Pitman arm stuck on steering shaft

I am having a problem with my W202. It appears the pitman arm on the steering box is too low on the shaft. With the steering centered, the drivers side of the center link is closer to the lower control arm than the passengers side. I have installed Kmac bushings to allow alignment after lowering. At certain adjustments, the center link hits the lower control arm on the drivers side only. The passengers side has plenty of clearance at all possible adjustments. The center link is noticibly closer to the body (higher), on the passenger side. I tried loosening the pinch bolt on the pitman arm, but the arm is rusted to the shaft. What can I do to loosen the arm without damaging the steering box?

This stinks as I tore one of the boots on the new center link.

last one i had that was really stuck, i broke 2 pitman arm pullers trying to remove. with heat.

i wound up with a cutting disc in a 4 inch grinder cutting a slot almost all the way through the pitman arm splined section, heating it, and then using a puller. came off, and i cleaned and greased the splines before installation of the new one.

hope that helps.

every steering box i've ever seen has had tapered splines so that the Pitman arm is held solidly in place with a tight interference fit- you need the proper puller and a ton of patience mixed with brute force to get them off... there is no up or down adjustment on the arm without breaking out the blue flame wrench and bending it, but that's not really something that i will advise you to do..

I'll grab a photo tomorrow.

If the old pickle forks won't work, get a bigger hammer. The last pitman arm I pulled I used a 20 lb sledge to whack it off.

Another route is to put a gear-type puller on the P/A and tighten it down as tight as you can. Then, take a hammer and whack it axially to the pitman arm shaft (up and down). This is similar to how they get old pressed on brake drums off on cars built before The Flood.

Use heat wrench and PBlaster as liberally as you dare. Good luck.

Put the puller on quite tight, then heat the shaft end of the arm. Turn off the torch, hose the joint w/ Aero-Kroil. Tighten the puller, apply heat, then, with a 2-4# hammer, strike the head of the puller bolt - HARD.

This generally cracks it loose. Repeated cycles of heat / tighten / strike may be required.

Loossen the steering box bolts, twist the box so arm end moves up and retighten bolts. Theres always so play just for this.

You have not added the most important ingredient "a furious cussing"!!!

Use heat, PB Blaster, a Pitman arm puller, a big smacking hammer, and angry cussing! and they magically jump off the steering box. ALWAYS works for me.

OK, just to update;

I loosened the mounting bolts. The box would not move in any direction. Suspect corrosion which will need to be dealt with.

No room for a puller without removing the box. And no time to r&r the box at this time.

Loosened the arm, soaked with penetrant, and hammered the poop out of it. Actually moved the arm up about 1\8th inch.

I'm looking for a replacement box from a Chrysler Crossfire. Since i hammered on the arm and shaft, i think i should replace it.

The drag link is now much more than I paid two years ago. Ouch!

Use heat if you have it and the magic formula 50% acetone and 50% ATF. Mix in a glss jar and apply with a glss eye dropper.

pjbgravely wrote: Use heat if you have it and the magic formula 50% acetone and 50% ATF. Mix in a glss jar and apply with a glss eye dropper.

I have both of those. Gonna mix some up.

Install puller, tighten the E36 M3 out of it, and then beat on the side of the arm.

Without room to do the above, I think you're stuck.

DILYSI Dave wrote: Install puller, tighten the E36 M3 out of it, and then beat on the side of the arm. Without room to do the above, I think you're stuck.

If you can dual-wield hammers, bonus points. I like to smack things from two directions at once. Watch your face. I caught an axle flange to the forehead a couple of months ago. Nothing that super glue couldn't stitch up, but still makes for a Bad Night in the Garage.