MTFCA Forum

I was going to change out my original pitman arm with a repo to eliminate some slop. Placing side by side the new one is 1/2” closer to center of shaft and 1/2” out further to front of car. Ordered one for my year 1920 should I use?

I think the new one you got is correct. The one you took off looks like maybe for a 26-27 because the steering column is on a different year on the lower bodies, the pitman arm would be shorter and on a different angle.
Norm

Norman, The new one is actually at a steeper angle and shorter.
I installed new one to see if there were any issues and it seems like it ok. Guess I will with new one. Thanks

In your picture, the one closest to the camera looks like the correct one. The other one to me looks like there is wear on the ball joint, so I thought it was the old one.
Norm

The pitman arm changed over the years I have a picture showing several from when restored the 1909 Touring So when someone that “that’s” the correct one, you really should state the year
Somewhere I have a picture with the dimensions of several models but I can’t find it right now.

Yes the old one is in the rear with wear on ball.
I did a test run with new pitman arm. It’s tighter but to me the steering seems more touchy or sensitive to wheel. I am going to check wheel alignment. Geez how many different pitman arm style were made!

Refer to June 4, 9:41 AM and 6:08PM for your answer: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1527895999

Also, your drag link may be wrong...they, too, came in different lengths, and may be found here: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/17 ... 1322077087

I believe the shorter pitman will give a slower feel to the steering. The longer pitman will move the wheels farther left or right for any given movement of the steering wheel, and will require a little more effort. If you have slack or loose parts elsewhere in the system, the short pitman may make it feel worse. Everything on the running gear needs to be tightened properly, as well as being free from excess wear.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 25, 2021 3:30 pm

I believe the shorter pitman will give a slower feel to the steering. The longer pitman will move the wheels farther left or right for any given movement of the steering wheel, and will require a little more effort. If you have slack or loose parts elsewhere in the system, the short pitman may make it feel worse. Everything on the running gear needs to be tightened properly, as well as being free from excess wear.

In theory, yes. But in real life, the difference would be barely noticeable, if perceptible at all. Any differences would probably be lost in all the other steering “noise” that you mention, even in a freshly rebuilt rig. I can’t believe that the change would be as significant as the change from 4:1 steering gears to 5:1 steering gears, which I found to be less noticeable than I expected. The original poster did notice in the steering “feel”, which I would attribute more to the better fitting pitman ball than the small geometry change.

Eric

Here are the two common steering ball arms. Factory #'s are on the forgings.

If things work or you need to salvage a known early part, it is not that difficult to replace the ball on the pitman arm. I grind two flats on the ball opposite one another until they are 1/2" apart, then do the same to make a square with 1/2" sides. It's not a big step to knock the corners off the square and then hand file/linnish the stub into a 1/2" round . This is then threaded.

The new ball comes from a vendor supplied straight shank tie rod end ball. Chuck it in the lathe and bore so that it an be tapped with the same thread. When it is screwed on to the pitman arm I make sure it stays there with a dab of weld.

The 1/2" stub is still larger than the neck at the back of the ball, so the strength of the arm is not compromised. This allows you to retain for use an early original part rather than fit a generally heavier looking replacement. The new ones are excellent items for general use, but they do not fit the bill if you are striving for originality.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

Thank You all for great advice. Well, I ended up putting my old pitman arm back on the car. The car steered fine with the new pitman however had to realign to get toe in to 1/4”(May not had anything to do with new pitman). I discovered when I cranked the steering wheel to the left or right the pitman went over center or over 180 degree total travel until it hit the stops in the gear head of the steering column. When I turned hard right the tie rod was hitting the nose of the engine pan. For my steering the pitman is a No Go.
Allan, I have used refurbished steering balls on my A and have been very pleased. Perhaps I will do this pitman, it’s around .010” under so not that bad. John

Photo shows the new pitman allows tie rod to hit engine.

Your opinion of it not affecting toe-in is correct. If you had to adjust it now, you had to adjust it before.

Purchase an APCO draglink cap and you will have ZERO slop at the ball and steering will be exceedingly responsive: https://www.modeltford.com/item/2728APCO.aspx

Hmm, that’s a new one on me, allows for wear. Thanks for the info