I'm attempting an installation of a GM (Camero) steering gear in a 48 (Ford) ch***is. Everything would fit fine, except the headers are in the way, and I need to lower the steering gear a couple inches from stock. If I could just reverse the pitman arm, the drag link would connect close to the stock location. Unfortunately, there is a taper in the gear hole of the pitman arm. Does anyone know of a pitman arm with the drag link hole about an inch higher than the gear hole? Could the stock arm be reamed out to fit upside down? What would happen if the drag link connection were a couple inches lower (not parallel with the cross link)? Thanks Abe
Are you doing side steer I ***ume? ..and if yes, which way do you need the arm to be pointing? Down or up? More info so someone can get you going in the right direction.
Thanks FJ, I'm trying to keep the stock drag link cross steer arrangement, so the pitman arm should point up from the steering gear. Stock arrangement is point down. Abe
You could have a machine shop weld up the hole and taper it the other way. Or just heat it red with a torch and bend it.
Yes I was confused without a pic, also...but I think he has a pitman arm that S bends downwards like most cars in the 60s 70s., and he wants an arm that S bends UP higher than the big hole in the splined end of the arm.
speedway has an arm that is straight, it also has a non tapered hole, that a machine shop could taper for you. 7 degree tapered ream. would that work?
I think he means the splined end that attaches to the gearbox is also tapered. At least that's how mine is. I'd look for a different shaped pitman arm from another GM/AMC car.
You are correct, the bend in he arm needs to go up instead of down. I'm not a metallurgist, but isn't it difficult to change a cast or forged piece of metal? I have a torch. Abe
don't forget geometry and the movement involved with correctly being able to steer without any binding. also, don't forget metallurgy when heating , cooling and bending a forged part.
Heat to cherry red and slowly bend to the shape you need. Let the part cool as slow as possible and you should be good to go.
I will point out that most every Pitman Arm altering thread has turned into a bag of **** in no time flat, so be prepared.
Weedetr make a frame mount that allows a GM box to bolt right up and use OEM cross steering. Not sure what pitman arm they use.
Yeah, time to pull up a lawn chair and pop open a cold one.... What we used to do to them on stock cars, cut, weld, bend, graft and I've never seen one break or bend. Gotta have some good fabrication skills though. Bob
That's alot of bending. If it were me, I'd cut it just past the the splined portion, flip it and reweld it. Of course you need to bevel the joint good, and weld it with a stick welder or a big mig. This ain't a job for that little HF, or Lincoln mig. It's forged, and you would do less damage to the metal than two major bends, and then still have to retaper the drag link hole. Let it cool slow, wrap in a welders blanket. If done properly it will be as strong, or stronger than GM made it. Let the **** storm begin.............................
I would heat it up and bend a step out in it so you cam mount the pitman arm inside instead if it were me.
Maybe you need to start over with your headers and steering box location. I have a GM box on a Weedetr mount on my '47. The box is close to stock location and I have an Olds arm (has an eye for the tie rod instead of an integral stud) that drops as you describe. The arm lines up with the eye on the spindle the way it should. If you want the eye on your pitman arm to be higher than the splined end your box must be extremely low. I think putting the steering in the right location is more important than trying to work around an existing set of headers.
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