Pitman arm push, press to far or to little?

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snapetwo

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I have a question about these bushings i pressed into my LCAs
Both are solid on the outer shell, i cannot press anymore.
HOWEVER
one of the piviot arms "collar" above the bushing is only 1/4" from the inner bushing shell.
the other is 3/4" from the inner shell.
If you look from TB side, the 1/4" pivot arm is pressed all the way up against the torsionbar opening
the 3/4" has a gap between it and the TB opening.

Which is correct? Did I over press one? did I under press one?

I will attach pics to better explain my issue.

if need be, i'll press both back out, cut off the bushings, and start new.
 

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In the last pictuire, the controls arm in the foreground looks perfect. The one in the background looks kinda gaffed up. I think you pressed it in way too far.
It's a little tough to tell from the pictures, but based on my best recollection, this is the case. I'm sure others will chime in.

Did you install the bushings on the pins and then press the pins into the control arms? Or did you do it the other way around?
 
73SwingerBuild said:
In the last pictuire, the controls arm in the foreground looks perfect. The one in the background looks kinda gaffed up. I think you pressed it in way too far.
It's a little tough to tell from the pictures, but based on my best recollection, this is the case. I'm sure others will chime in.

Did you install the bushings on the pins and then press the pins into the control arms? Or did you do it the other way around?
Click to expand...

I agree, but it doesn't matter what order you press them together, but it does matter how (I will be putting another video together one of these days with the procedure like I did with taking the slop out of the arms). There is also virtually no way to fix that without replacing the bushing with another new one.
 
Oh, by the way, that is NOT a pitman arm. That is a lower control arm pivot pin. The pitman arm attaches to the steering gear and center link.
 
Me thinksssssss I am right you should of pressed the pivot shaft on the bushing first the end of the shaft should be flush with bushing than press the shaft and bushing on the arm you want to push on the bushing shell not the pivot.I let a guy press mine in the pecker head had the color seated all the way down,cost him 100 bucks from another shop to fix his mistake.
 
Ha, ya i know its a pivot shaft (trying to do all this while im looking at pitman arms from pst).
As far as procedure, I pressed the bushings into the LCA first, then I pushed the pivot shaft into the bushing. I tried doing it other way around and I ended up blowing out all the rubber of one bushing.

So pretty much the consesus is that the one pivot shaft is pressed in way to far...so i'll rip that bushing out and do it over (glad i bought an extra after the first messed up)
 
Im thinking I prob just pushed the pivot shaft into the inner shell, didn't realize it. and the 12 ton press didn't care it just stretched that inner shell.
 
Lesson learned right? gotta learn somewhere...least the bushings aren't to expensive, now the $150 i spend on a press....im sure i can justify that later..haha.

BTW, i came up with a great way of pressing the bushing into the LCA AFTER YOU PRESSED the pivot shaft in first, I got me about 6in of pipe that fits the outter bushing shell perfect...and I press on the pipe, that way the pivot shaft isn't being pressed on..cuz that blows out the bushing (did that mistake once already)

TY all.
 
Yep, you got the idea. When you press the bushing into the LCA first you need to support the inner shell of the bushing through the torsion bar socket. A deep socket of the proper size work well for this. I've installed them both ways.
 
Jim Lusk said:
Yep, you got the idea. When you press the bushing into the LCA first you need to support the inner shell of the bushing through the torsion bar socket. A deep socket of the proper size work well for this. I've installed them both ways.
Click to expand...

x2 the right way:happy2:
 
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