1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Manual steering pitman arms

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by Bob W, Mar 4, 2013.

  1. Bob W

    Bob W Member

    I'm working on a CJ project and I need a pitman arm. The online catalogs indicate that Saginaw manual steering boxes are the same for CJs from 1972 to 1986 but the pitman arms are different for 1972-75 and 1976-86. Anyone know what the difference is between these pitman arms?

    Thanks!
     
  2. tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    That is a real loaded question...................Saginaw Manual verus power equals two different sizes.........most I see 4 sale on line are dropped ones for Power Steering............Nick Miller on this site has some Pittman arms for sale............you should send him a PM I'm sure he can help you!
     
  3. zila

    zila I throw poop

    All I know is that the power steering arms index differently that the manual ones..
     
  4. tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    :)Your right they surely do because those dropped PS arms were mostly made for the later Jeeps and had a different positioned index key..............also there is an OD difference on the Sector shaft between the Manual and Power steering boxes .........
    two ways to get around that, you can take a angled Jewlers file and file in a new spline in that area............been done hundreds of times just allows the Pittman Arm now to be indexed anywhere or call Parts Mike in Northern California............they have a pretty good assortment of Pittman arms.............might get lucky or they will file you one!
     
  5. autotech1984

    autotech1984 Member

    Manual steering box shafts are smaller than power steering box shafts so the pitman arms are not interchangeable, however a manual pitman arm for a 72-75 will fit on a 76-86 CJ with manual steering but it is indexed differently because the steering box mounts at an angle to the frame rail versus parallel to the frame rail like the 72-75, the same is true for power steering pitman arms, if you wind up with a late cj pitman arm on a intermediate cj you won't be able to steer full left and you wouldn't be able to steer full right if you wind up with a intermediate cj pitman arm on a late cj, I found all this out when I did the P/S swap on my 72
     
  6. zila

    zila I throw poop

    Just for the record, I bought a drop pitman arm from Quadratech last year. They listed both manual and power as choices..

    Edit: Just looked at my Quadratech cat. They have a whole list of em, both power and non power. All years.. If you do not have a catalog let me know and what you have, I'll look at the part #
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2013
  7. Bob W

    Bob W Member

    That is what I was looking for, Thanks everyone for your replies!
     
  8. Mr. Gangrene Jeans

    Mr. Gangrene Jeans I See Voices&Hear Visions

    Just to muddy the water, I got a steering pitman arm off a late 80's GM A-body (Skylark I think) with power steering. Small shaft with a pretty good drop that fit my manual Saginaw steering box perfectly. Had to take it to a dirt track shop where the small tie rod end hole (maybe metric) was reamed out to the standard Jeep size. Looks like it was made for my DJ-5A, couldn't ask for a better steering angle. Will take a picture after getting the foot of snow off.