Pitman arm doesn't look right

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rookieTJ

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Okay, so replaced my steering today with ZJ conversion. Also got a pitman arm this one exactly, Omix-ADA 18006.05 Power Steering Pitman Arm for Wrangler TJ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FQ7H4G/?tag=wranglerorg-20


It didn’t go all the way up, here’s a few photos. Am I missing something? Besides that everything fit perfectly, and just used the old pitman arm. Need an alignment and figure out what to do about pitman arm and should be normal. Am I missing something?

8635ABE1-FB6E-438C-94C2-C6F3B8721EB9.jpeg


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Yes I driven it about 50 or 60 miles at hwy speed 70 mph and some city. Also had the front end alignment checked mainly for the caster adjustment I did and all is working good. just don't forget to torque it I believe it's 185 ft. lbs. But first make sure your steering gear box is centered for the correct placement of the pitman arm
 
mrjp said:
Yes I driven it about 50 or 60 miles at hwy speed 70 mph and some city. Also had the front end alignment checked mainly for the caster adjustment I did and all is working good. just don't forget to torque it I believe it's 185 ft. lbs. But first make sure your steering gear box is centered for the correct placement of the pitman arm
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Hmm still new to Jeeps, I can wrench but any idea how to “center the steering gear box”?
 
Just turn the wheel all the way to the left then all the way to the right counting the turns and divide by two and make sure you have same amount of turns in each direction
 
that is normal , the steering box spline has a slight taper to it , just torque to the recommended spec and your good to go ...and always use the supplied lock washer ..

if it would make you more at ease , google "pitman arm does'nt go on all the way " and hit images ... and you will see they are all like that , not just jeeps ...
 
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Just take your torque wrench and re-tighten the nut every couple weeks or so for a couple months. It may go slightly more each time, but not very much. I’ve worked mine up a bit further over time, but not by much. Enough to get the nut flush with the stud.
 
Steel City 06 said:
Just take your torque wrench and re-tighten the nut every couple weeks or so for a couple months. It may go slightly more each time, but not very much. I’ve worked mine up a bit further over time, but not by much. Enough to get the nut flush with the stud.
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If I used a pitman arm that did that, I would take it off and throw it away after the first loosening and get an OEM one.
 
I'm going to be a dissenting vote here. There needs to be some threads showing through the bottom of that pitman arm nut.

I replaced a dropped pitman arm with a Mopar one and it ran up on the splines to where there were two to three threads showing through the nut.

I don't think you have full spline engagement and if that nut comes loose in danger of the pitman arm coming off easily.
 
We're Not splitting hairs over one manufacturers arm going on 2-3 threads farther than another’s.. thousandths of an inch difference in machining tolerances... can cause that...bottom line is torque it to the recommended spec, and it will go on till it won’t Go anymore and it shouldn’t need retorqued over and over .. use loctite if you’ll sleep better ...I don’t imagine every pitman arm I’ve put on in the last 43 years of mechanic-in has ended up with the same amount of threads showing,,, but they’ve never came off , and I’ve never told a customer to come back every couple weeks so I could check it
 
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Wheelie said:
We're Not splitting hairs over one manufacturers arm going on 2-3 threads farther than another’s.. thousandths of an inch difference in machining tolerances... can cause that...bottom line is torque it to the recommended spec, and it will go on till it won’t Go anymore and it shouldn’t need retorqued over and over .. use loctite if you’ll sleep better ...I don’t imagine every pitman arm I’ve put on in the last 43 years of mechanic-in has ended up with the same amount of threads showing,,, but they’ve never came off , and I’ve never told a customer to come back every couple weeks so I could check it
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👍 and welcome to the forum!!
 
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You can do the alignment yourself. It's in the resources section. Takes like 15 minutes (including taking off the tires). Don't get hosed by a shop.
 
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