Need help with pitman arm
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 237
Likes: 3
Need help with pitman arm
I replaced the steering gear on my 80. Before, the steering wheel was in the correct position but with a lot of slop side to side. With everything back in place the steering wheel is exactly 1/4 turn off from center. The spline on the steering column side of the gear has a flat machined on it so I don't see how I could of misaligned that. And it looked like the pitman arm would only go on one way. I thought I read somewhere that the pitman arm could go on a quarter of a turn off center. But I can't find that reference. Before I tear into the steering again or try and have the steering wheel centered via the tie rod adjustment, is it possible to get the pitman arm off by about a quarter turn?
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
Yes, the pitman arm/shaft can be installed in one of four rotations. This should be relatively easy to determine once everything else is in place. On the steering box input shaft, the flat should be on TOP (when looking from above) when the gearing is centered. Center your wheel, center this flat and connect the rag joint.
Also - Jim Shea has some excellent papers on this stuff here:
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?cat=5
Jim
Also - Jim Shea has some excellent papers on this stuff here:
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?cat=5
Jim
