PItman arm questions

What will happen if you shorten the pitman arm from 6 inchs to 4 inches? Will you have to turn the steering wheel more to make the wheels turn. I have a 32 ford with vega steeing box.

 

Depends on whether you were already turning lock-to-lock. If you were, then the tires are not going to turn as far.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

You will have to turn the steering wheel more turns to make the wheels move the same amount as they did with the 6"arm. The wheels will also turn slower but , they will also turn easier with the shorter arm.

 

With a 4" Pitman on a Vega box you may run out of travel before the wheels get turned as far as they should.

That said, and as you noted the Vega Pitman is 6" eye to eye.
I have an aftermarket Pitman on a 32 that's been bent for clearance and has an eye to eye distance of 5".
The car turns as sharp as it should and the spindles hit the steering stop nuts in either direction.

The Vega box has internal steering stops, but you definitely should not use them due to the potential for damaging the box.

The chrome acorn like nut on the kingpin lock bolt in the pic is the steering stop bolt.

It can be a bit of a juggling act to get it all sorted out, but it's well worth the trouble.