting wheel will help me get my aggression out on my task that was not supposed to be this hard. Thanks guys!

emsvitil · « **Reply #8 on:** Jun 11, 2009, 06:56:55 PM »

I broke 2 pullers too, then gave up and got my money back on the puller......... (free life-time replacement)........

Inittowinit · « **Reply #9 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 01:22:45 AM »

Quote from: crawlerdad on Jun 11, 2009, 05:45:34 PM

I have been trying to pull the stock pitman arm off my Toyota box and have broken two pullers. Anybody have any tricks up there sleeves? Yes I did take the nut off.

PB Blaster(its what I like) the hell out of it in advance...tighten puller... hit pitman arm down with hammer...tighten...hammer...tighten...hammer...continue until you win
Trick:when puller is fisrt tightened...max it out(or just before you broke it the last time)...then hit arm w/ hammer...next time puller is tightened its only going to turn a small amount (a few degrees) until maxed out again...turns get progressively larger as it goes

zippo · « **Reply #10 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 02:05:41 AM »

Put some heat into it. not to much just enough to make things expand. NOT RED HOT. then pull em.

crawlerdad · « **Reply #11 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 07:21:34 AM »

Has anyone damaged the box with the hammer trick?

fordh8r · « **Reply #12 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 09:17:37 AM »

Quote from: crawlerdad on Jun 12, 2009, 07:21:34 AM

Has anyone damaged the box with the hammer trick?

It works!

Just get that puller as tight as you can, without breaking the puller, and use a small sledge (3lbs or so, The bigger the better and not a weeny ballpeen) and hit the large surface of the arm towards the front of the truck. It should just pop right off. I've had plenty of stuck arms in the past and this works everytime. You may have to repeat the process more than once until it's off. Good luck.

$Beer Chug\'n$

Slolyfe · « **Reply #13 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 01:36:43 PM »

Quote from: crawlerdad on Jun 12, 2009, 07:21:34 AM

Has anyone damaged the box with the hammer trick?

Yes, I screwed around with heat banging and prying, and damaged the seal on the bottom of the box.

toyotanner · « **Reply #14 on:** Jun 12, 2009, 02:05:04 PM »

i had to heat mine up with a torch and i took a pretty decent size hammer and gave it a few whacks and PRESTO it was off

Bazzi · « **Reply #15 on:** Jun 15, 2009, 05:27:36 PM »

I have taken a qouble boxes like this..... remove the box from the truck, remove the 4 bolts on top of the box. examine the shaft, when it is turned right the shaft goes through the box, only the arm is stopping it, put it in a press. and voila no problem. only down side is that you might need to replace the seal

crawlerdad · « **Reply #16 on:** Jun 18, 2009, 07:51:31 PM »

Well after letting it sit for a week I went back to conquer it and I started to cut it off then applied the puller and it came off with little effort. I think after letting it sit the penetrating oil got into it and took the work out of it. Thanks for the help.

fordh8r · « **Reply #17 on:** Jun 18, 2009, 09:03:07 PM »

Nice!

Now, get to work!

crawlerdad · « **Reply #18 on:** Jun 18, 2009, 09:26:17 PM »

I am so close

I hope to get the runner done this weekend. Well done enough to play with.

TacoRunner · « **Reply #19 on:** Jun 18, 2009, 10:39:32 PM »

Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch, Blow Torch,

And then

Slolyfe · « **Reply #20 on:** Jun 21, 2009, 06:03:47 PM »

Just be careful with all the beating and heating. This happened to me on the rubicon this weekend.

potter85 · « **Reply #21 on:** Jun 21, 2009, 06:13:13 PM »

dont make the mistake of heating the shaft.... heat the arm evenly around the shaft put the puller on it till it is about to break then hit the pitman arm with a BFH.... make sure to do this quickly because the cooler the arm gets the more it shrinks back to normal.

that above picture is gnarly i have never seen that happen before wow....