Fabricated flat pitman arm with Saginaw-800 splines..?

[Greg72]

The time is rapidly approaching.

I'm going to need to either buy or build a pitman arm for the "Might As Well" project. Ideally, I'd like to find a source to buy a thick (maybe 1") steel flat bar with the correct splines already cut into it for my Saginaw-800 box. From there I could shape it and drill my holes for the TRE's myself.

Or, failing that if there was someone selling a "builder kit" with the splined section seperately, I could just buy that part and weld-up my own fabricated steering arm around it.

Genright Offroad has a product that looked like the right idea:

http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=STK2530

But I think the arm has an angle built into it (also in the wrong direction) so it won't work AS-IS. I contacted them about selling me the kit unwelded but they weren't interested... they didn't want to build me a version that tapers the opposite way either. Oh well....

It seems like there must be a source out there for a basic flat steel bar with the splines... maybe someplace like Branik, or one of the big desert truck shops? Anyone know or have a link to something that might work?


-G

 

[miniwally]

Greg

I think most places that are building their own pitman arm just buy any ol' arm with the correct splines, cut off the spline portion and add on to that.

Only way I know of.

 

[Greg72]

Thanks Brandon,

Are the factory arms weldable?....as in "regular" steel that I can melt with my plain ol 220V MIG welder. Or is this some kind of "pre-heat the parts in an oven, weld with nickel rod"-type deal???

-G

 

[miniwally]

Far as I know it's normal every day ****, I would however get it all tacked up then preheat the entire piece in the oven or with a propane torch to about 300 or so degrees.

In doing sensitive parts a bit of preheat makes them weld really nice.

 

[Greg72]

Far as I know it's normal every day ****, I would however get it all tacked up then preheat the entire piece in the oven or with a propane torch to about 300 or so degrees.

In doing sensitive parts a bit of preheat makes them weld really nice.

The wife will kill me if she catches me preheating parts in her beautiful new oven.











I'll have to do it early in the morning while she's sleeping.


-G

 

[jekquistk5]

I'll have to do it early in the morning while she's sleeping.

Thats my preferred method!!!

 

[sweetk30]

if i recall ford vans had flat arms for the pitman arm on the box .

 

[big dan]

The wife will kill me if she catches me preheating parts in her beautiful new oven.











I'll have to do it early in the morning while she's sleeping.


-G

Ive always been told its easier to ask forgiveness than permission

 

[colbystephens]

how about a toaster oven from the local Good Will? Cheap way to preheat, and happy wife = happy life.

 

[ktmoutfront]

Greg

I think most places that are building their own pitman arm just buy any ol' arm with the correct splines, cut off the spline portion and add on to that.

Only way I know of.

That's what I did. Did not know about the 2wd box and pitman arm switch. Built it before I knew about this place. My obvious solution was cut old arm down. Plate it and build double shear for the hiem. All chromoly and TIG welded. Have not had an issue for 8 years.

 

[blazinzuk]

I knew a guy that pretty much made a living building odd pitman arms, mostly for resto guys and different weird projects.

He had stacks and stacks of pitman arms when he needed to build one he went and found the right spline count, cut it off really really nice and proceeded to build around the splined section.

To finish it all off he would grind everything smooth unless it was a factory type restoration then he had some fancy machining tricks ( never saw him do it) but by the time he was done you would swear it had factory casting lines into it and everything.

So just cut the splines out and build it