Things I learned today

[tylervalo]

Since I bought my 85 K10 the steering wheel has been off by what I though was about 90*, and the tie rod ends were messed up (one screwed all the way in, the other all the way out). Today I learned: The pitman arm puller at Pep Boys is too small for our trucks, PB Blaster is the bomb, I need larger wrenches and sockets, pitman arms only go on one way, rag joins only go on one way, luffa's effectively remove grease from skin, what seems like a 90* problem is actually a 180* problem.

I think fixed the steering wheel issue by flipping the joint by the firewall 180*, I believe my truck is 3 1/2 turns lock to lock, until I flipped it the wheel wouldn't line up correctly when the pitman was horizontal to the box. After flipping it the wheel lined up with what I believe is center, with 1 1/4 turns both directions to lock. If I can get the stupid driver side tie rod end off tomorrow I'll know if I got it right.

[mopar346]

MOST pittman arms can go on in 4 positions theorotically, this picture is of an older version but same theory.

There are AT LEAST 2 sizes of pittman arm pullers.

The are tie rod pullers and pickle forks to help remove the tie rod end but I use a 2 lb ball peen on the nuckle 90% of the time BUT YOU GOTTA KNOW WHERE TO HIT IT so you don't damage the threads on the tie rod end.

You really don't need to remove them to adjust them, the inner is left heanded thread and the outer right handed thread or visa versa. If you loose the sleeve clamps and turn the sleeve it moves the toe in and out, I use a small set of channel locks to grip the sleeve in the slot without scarring it.

Make sure you get it aligned when you are done, you can set the toe pretty close with a tape measure but always have it checked with an alignment machine.

[motornut]

lol hmmm another puzzled by the "rag joint"
mine was (sorry is) 180 out told i was the oddball
doorman said no other complaints
when i posted here it was suggested the firewall turn
havn't tried it yet,cause i didn't turn it to begin with....
clearly it's keyed 180 out lol

[y5mgisi]

4x4 pitman arms can only go on one way. They arent keyed like 2wd units are.

Terrible pic, but this is a 4x4 one.



Slightly better pic,



This is a 4x4 sector shaft.

[tylervalo]

Isn't it weird how an 180* flip can solve a 90* problem? At least I hope that solves it, it was annoying cause it rested on the cancelation cam and made left signaling difficult.
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[motornut]

Originally Posted by tylervalo

Isn't it weird how an 180* flip can solve a 90* problem? At least I hope that solves it, it was annoying cause it rested on the cancelation cam and made left signaling difficult.
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ratio i figure,no kidding,i'm almost used to it now lol...

[tylervalo]

The problem in having on the tie rod is the jam nut on the driver side won't budge. Which direction is loose for it?
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[y5mgisi]

Jam nut on the tierod? Do you have a pic of it?

[mopar346]

Anytime I have a concern about right or left handed threads I clean them good and look at them.

Do you have cross over steering linkage? 4WD?

2 wheel is sleeves, 4WD has a drag link/steering link set up with jamb nuts, but it is essentially a sleeve so one end is right handed thread and the other is left handed thread (in most cases anyway).

Hopefully I'm not crossing lines again and confussing the situation. Post a picture of the linkage and then we will know for sure.

[tylervalo]

Yes, it's a 4wd (K10) but not cross over. I got the jam nut loose on the passenger side pretty easy, couldn't get the driver side loose no matter what I did.

[mopar346]

POst a picture, it my be a left handed thread set up.

[tylervalo]

Have to wait til I get off work, or if I run home for lunch.

[tylervalo]

This is the devil I can't remove:

[geunther]

Hope this is not a bone head answer. One end has right hand threads, the other has left. If the one you got loosened was right, treat it as left handed. In the picture above, as near as I can tell by the disappearing left most thread, it appears to be left handed.

[mopar346]

Yep, what he said, it appears left hand to me as well and like he said each end is opposite for adjustment purposes.

[y5mgisi]

Yea that is left hand threaded.

[tylervalo]

The most important lesson I learned....if the steering wheel is crooked, check the easiest thing first before disassembling the whole front end >:-( the f*n drag link needed to be adjusted.
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