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80x pitman arm fabrication

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:58 am
by rockcrawler31
Hi all

one thing i've noticed about using a 75x steering box with a 80x front axle housing is that the 75 pitman arm is shorter than the 80version. So i've found that the steering at full lock is less than what it used to be. I.E. with the steering box at full lock there is still room at the knuckles/stops to turn further.

1. Is it possible to fabricate a pitman arm with the spline and key spline to fit a 75 power steer box, the same length as an 80 arm? I'm guessin the original is cast steel. Who could do this - anyone in Oz? any overseas suppliers?

2. would it be legal (in queensland - the rest of the conversion has been blue plated)

3. I would probably have to move the steering box forwards about 25 mm for the draglink to clear the rest of the components, Is this as simple as re-drilling the holes and putting crush sleeves in? Again, would this need engineering? There should be enough spline on the slip shaft on the steering shaft to accomodate this.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:35 am
by RUFF
You cant just use an 80 arm? The splines are the same.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:06 am
by rockcrawler31
RUFF wrote:You cant just use an 80 arm? The splines are the same.
Really? i was sure someone said they were different. no matter.

do you know if it's been done? The 80 arm faces forwards, do you know if the key spline would be on the correct side? How would you go about grinding a keyway in the pitman arm on the correct side?

Interesting.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:10 am
by RUFF
rockcrawler31 wrote:
RUFF wrote:You cant just use an 80 arm? The splines are the same.
Really? i was sure someone said they were different. no matter.

do you know if it's been done? The 80 arm faces forwards, do you know if the key spline would be on the correct side? How would you go about grinding a keyway in the pitman arm on the correct side?

Interesting.
Im not sure there is a keyed spline on the 80 pitman. The 80 pitman fits a Hilux box so i dont see any reason it wont fit the 75 box.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:13 am
by rockcrawler31
RUFF wrote:
rockcrawler31 wrote:
RUFF wrote:You cant just use an 80 arm? The splines are the same.
Really? i was sure someone said they were different. no matter.

do you know if it's been done? The 80 arm faces forwards, do you know if the key spline would be on the correct side? How would you go about grinding a keyway in the pitman arm on the correct side?

Interesting.
Im not sure there is a keyed spline on the 80 pitman. The 80 pitman fits a Hilux box so i dont see any reason it wont fit the 75 box.
Awesome, i'll give it a crack. on a similar note, i've tried getting the pitman off before with a tierod joint puller,and all it did was mangle the end of my puller. that bas*ard is on there good and proper. Any suggestions?

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:38 am
by Ice
rockcrawler31 wrote:
RUFF wrote:
rockcrawler31 wrote:
RUFF wrote:You cant just use an 80 arm? The splines are the same.
Really? i was sure someone said they were different. no matter.

do you know if it's been done? The 80 arm faces forwards, do you know if the key spline would be on the correct side? How would you go about grinding a keyway in the pitman arm on the correct side?

Interesting.
Im not sure there is a keyed spline on the 80 pitman. The 80 pitman fits a Hilux box so i dont see any reason it wont fit the 75 box.
Awesome, i'll give it a crack. on a similar note, i've tried getting the pitman off before with a tierod joint puller,and all it did was mangle the end of my puller. that bas*ard is on there good and proper. Any suggestions?
Heat

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:54 am
by rockcrawler31
Ice wrote:
Heat
Noice mate. thanks. ;)

would that render the pitman arm coming off rooted? As in annealed and buggered?

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:17 am
by bru21
support the arm on one side against an anvil or vice so the shaft is under no load. Hit the side of the arm where the spline is. Works well for TRE's.

I have a leaking 80s box with pitman arm. Yours for $100

0402337734

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:21 am
by rockcrawler31
bru21 wrote:support the arm on one side against an anvil or vice so the shaft is under no load. Hit the side of the arm where the spline is. Works well for TRE's.

I have a leaking 80s box with pitman arm. Yours for $100

0402337734
mate, depending on how the brother in law goes at getting prices today i might just take you up on that. Where in Brizzie are you?

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:32 am
by Ice
rockcrawler31 wrote:
Ice wrote:
Heat
Noice mate. thanks. ;)

would that render the pitman arm coming off rooted? As in annealed and buggered?
If your heating it to red hot to remove it you deserve for it to be buggerd

:)

if your concerned on temp get your self some heat crayons

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:40 am
by chunderlicious
what bru said. hit the pitman arm where it is on the spline of the shaft. will take several hits with a big hammer but it will come off.

toyota have them for quite cheap ($120ish from memory brand new)

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:47 am
by Ice
heat was the suggestion as he said he has a tie rod puller

personally i have a 30ton press which makes life easy :)

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:12 pm
by rockcrawler31
Ice wrote:heat was the suggestion as he said he has a tie rod puller

personally i have a 30ton press which makes life easy :)
thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm looking forward to no more 40 point turns :lol:

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:18 pm
by bru21
I'm in Buderim on the sunshine coast.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:47 pm
by 80's_delirious
If you dont want to heat it, you can get a pitman arm puller fairly cheap, like an oversized tierod puller. Put some tension on it with the puller then strike the arm on the side to dislodge it.

80s pitman arm has no keyway, splined only.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:04 pm
by pinkfloyddsotm
be interesting how you go with this

be ware

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:23 pm
by tiny80
beware your shaft is not twisted as this has happed to me.
twists in the shaft brake when a a puller is used or the puller brakes
thats what could of happend so check shaft where seals into power steering box and heat should no be used as it will damage seals in box and pit arm to much to re use for safety sake broken box no steer

Re: be ware

Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:12 pm
by Ice
tiny80 wrote:beware your shaft is not twisted as this has happed to me.
twists in the shaft brake when a a puller is used or the puller brakes
thats what could of happend so check shaft where seals into power steering box and heat should no be used as it will damage seals in box and pit arm to much to re use for safety sake broken box no steer
Mate if your putting that much heat into it to damage the seals, its not a process you should be using....

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:50 am
by rockcrawler31
Well an update for all those interested.

I have found that the 80 series arm is in fact THE SAME LENGTH!!! :bad-words: :bad-words:

Sooooo....... Does anyone know if the 80 series box has a greater angle of sweep in the box itself???? It's the only thing i can think of. At full lock on the 75 box, the stops on the knuckles aren't touching. So with a similar size pitman arm it MUST be the angle which the box can turn to surely......

Any ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:32 pm
by bru21
sorry to hear that dude!

Maybe knuckle mount is different length?

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:23 pm
by Z()LTAN
you need longer swivel plane arms...

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:44 am
by DamTriton
Z()LTAN wrote:you need longer swivel plane arms...
Shorter, actually.

This will allow the available Pitman arm "throw" to reach more of the hub swivel's "arc".

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:14 pm
by Z()LTAN
lol right you are!

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:42 am
by bj on roids
80 and 75 do interchange, so do hilux 40 and 60 series, BUT all the cone tapers (tie rod end) are different.... but an easy fix, just get the TRE you need and screw that to your rod.

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:47 am
by rockcrawler31
bj on roids wrote:80 and 75 do interchange, so do hilux 40 and 60 series, BUT all the cone tapers (tie rod end) are different.... but an easy fix, just get the TRE you need and screw that to your rod.
Still leaves me trying figure out how to get the 75 box to turn further. 75 and 80 arms being the same length. Apparently some hilux boxes have decent arc of turn and are as big as the 75 box.