Silverado Pitman arm Replacement without removing gear box!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- I replace the steering box pitman arm on my 2015 Silverado 2500hd without removing the gear box from the truck and without making a mess or losing an ounce of fluid.
!) Remove the shields.
2)Remove the sway bar bushing bolts,at the front(not at the control arms !),and swing the sway bar down.
3) Loosen the pitman arm nut.
4 Remove the 3 steering gear bolts,and push the gearbox UP,and block it up.
5)slide the rubber seal,between the gearbox,and pitman arm up,to avoid damaging it.
6)Use a cutting wheel to cut a groove in the pitman arm,and a chisel to split it.
7)Remove the pitman arm,and install the new one,and tighten the nut hand tight.
8) Lower thew gearbox,and install the 3 mounting bolts,then torque the nut,on the pitman arm to 184 lb/ft.
9) reassemble the swaybar,and shields.
10) Have the toe-in checked.
48 years,as a mechanic,and that's the best way I've found...
You need to make a video of that, sounds easy enough
@@offgridoutlaws4186 😅🤣😂😂
How do you torque the nut with the steering box back in place?
What's the size of the PITMAN ARM NUT?
What size blade to cut the pitman arm using a cutting tool ?
Thanks for the video! Followed along and everything came apart and went back together smoothly 👌 Also wanted to share the process for the next guy..
1. Put the front wheels on ramps to give yourself room, lifted trucks could probably skip this..
2. Remove the air dam and skid plate (x8 15mm bolts); air dam has a plastic Christmas tree holding a line to it
3. Remove the Sway bar bushing brackets (x4 10mm bolts); leave the end links alone
4. Disconnect the steering shaft by removing the 11mm bolt and gently wiggling/prying the shaft off the box
5. Remove the pitman arm and idle arm nuts from the center link (x2 15/16" nuts)
6. Remove the steering box bolts through the driver side front wheel well (x3 18mm bolts IIRC); gently push the Sway bar / fender liner out of the way when wrenching
7. Throw a ratchet strap around the frame and front half of the steering box, maneuver the box so the pitman arm nut is accessible and crank the strap to hold the box against the frame. A block or two of wood should be used so you don't wreck the p/s lines ... a buddy to spot from the top would be helpful.
8. Remove the pitman arm nut using a 3/4 drive 1-13/16" socket. It's on there pretty good, hit it with your purse if you must. Or an impact gun works too.
9. Front end service kit from HF, use the scissor style ball joint / tie rod end remover ... the pitman arm puller in the kit is too small.
10. Remove the idle arm bracket with the idle arm attached (x2 18mm bolts with 15/16" nuts). A small washer is under the nut ... don't forget it when reinstalling.
Now reinstall the new parts and follow the above steps in reverse to put everything together. I added the same hose to the idle arm bracket and put the metal tab on top of the Sway bar bracket under the bolt. If you put it under the bracket there's not enough clearance for the grease zero. I had to flip the tab for the correct orientation (just pry it open with a screwdriver).
DON'T FORGET TO GREASE BEFORE REINSTALLING THE AIR DAM/SKID PLATE!
Easiest way on a chevy is remove nut n washer,take cutter wheel to it cut the pitman arm in a place easily accessible. Cut it about 3/4 way thru then take an air chisel and hit where u split it with the grinding wheel and voila. Falls rite off just done one this very morning to be quite honest. Im on my lunch break now LOL
Besides the steering wheel play, would there be a rattle noise for a bad idler?
You are assuming people watching on youtube have air chisels and cut off wheels? LOL the guy did it in his drive way with no air so WTF are you talking about? Obviously it would be simple in a shop smart guy, this is for those that do not have a shop.
J S right this guy's the real mechanic
The problem ive been seeing is some of the air hammering is nocking the connection in the power steering box ..
Yep same thing I was thinking but you have to understand that most people here don't have the mental capacity to think things thru, it's called making things easier but is too much to grasp!!!
Looking forward to my replacement tomorrow. Thanks for the video!
Watching all these videos and you making the job look a lot harder than it really is. I just did mine in my 2003 2500 and it was literally a 15-20 minute job. I didn't have to remove any fluid lines or even take the steering box out. Just by removing the bolts that hold the steering box in place gives you plenty of room to move it around to get a socket up in there and also to get the puller to remove it from the steering box. It was so much easier than I thought it was going to be
Exactly what I did so, how did I make it look harder???
@@streamlinebuilds1490 I have 04 duramax and 16 and the 04 so easy Compared to the style of 16 models
Almost like they are completely different. Lol
I’d love to know what kind of puller you got to fit in a 1” gap
@@streamlinebuilds1490 you didn't remove the 3 bolts for the sector (steering box)
Great video! I just replaced one on my sisters Tahoe if I can ad something to this it would be take off the plastic skid plate and put the truck on jack stands to have more room to work also get ready to give this project at least the afternoon! Lol
You saved me 4,000 dollars. Firestone really tried to charge me that for pitman and idler arm swap
Lol tire plus did that for $230 wtf 4k
@@MichelLinschotenI’m getting charged $290 for pitman arm and idler arm replacement, is that fair?
Firestone and the rest of them are use to a buncha half sss sudbh
Yes it works! Notched it. Hammered with a chisel fell right off
Thanks I have seen three ways to do this and the fastest and easiest is just pull the gear box and get it off and back on I have done it three times and yours is by far the hardest fyi
Just didn't want to mess with the fluids that's why I did it the hard way
I thought about dropping the sway bar last time I did one. But ended up just pulling the whole gear box out and did it that way. I have to do one on my 03, I think im going to try it this time. Great video thanks man
I did my Idler arm and pitman arm today and did not touch the steering box at all, just disconnecting the sway bar on the left side, it gives you plenty of space.
Not on this truck that's just not possible buddy!
I’ve got to do this on my 06. I’m dreading it.
Thanks for the video not many that I found so far
thank you for the tip was wondering if this was doable before i started A+++
Nothing like the good ol' Engineer okie doke! Lol
Very helpful, so glad they changed it in 2000
Take a 15mm socket and wrench and remove both sway bar end links. Takes 1 minute and saves a lot of headache!
You got EXTREMELY lucky ! Then there is the stuck pitman on my '93 dually...
Good luck 🤞 out some heat on it! I have ran some welds on the arm to get it hot before pulling on a stubborn one
Nice job! Think I will leave it to an expert. 😁
5:56 hahaha. ive felt the same way. i swear that they do it so u have to bring it to a shop… for most people
How’d you bend removal tool help
If memory serves me I used a torch, my tow hitch and a pry bar. Hope you get it
100% agree all of these people even need to be working at McDonald's or to make it better let them design it then tell them to take a toolbox that's being preset with some basic sockets that people would normally Buy and tell him to lay on the ground Jack it up only on the ground and do it with normal tools without having to lift or any hydraulic tools or air tools
Probably easier to just pull the engine first to make room!
Did you have any steering position codes that came up after all your work?
No sir i didn't get any codes at all. I replaced the steering rack on my C7 corvette also and didn't have any codes but heard that typically the rack would need to be programmed after replacing it, maybe I'm just lucky lol
Easier just to remove sway bar. Might as well change the sway bars while a persons at it anyway.
I have a 2005 2500 HD the pitman arm just broke. I have a four and a half inch coilover lift kit on it though so I have a lot more clearance to remove the pitman arm I'm going to try without taking the steering box out
What size socket ?
Sorry, off the top of my head I can't recall I believe it was 1 15/16" or metric equivalent
Okay thank you though !
I pull the 4 10mm nuts and let the sway bar drop down
Did you need an alignment after you did this or it no?
No alignment necessary!
@@streamlinebuilds1490 thanks. Got her done. Everything is good!
@@WillyB2122 what model truck u got and how did you go about it?
@@logan8256 I have an 09 3500 4x4. I’ll have to crawl under and refresh my memory. Did you tackle it yet?
Cutting works just did it 😂
thats so strange i have almost 5-6 inches of clearance on my 04 3500
After fighting my pitman arm i will absolutely remove steering box. Literally easiest thing I've done got the front end yet is take the steering box off
Don’t buy a Chevy problem solved
Can't say chevy dodge or ford are the best these days I'd rather drive a Toyota and likely will be my next work truck
@@streamlinebuilds1490 Toyota just make sure you have 5000 in case of a brake failure or head gasket problem
Why are you even watching this video 😂
I love my buddy’s who say their Toyotas the best they are garbage like everything else
Removing the steering box only take 15 minutes. Them you can work easily n removing the arm.
True but then you need to refill the fluid in the radiator and the steering pump that's what I avoided here.
Why do you need to add coolant after removing gear box? I'm about to do this job and wasn't aware coolant ran through the gearbox
It takes 20 minutes to take gear box out
But makes a mess and you lose fluid 🤷
Awesome! Get that mustang out! Lol