1996 c1500 pitman arm

[HeavyAsAChevy]

I'm replacing the pitman and idler arm on my 199r GMC sierra c1500 4.3, I'm having trouble getting the pitman to separate from the center link. I don't have access to air tools, so I've been smashing it with a hammer and pitman fork with no luck. Does anyone know the size of pitman arm puller that I need? The one I rented from Oreillys was wayyyyyy to small. Also, can I just cut the pitman arm away from the center link? Any thoughts are appreciated. thanks guys!

 

[Erik the Awful]

I hate pickle forks. There's a trick to separating tapered links. Hit both sides with a hammer as hard as you can. If it doesn't come loose, you didn't hit it hard enough. When I was rebuilding my truck's front suspension a couple months ago, I had to take the lower arm and spindle to the vise and hit the knuckle as hard as I could to get it to come loose. Total pain in the butt, but it worked.

I did use the pitman separator on the center link, and I had to buy the O'Reillys tool and grind it until it fit. It worked.

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

I tried hitting it with a hammer, but couldn’t get any momentum for my swing. So I ended up using a sledge hammer with the pickle fork. That did the trick. Decided to replace tie rods while I’m down there.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Apologies, I didn't state that well enough. Hit both sides with hammers at the same time and it will pop loose, but sometimes you really have to smack it. I took mine to the vise so I could get decent swings on it. On the truck I couldn't get enough swing.

Some day I really need to do a video on this to make it simple to understand.

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

Do you have a channel somewhere that I can watch them?

 

[eran tomer]

On k models no tool works but this one, due to limited space.
On c models maybe you can use something else. And the tool near the cat is for removing the pitman from the steering gear.

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

That one by the cat is the one I ordered off of Amazon. Figured it would work on any of our other trucks. For some reason you have to have a lot larger puller for the pitman on these trucks. Oh well‍

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

Got the pitman off, but the new one refuses to go back on. I’ve tried hammering it, packing it back on with the nut and nothing is working.

 

[kennythewelder]

Got the pitman off, but the new one refuses to go back on. I’ve tried hammering it, packing it back on with the nut and nothing is working.

The pitman arm is clocked, and only fits on in one direction for the most part. If the notches are not lined up, it won't go on, but if they are lined up, chances are you have the wrong part. Compare the old pitman arm to the new one to be sure they are the same. Look closely at the inner section that fits over the steering box shaft, and you will see the 4 notches, or different splines that I'm talking about. Also you have to install the pitman arm on the gear box first if I remember rite.

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

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