Steering Box output shaft nut

[udmsvt]

ok, so i need to replace my steering gearbox and the nut on th eoutput shaft holding the pitman arm of, i cant find a socket for. sears has 32mm (too small) and 36mm(way too big)...so i went to autozone and tried a 34mm (still too big). as many of us know, just about everything on these trucks is metric, so i assuming its 33mm but nobody; not even the sears parts dept, carries a 33mm socket. so....i convert to standard as best i can and come up with 1 5/16. yeah it fits ok (stil a little big) but the bugger wont losen up. before i take a cheater pipe to it, i want to ind out what size other people used so i dont round off the nut. for now, i juet keep a quart of fuild in the back and deal with the leak.

i have included a pic of the nut.

 

[BradE.]

Those things are a royal PITA.

You will need a pitman arm puller, a huge cheater bar, and probably a torch too. I know on most Pitmans I've seen, you have to heat it with a torch, then use the cheater bar on it. It takes a lot of elbow grease, pounding, and of course cussing.

I'm not sure on Explorers, but on Town Cars, Vics, the arm has to be pressed onto the steering box shaft. Not something easily done at home. Not trying to talk you out of it, but I would hate to see you get it torn apart and then realize it's not very easy to fix.

 

[udmsvt]

well, my research on this site combined wit hthe parts guy who used to have an ex both say its not that difficult, and i know i will need to use a cheater bar...i just want to see if others used the same size socket as i will so i dont round the corners. thanx for the tip about the torch; i have been meaning to get one anyways.

 

[XplorerKid]

yes,

when i had to change my pump we used a propane tourche, pitman arm puller, and let me go ask him what else.

PEACe

 

[XplorerKid]

we used an air wrench =)

i busted a seal on my after doing my b/l.

and had to replace teh whoel thing

PEACE

 

[udmsvt]

sweet. they will rent me the pitman puller, but i wil have to buy a torch (and a pipe for that matter)

 

[udmsvt]

Originally posted by XplorerKid
we used an air wrench =)

i busted a seal on my after doing my b/l.

and had to replace teh whoel thing

PEACE

thats probably what ine is....in research, i noticed most people taht had problems had a BL and no shaft extension (like me)

what size socket, do u know?