STEERING, Fabricating a custom pitman arm?

[Kevin Lee]

My steering will be set up something like this. (alright, screw that link. I'm going to rob the picture and post it.) But I'm sitting low in the car so my column will be flatter, the box will be a little higher, and because of that I need a longer pitman arm to make it all come together correctly.



The devil tells me to get a big piece of largish diameter thick walled DOM tubing, slip it over the arm I have, slide a steering arm robbed from a '40 spindle in the other end of the tubing (which I also have), tack, drill, pin, gusset, weld, and drive. I could easily overbuild it to the point that I know it would be safe. But there's another part of me that want's to have a pitman arm made like the plans modernbeat posted on here a while back. (which should be in the Techomatic by the way.) It's basically a large chunk of steel with a hole bored to accept the turned down splined bit from a donor arm. Pinned and welded around the circumference. Who here could do it and what would it cost for material and labor? Still working out measurements but the piece would be somewhere in the 10 to 12 inch range. The steering arm will also be lengthened to keep the correct ratio.

[porknbeaner]

Uh, Can you get me in a machine shop for an hr or two? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Common we must have a machinist here that still has a job.
BTW I never saw the pic Grim.
Never mind that last remark, I refreshed and the pic popped up.

[recycler]

I can do it as long as I don't have to cut splines. Not equipped for that. I'll look for Grimlock's plans. Brad oops I mean modernbeat's plans

[Ryan]

IF you think it should be in the techomatic, why don't you put it there? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Kevin Lee]

That'd be my problem. If I had access to a machine somewhere I could do it - Even if I had a big drill press I think I could knock it out if I came up with a creative way to hold and turn down the pitman arm part. Hard to believe I've got this far with little more than a tree stump and a 4lb hammer for tools...and don't think I'm joking. Those who have seen my work area know the truth.

[Kevin Lee]

If I can call on the modernbeatnick to repost it I'll do just that. Pretty sure it was OG HAMB material.

recycler - You'll have a PM as soon as I can dig up the info you'll need. If I can't get it from modernbeat I'll send you a sketch.

[Fat ASS Whitewalls]

Grimlok, I should be able to do that for you. Can you hook me up with the plans? Dean (ps) I'm in Sedalia. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[thirtytwo]

ive heard there is some mysterious mopar steerin box made out of alum with a long sector, there has to be some stock steering box somewhere that wold make it a much easier proposition

on the pic posted if you do something like that i think i would put another braket on the otherside and make more of a bulkhead i made that one from 1/4 inch with gussets, but it moves around a little, i think it will be ok once the colum is mounted though

on lengthing the sector im not quite sure what your discribing, but the only way i can think of doing it would be to turn a taper on the sector and put a keyway in it ,drill and tap the end, then make a sleeve with the same taper (female) with a keyway and hold it together with a center bolt, maybe thats kinda what you had in mind ( i saw the spindle referance)

anyway i think your screwed cause im pretty sure the sector is hardened, you could annel it and machince and re-heat treat but it would probely warp the sector as im pretty sure its ground as a final operation after heat treat

anyway i think a guy by the name of cam grant in canada built a couple of doane spencer looking cars with the mopar box, i wish i knew how he did it cause i want to too

[a/fxcomet]

http://photo.starblvd.net/dragman64/1-2-2-1080251971?m=1&pg=0&ro=1&co=1
.

[a/fxcomet]

..

[a/fxcomet]

Those look nasty. I'll try to put up better ones.

Click on these:

http://photo.starblvd.net/dragman64/1-2-2-1080251971?m=1&pg=0&ro=1&co=1 ,

http://photo.starblvd.net/dragman64/1-2-3-1080769083?m=1&pg=0&ro=1&co=2 .

If those arnt clear enough, I can email the origional ones I have to someone who can get them to post right.

[laverda]

Apologies for the sorta hijack .... but what is the frame in the pic for (first post)? And where are the front springs? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Thanks very much.

later,
papa al


PS nice looking work on the frame ... very clean!

[Bruce Lancaster]

Could you simply keep a stock pitman arm complete as a component in that? The stock arm would simply run down the back of the new plate. welded as possible, and then the original outer hole with a bolt throughit would be an extra safety. I'm pretty sure any GM manual arm or small series power arm (G body, etc.) will fit--find one flat enough or flatten the sucker in a hydraulic press.
The one I sent was just for spline sample--I think it's a NOS 49 Ford part that someone on here could probably use.

[TV]

Grim, If you need that made and you have a print,I'll make it for you. If you can find an alum.spline we can make a real cool one.--TV http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Tman]

Grim, I have the Arbor I made for my pitman to turn it down on the lathe!? It sounds like we have the same box. You can have the Arbor if you need? Or, I can turn it down and have my ace welder (certified) weld it up for ya?

[Unkl Ian]

If there is a master spline in the OEM pitman arm,
it would need to be indexed correctly before welding.

[thirtytwo]

[ QUOTE ]
Apologies for the sorta hijack .... but what is the frame in the pic for (first post)? And where are the front springs? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Thanks very much.

later,
papa al


PS nice looking work on the frame ... very clean!

[/ QUOTE ] ........ thanks!.......

[scarliner]

Grim,sounds like you have plenty of good help and good ideals.If I can help in anyway,let me know.

[Kevin Lee]

I found an F1 (I thought?) pitman arm that I'm pretty sure fits this box. The ball is worn beyond use and it looks a bit tweaked so it will be my donor. Different master spline so a couple of minutes with a jeweler's file and I'll know for sure if it fits...and it should index wherever I choose then. Plan B would be finding another arm to pirate ( I think I know someone chopping up a panel truck that might have one? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Thanks to everyone who offered the machine work. As soon as I get a final measurement I'll contact someone for a price. I just needed to know if someone out there had time and was willing. Funny, I figured at least one person would suggest I just go with the tubing and weld it up.