55.2-59 pitman arm not going on - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**popeyestruck** · 10-19-2022, 04:54 PM

I am installing the 400 series power steering and can't get the pitman arm on all the way. Its got about 1/2 inch more spline before its flush. Its a new arm that came with the kit. Haven't tried heat or an impact driver. Anyone who used this kit have an issue? Its a tapered shaft but it just doesnt seem like its on enough

**mr48chev** · 10-19-2022, 10:57 PM

They don't go "flush" they go on until they wedge on the tapered splines.
you don't want the pitman arm up tight against the housing of the box you want the pitman arm tight on the splines. The end of the splines needs to be recessed back in the pitman arm just a tad so that the nut and washer don't bottom out before the arm is solid tight on the spline.

**popeyestruck** · 10-20-2022, 02:01 AM

I guess I didnt explain it too well. I need to get it on at least enough to start the nut on. With the lockwasher on I dont have enough thread to start the locknut on

57tailgater · 10-20-2022, 11:38 AM

From your picture it looks like it needs to be flipped around but it's hard to tell. Did you contact CPP and ask?

**popeyestruck** · 10-20-2022, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57tailgater

From your picture it looks like it needs to be flipped around but it's hard to tell. Did you contact CPP and ask?

Its has tapered splines . The larger side went on first.

**mr48chev** · 10-20-2022, 02:26 PM

Look inside the arm and look at the shaft, stock arms have wide splines in as many as 4 places but aftermarket arms may not have those wide splines to match the wide spline. Note some factory boxes have the wide spline on the shaft and others have it in the arm depending on the brand.

The other thing that you need to maybe check closer is the spline count in the arm and on the shaft and check very closely to be positive you have the correct arm for that box and not an arm for a smaller box. Go back and check the part number on the arm and research it to make sure that it fits that box. The heavier boxes have larger diameter sector shafts.

**popeyestruck** · 10-20-2022, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Look inside the arm and look at the shaft, stock arms have wide splines in as many as 4 places but aftermarket arms may not have those wide splines to match the wide splines on the shaft on the box.

That could be letting the arm go on maybe 3/8 in an inch or so and stop. You will have to take a Dremel tool or other tool that you can do some delicate cutting with and cut down those wide splines if that is the case.

No neither the arm or shaft have wider splines. I have a call into classic performance. The sector shaft taper is 1.2 to 1.240 inches and the pitman is 1.185 to 1.230 inche .edit/ the small taper on the pitman is bigger than the small end of the shaft

**Hcb3200** · 10-20-2022, 04:09 PM

my cpp kit had the same. I put a flat washer on then the nut. With no lock washer.
tightened it up. Then seated it on the splines. Then removed the nut and flat washer. Put on the lock washer and nut and torqued it to spec.

**popeyestruck** · 10-20-2022, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hcb3200

my cpp kit had the same. I put a flat washer on then the nut. With no lock washer.
tightened it up. Then seated it on the splines. Then removed the nut and flat washer. Put on the lock washer and nut and torqued it to spec.

I talked to the vendor and he said its within spec . I'm going over everything with a jewelers file and then put it in the oven tomorrow . I'll try the flat washer too

**popeyestruck** · 10-20-2022, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hcb3200

my cpp kit had the same. I put a flat washer on then the nut. With no lock washer.
tightened it up. Then seated it on the splines. Then removed the nut and flat washer. Put on the lock washer and nut and torqued it to spec.

Do you have a picture of how far you got it on?

**Hcb3200** · 10-20-2022, 07:08 PM

Daily Driver going on 3 years on the power steering.

**mr48chev** · 10-20-2022, 10:48 PM

I'd like to see at least one full thread exposed out past the nut but that will hold well enough.

**Phungki** · 10-21-2022, 03:25 PM

I used the exact same ps kit. The splined opening is tapered. I did use an oversized socket and a hammer to persuade it to go on far enough for the lock washer and nut to go on.
Posted via Mobile Device

**popeyestruck** · 10-22-2022, 11:28 AM

Got it on.

**mr48chev** · 10-22-2022, 02:01 PM

Good enough.

57tailgater · 10-24-2022, 11:24 AM

One other thought I had was maybe they did not take into account any plating or paint on the components splines to allow it to slide on as far as we think it should.

**mr48chev** · 10-24-2022, 05:24 PM

You wouldn't want plating or paint on the splines either male of female.
I'm thinking that the manufacture is trying to have one pitman arm fit two or more sizes of boxes and splitting the difference. Meaning that a factory arm designed for that box is going to slide on a lot further and have less than an eighth of and inch of recess on the male splines when tight.

dsraven · 10-24-2022, 09:50 PM

looks like it will work. as an afterthought you may wanna spray a little lube around both ends of the shaft. I have had many hours spent trying to get one of those pitman arms off after somebody installed it so tight it becomes nearly impossible toi get off without rtemoving the steering box fort access for pullers etc. now i alweays use antisieze on the shaft and hole in the arm when I install, then torque to spec.

10-19-2022, 04:54 PM	#1
popeyestruck Senior Member Join Date: May 2022 Location: Longwood 59 chevy Posts: 318	pitman arm not going on I am installing the 400 series power steering and can't get the pitman arm on all the way. Its got about 1/2 inch more spline before its flush. Its a new arm that came with the kit. Haven't tried heat or an impact driver. Anyone who used this kit have an issue? Its a tapered shaft but it just doesnt seem like its on enough

10-19-2022, 10:57 PM	#2
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,715	Re: pitman arm not going on They don't go "flush" they go on until they wedge on the tapered splines. you don't want the pitman arm up tight against the housing of the box you want the pitman arm tight on the splines. The end of the splines needs to be recessed back in the pitman arm just a tad so that the nut and washer don't bottom out before the arm is solid tight on the spline. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

10-20-2022, 02:01 AM	#3
popeyestruck Senior Member Join Date: May 2022 Location: Longwood 59 chevy Posts: 318	Re: pitman arm not going on I guess I didnt explain it too well. I need to get it on at least enough to start the nut on. With the lockwasher on I dont have enough thread to start the locknut on Attached Images

10-20-2022, 11:38 AM	#4
57tailgater Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 309	Re: pitman arm not going on From your picture it looks like it needs to be flipped around but it's hard to tell. Did you contact CPP and ask?

10-20-2022, 02:26 PM	#6
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,715	Re: pitman arm not going on Look inside the arm and look at the shaft, stock arms have wide splines in as many as 4 places but aftermarket arms may not have those wide splines to match the wide spline. Note some factory boxes have the wide spline on the shaft and others have it in the arm depending on the brand. The other thing that you need to maybe check closer is the spline count in the arm and on the shaft and check very closely to be positive you have the correct arm for that box and not an arm for a smaller box. Go back and check the part number on the arm and research it to make sure that it fits that box. The heavier boxes have larger diameter sector shafts. Attached Images __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around. Last edited by mr48chev; 10-20-2022 at 02:40 PM.

10-20-2022, 04:09 PM	#8
Hcb3200 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Suwanee GA Posts: 273	Re: pitman arm not going on my cpp kit had the same. I put a flat washer on then the nut. With no lock washer. tightened it up. Then seated it on the splines. Then removed the nut and flat washer. Put on the lock washer and nut and torqued it to spec.

10-20-2022, 07:08 PM	#11
Hcb3200 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Suwanee GA Posts: 273	Re: pitman arm not going on Daily Driver going on 3 years on the power steering. Attached Images

10-20-2022, 10:48 PM	#12
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,715	Re: pitman arm not going on I'd like to see at least one full thread exposed out past the nut but that will hold well enough. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

10-21-2022, 03:25 PM	#13
Phungki Registered User Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Blissfield MI Posts: 252	Re: pitman arm not going on I used the exact same ps kit. The splined opening is tapered. I did use an oversized socket and a hammer to persuade it to go on far enough for the lock washer and nut to go on. Posted via Mobile Device

10-22-2022, 11:28 AM	#14
popeyestruck Senior Member Join Date: May 2022 Location: Longwood 59 chevy Posts: 318	Re: pitman arm not going on Got it on. Attached Images

10-22-2022, 02:01 PM	#15
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,715	Re: pitman arm not going on Good enough. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

10-24-2022, 11:24 AM	#16
57tailgater Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 309	Re: pitman arm not going on One other thought I had was maybe they did not take into account any plating or paint on the components splines to allow it to slide on as far as we think it should.

10-24-2022, 05:24 PM	#17
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,715	Re: pitman arm not going on You wouldn't want plating or paint on the splines either male of female. I'm thinking that the manufacture is trying to have one pitman arm fit two or more sizes of boxes and splitting the difference. Meaning that a factory arm designed for that box is going to slide on a lot further and have less than an eighth of and inch of recess on the male splines when tight. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

10-24-2022, 09:50 PM	#18
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 8,337	Re: pitman arm not going on looks like it will work. as an afterthought you may wanna spray a little lube around both ends of the shaft. I have had many hours spent trying to get one of those pitman arms off after somebody installed it so tight it becomes nearly impossible toi get off without rtemoving the steering box fort access for pullers etc. now i alweays use antisieze on the shaft and hole in the arm when I install, then torque to spec.



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