Another way to get around the sway bar is to remove the sway bar end links and rotate the sway bar up and out of the way. You may have to move the brake hose out of the way but you won't have to disconnect it. Even if you have to cut the sway bar end links to remove them, they're cheap, easy to find (usually), easy to install, and worth replacing if you're in there doing other stuff anyway. Also, my 2004 Express 3500 1-ton has the 4-flat arm.
Usually I would use a impact if I got the puller secure. if I wanna be gentle, I would put tension on it and hit the side of the part I'm pulling it out of with a hammer
Nice! Thought I was the only 1 doin the “cardboard crawl” 👍🏻 I have had to break out my secret tool a few times on those nutts when I ran outta penetrating oil...had my mother-in-law just talk to the nutt nonstop and they drop off and roll away crying...
This video saved me.... I would just suggest getting a new steering gear box or getting a real good pitman arm puller... I broke 3 pullers until I decided just to get a new gear box. I need a good puller...lol
One thing I noticed was that you didn't tie off your steering wheel and then you turned your wheels while you were working on it(??). I've always heard to not move the wheels or steering wheel, ever, when you do this job. I guess that's when you disconnect the steering box from the steering column.
Great Job! I'm getting ready to do the Steering Gearbox on a 2500 Savana, were you able to remove all three bolts from the gearbox without removing the sway bar? Also do you think there is enough room to remove the gearbox from underneath or do you think I'll have to remove the fan shroud and pull it out the top? Thanks for any help you can provide just trying to minimize downtime and I can't afford a repair shop. -Pete
Thanks, I got the 3 bolts without removing the sway bar, have to lift the van up and down so the sway bar moves out of the way. I'm pretty sure there's enough room to remove it from underneath.
Hey Car Guy. Thanks for your video. It is very informative. I recently used your video to do my 05 3500 express, but I did something wrong. the steering link bar is rubbing against the chassis on the passenger side. its as if it is sticking up too close the frame. any idea what I could do the correct this problem?
Is it rubbing on the cross member under the link or on the frame above the link....I"m not sure why it would do either unless they are the wrong parts or maybe the steering is misaligned
I have a 96 gmc sierra 2500 4/4 & it looks like i have to remove the steering gear box in order to remove the pitman arm. does anyone knows other method with out taking off the gearbox? any help i'll appreciated
I'm in the rust belt believe it or not, just this van was well cared for by the previous owner, kept inside, washed often. It does have a bit of surface rust but not as much as is expected.
Just did it on my 05 parts look the same tbh lol so I'd say yes it would be the same GET A GOOD PULLER...you will not get it off without one on a HD truck lol trust me.....puller.....not hammer.....puller......-cries in corner-...
any play that was in the steering should be gone so it will need an alignment....unless the pitman arm is so far misaligned that it's causing the crooked steering wheel, but that would be hard to do because of the odd teeth
How do i tell if i have a 3 or 4 grovved spline can i just go to my loval auto parts store with my vin or is there more to it i order my parts online so dont want to get the wrong one
yea if you give them the year/make/model they should have the correct part in their system, same with online sites, you can also usually contact the seller with your vehicle's info + VIN and they can tell you if the part fits
Wow! that was quick bro. Thanks so much! So yes it is rubbing on the chassis. I figure the idler arm is incorrect or the assy is the incorrect length. Comin to think of it, I did measure mine and then went to the Auto store to measure a new one and they were the same. Truthfully? I think it is the arm. I seem that it could be curved down a little further to provide clearance for the linkage to pass under the chassis. I will change the arm tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks much once agaion and good night.
I cant seem to get thee bottom of the idler arm bolt loose from the tire rod, how'd you get them to separate? You separated that part before you loosened the three bolts in the bracket right? The nut itself came off fine but now nothing will break it free the ilder arm from that bottom steering rod. I tried with pickle fork and a puller but there is only metal to metal on the idler arm side with no gap or no fitting for it to grab onto. The bolt is frozen in, please help! I've been stuck working on it for two days with no luck
Mine was actually loose already and it came right out with a couple taps of a hammer. You might need to heat the tie rod part up with a torch. Don't heat the shaft of the ball joint, heat the tie rod to expand and release the ball joint.
+a DIY Car Guy thanks for the reply, unfortunately I don't have a torch. I do have the same kit with tie rod puller you have at 4:53. I just don't have that gap to get the tool to grip to fit. I'm not sure how you managed to wedge it in like that unless yours has more space since it was already loose
There's more space for the tool on the pitman arm side.....I don't know about the idler arm side because I didn't have to use the tool, but I tried this on an Escalade and there was no room for the tool on the pitman arm side and it was the same design as the van. I would go to the hardware store and get one of those blue handheld propane tanks and a regulator like this amzn.to/2qF1mFn. The tank of propane is like $5
I’m doing this job over the weekend on my 06 2500 Express, so your video is perfect for me! I was going to do pitman and idler only, but I think I’ll do link also. Thanks for the video bro!
Heat helped, but I also had to grind the threaded stud ends flat and drill a centering hole for the tool so the centering tit of the tool would stay on the stud and not walk off the side of it. Then using air impact and socket, let it pound away at it til they finally popped loose.
you'd have to call a few shops, they'll have different labor and parts rates probably so the price can vary by quite a bit..low hundreds to high hundreds...probably too much for me to pay, which is why I DIY
Another way to get around the sway bar is to remove the sway bar end links and rotate the sway bar up and out of the way. You may have to move the brake hose out of the way but you won't have to disconnect it. Even if you have to cut the sway bar end links to remove them, they're cheap, easy to find (usually), easy to install, and worth replacing if you're in there doing other stuff anyway. Also, my 2004 Express 3500 1-ton has the 4-flat arm.
Usually I would use a impact if I got the puller secure. if I wanna be gentle, I would put tension on it and hit the side of the part I'm pulling it out of with a hammer
Bro that Transcript is awesome
Nice! Thought I was the only 1 doin the “cardboard crawl” 👍🏻 I have had to break out my secret tool a few times on those nutts when I ran outta penetrating oil...had my mother-in-law just talk to the nutt nonstop and they drop off and roll away crying...
Waaay to funny, comment is underrated! Lol
🤣
i have an 07 chevy express 2500 do you know if the pitman arm is 32 spline (4 groove) or 33 spline (3 groove)?
Much better than a lot of pros video.
Torque on that pitman arm is 185ft lbs and using blue thread locker just so everyone knows.
Will u post or send wrench sizes for idler arm & Pittman arm?
Thk u.
This video saved me.... I would just suggest getting a new steering gear box or getting a real good pitman arm puller... I broke 3 pullers until I decided just to get a new gear box. I need a good puller...lol
what is the torque from pitman arm to drag link for the custle nut?
moog says 35 for the custle nut ..... for my 1500 van
if they built the part and that's the spec they give, then go with that
One thing I noticed was that you didn't tie off your steering wheel and then you turned your wheels while you were working on it(??). I've always heard to not move the wheels or steering wheel, ever, when you do this job. I guess that's when you disconnect the steering box from the steering column.
Great Job! I'm getting ready to do the Steering Gearbox on a 2500 Savana, were you able to remove all three bolts from the gearbox without removing the sway bar? Also do you think there is enough room to remove the gearbox from underneath or do you think I'll have to remove the fan shroud and pull it out the top? Thanks for any help you can provide just trying to minimize downtime and I can't afford a repair shop.
-Pete
Thanks, I got the 3 bolts without removing the sway bar, have to lift the van up and down so the sway bar moves out of the way. I'm pretty sure there's enough room to remove it from underneath.
a DIY Car Guy - Thank you!
Great video! About how long did it take to remove and replace?
thanks!, probably a few hours, not really sure the exact timing, it can vary depending on how much trouble the vehicle gives you
Hey Car Guy. Thanks for your video. It is very informative. I recently used your video to do my 05 3500 express, but I did something wrong. the steering link bar is rubbing against the chassis on the passenger side. its as if it is sticking up too close the frame. any idea what I could do the correct this problem?
Is it rubbing on the cross member under the link or on the frame above the link....I"m not sure why it would do either unless they are the wrong parts or maybe the steering is misaligned
Did you use a 3 or 4 grove pitman arm? I have an 05 express 3500 and I don’t know which one to get.
I have a 96 gmc sierra 2500 4/4 & it looks like i have to remove the steering gear box in order to remove the pitman arm. does anyone knows other method with out taking off the gearbox? any help i'll appreciated
You must be down sout'. No rust... I rely on the oxygen/acetylene torch to get anything rust-welded to separate. Good IR gun too.
I'm in the rust belt believe it or not, just this van was well cared for by the previous owner, kept inside, washed often. It does have a bit of surface rust but not as much as is expected.
Is this the same process for a 2001 chevy Silverado 2500hd duramax 6.6?
Just did it on my 05 parts look the same tbh lol so I'd say yes it would be the same GET A GOOD PULLER...you will not get it off without one on a HD truck lol trust me.....puller.....not hammer.....puller......-cries in corner-...
I just did mine but now my steering wheel is not straight any suggestions why? Thanks diy
any play that was in the steering should be gone so it will need an alignment....unless the pitman arm is so far misaligned that it's causing the crooked steering wheel, but that would be hard to do because of the odd teeth
How do i tell if i have a 3 or 4 grovved spline can i just go to my loval auto parts store with my vin or is there more to it i order my parts online so dont want to get the wrong one
yea if you give them the year/make/model they should have the correct part in their system, same with online sites, you can also usually contact the seller with your vehicle's info + VIN and they can tell you if the part fits
Nice clear video there! Thanks
3:59 man i feel the same way sometimes
Wow! that was quick bro. Thanks so much! So yes it is rubbing on the chassis. I figure the idler arm is incorrect or the assy is the incorrect length. Comin to think of it, I did measure mine and then went to the Auto store to measure a new one and they were the same. Truthfully? I think it is the arm. I seem that it could be curved down a little further to provide clearance for the linkage to pass under the chassis.
I will change the arm tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks much once agaion and good night.
cheers, good luck and let me know if the new arm fixes it!
Great video! did you ever find the torque specs for large nut connecting the idler arm and bracket that you weren't sure about?
thank you! sorry I never found the info. Mine has a locking nut so as long as it's tight but not overtorqued it should be fine
I cant seem to get thee bottom of the idler arm bolt loose from the tire rod, how'd you get them to separate? You separated that part before you loosened the three bolts in the bracket right? The nut itself came off fine but now nothing will break it free the ilder arm from that bottom steering rod. I tried with pickle fork and a puller but there is only metal to metal on the idler arm side with no gap or no fitting for it to grab onto. The bolt is frozen in, please help! I've been stuck working on it for two days with no luck
Mine was actually loose already and it came right out with a couple taps of a hammer. You might need to heat the tie rod part up with a torch. Don't heat the shaft of the ball joint, heat the tie rod to expand and release the ball joint.
+a DIY Car Guy thanks for the reply, unfortunately I don't have a torch. I do have the same kit with tie rod puller you have at 4:53. I just don't have that gap to get the tool to grip to fit. I'm not sure how you managed to wedge it in like that unless yours has more space since it was already loose
There's more space for the tool on the pitman arm side.....I don't know about the idler arm side because I didn't have to use the tool, but I tried this on an Escalade and there was no room for the tool on the pitman arm side and it was the same design as the van. I would go to the hardware store and get one of those blue handheld propane tanks and a regulator like this amzn.to/2qF1mFn. The tank of propane is like $5
Does this process go for a 2001 chevy 2500 duramax
Should be the same or very similar, I'm not sure if the torque for the nuts is different, you'll have to look that up.
What size nut on pitman arm?
Nvm lol
@@joeyponomarev9883Как дела?
I’m doing this job over the weekend on my 06 2500 Express, so your video is perfect for me!
I was going to do pitman and idler only, but I think I’ll do link also.
Thanks for the video bro!
I’m having a bitch of a time breaking the idler from the steering arm. Trying heat next.
Heat helped, but I also had to grind the threaded stud ends flat and drill a centering hole for the tool so the centering tit of the tool would stay on the stud and not walk off the side of it.
Then using air impact and socket, let it pound away at it til they finally popped loose.
How many miles on van 🚐
That's why job like this you should do on the lift when things come flying off much safer than doing on the ground with a jack
Nicely done ! I didn't know Chevy had steering boxes in their vans/trucks , I assumed that it would be all rack and pinion.
thanks, yep still with the steering boxes, at least as of 04....they might have changed by now but I don't know
a DIY Car Guy no problem. If i remember right 1/2 ton Chevy truck do have racks
i think you are right
a DIY Car Guy I'm always right lol
true that haha
How much would this cost if done at a shop? I just don't have the specialty tools to do this on my Chevy truck
you'd have to call a few shops, they'll have different labor and parts rates probably so the price can vary by quite a bit..low hundreds to high hundreds...probably too much for me to pay, which is why I DIY
Local shop was charging me $700.00
I was quoted $1700 to do all the front end, inner/outer tie rods, upper/lower ball joints, pitmen/idler and bracket with alignment. (Chicago)
For way less then what the shop would changes you could buy the tools and have them forever and still have money to spare.
I was quoted $1,300. Got the parts for $400 and did it myself.
Very good video. Thank you for making this.
The 1500 has a rack and pinion steering system.
Watching that vid under the van literally lol 😂
Thanks for the video, excellent job!
I took my truck to the shop and they said it would cost me 2100.00 plus parts so I paid them the 2100 , Not
🤣
Thanks I will.
I'm at 400k and my original idler is fine, did I just get lucky? The original pitman lasted to 375k...
Thank you.
Why did you replace my friends van has a shake when breaking
thanks for sharing your knowledge with us😎🤙
great Info...bro..👍😉👍
great vid
Nice job
thank u so much
good video
Good video
All of those fasteners are metric...every one of them. Lol
some sae tools are close enough, as long as they work, whatever is the fastest gets it
Not so easy like this 😁😁😁
the pitman arm just broke... looks like I'll be having my nokos bleedding... 🥵🥵
👍
That impact gun must only be worth 126 ftlbs lol
Ha! well done.
😅👍
Part number
don't know anymore but links to parts are in description