I'm using a '56 f-1 box in my '27 roadster and I have to cut and reweld the pitman arm to get everything were it needs to be. Anyone have experience with this? Just curious what your opinion on welding pitman arms is. Had any problems? Any pointers? I'm having someone whos been a welder there whole life do it for me so there wont be any problems with weld quality. Thanks
Post a picture so we can see what the problem is...cutting and re-welding shoud be the last resort. Alot of times you can solve the problem with heating and bending.
Send me a pm and we can talk. Ill give you my #, its not hard but not for the person who cant weld or has no real torch. I have done it sevral times but theres a sience to it so it dont break and kill any one. Brian.
I needed to extend the pitman arm on my '46 Chevy 1/2T 1-1/4". I obtained two arms and cut them so they would form the total length I wanted plus about another 1" or 1-1/4" (I forget exactly how much) and z'd em so there'd be overlap for maximum weld area. I also ground a generous chamfer on the edges to be welded for maximum penetration, tacked it in position and took it to a professional weldor for the final welding. I have a welder and and do pretty respectable work with it, but a pitman arm is critical. I'll have my wife riding with me and passing thousands of people with wives & kids in their own cars. I wanted to make certain it was welded perfectly. The extral length (or decreased length) with change your steering ration and effort, so take that into account, too.
I Have cut and welded many pitman arms on race cars in the 50's 60's and into 70's to change ratio. It's not a big deal if you know how to weld. I usualy put a piece of 1/8 round stock around the outer area and form & weld it as an additional safety measure. Never ever seen one break or bend. It's no different that building a racing chassis or installing a roll cage. Done right you dont have any problems.
If you think that this can't be done safely you need to get out more. A certified weldor and the right technique will make a pitman arm that is as safe as an origional forging. There are probably thousands of steering arms that have been shortened or lenghtened for race cars in the past 100 years by having them welded. Like anything else there is a right way and a wrong way to achieve a good result. Frank
Shortened one on a 29 A and used the F 1 steering and it is still working good 24 years later. The weld was tigged.
I've also done it. I can't comment on the particular pitman arm that brekteffect is talking about but in many cases you can weld and re-enforce a pitman arm in a way that makes it stronger than new.
i needed to add material for a second hole on the passenger side steering arm to receive the drag link (converting side steer to cross steer) My machinist said he'd done many steering arms/pitman arms and back in the day they used arc welders with "super missile rod'. I found out that this rod is now known as "super 600" and is the real deal. $50/lb, instead of $12 for 5lbs, but the stuff works fantaaaastic. so, yeah if you do it right, you can weld anything.
You can buy a tierod end for the right side with a tapered hole in the side of the shaft. The tierod from the pitman arm goes into it instead of using the usual extra hole on the right spindle arm...no welding involved.
I'm not saying it can't be done but building a car for the street is different than building a race car. In a world where everybody is looking to cash in on something I'd be a little shy of welding steering components.
please tell us where you received your Metallurgy degree. I really want to commend them on teaching you that that forgings cannot be welded.
I certainly understand concerns about welding steering linkages. Welding on a "forged" piece is a dream to work with. If correctly done, as in grinding down and performing a fillet weld, it really should be as good as original, if not slightly stronger as the the filler metal, wether its arc welded ,mig welded , or tig'ed, is of a higher, usually more stringent quality. I've personally re-welded sectioned straight axles, pitman arms, and most of my altered wheelbase projects have pieces salvaged fromt the original suspensions cut, ground, and re-attached, and all have seen years of dragstrip, open road, and deep pothole use. Castings, on the other hand, might be suspect. I"ve never taken on a customers "cast" piece to weld on. Who knows what they used... Pot metal?? Of this stuff I'd be suspect. And for sure use caution... But, getting back to older, forged pieces. I love working on these, as they really are a joy to weld!! The metal's great!! http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/shop-projects-1/funnycarfarmproject1/img3013.html Everyone's advise here is definately good!! But, if you have found someone who is an adept, confident welder, maybe even has a few certifications under his belt, you really should have no problems. Good luck!!
pre heat it first, weld it, then submerge it in floor dry, pour floor dry in a pail then bury arm in it, let it cool slowly
Which ones are cast? All the ones I'm familiar with are forged steel. I fully agree that its best to avoid it if possible...but sometimes it isn't. It's certainly not a job for a guy in his backyard with a 110 MIG...but its not a big deal for a licenced Weldor/Fabricator. Why do you think those guys go thru certification etc? Our lives are constantly dependant on the abilities of Weldors due to their work on buildings...elevators...staircases...cranes...you name it. They are craftsmen and I really don't think a pitman arm is beyond their capability. Bottom line: Don't judge others based on your personal limitations...
The Pitman Arm I made for My 29 is half F100 and half Mavrick 49,000 miles rock solid. You can see the Pitman arm over the 49,000 miles and 16,000 other pictures at 100percentkulture.com
Builder friend of mine has welded many a pitman arm on rock crawlers. Those see quite a bit more force then an arm on a hot rod. I've welded on forged inner C's on an axle, as mentioned it welds like a dream.
no one's saying to grab the battery cables and a silver dollar: we're just stating that if he takes it to a certified welder, he's not going to automatically come crashing through your family room at 60 mph.
Thanks for the input, I know its been done alot and I figured no one ever had any issues, If done properly. If its done right it should be just as strong as the original forge. I may be able to just bend it if its not too far off. So welding will be plan B. Just wanted to hear it from the people who have done it I guess. And Im pretty sure that a '56 gear with a steering arm modified for proper steering geometry doesnt make it a "RAT ROD"
What are you asking? Can I weld my pittman arm? Yes you can. Can I weld my pittman arm and it won't break? Maybe. Will I be responsible if it breaks after telling you that you can weld it?............nope.
So I should buy parts from someone I dont know that have been produced from god knows what and welded buy the chineese when I can have a certified welder with 30 years under his belt weld original parts?
Sounds like your mind is made up already. Have the welder guy weld another one and do some destructive testing on it. You know, put it in a big vise and beat the crap out of it with a 50 lb sledge. If it passes, then have him weld the one your gonna use. Lippy
Hi James, yeah, sometimes us old fuckers have some weird ideas. Ah, usually works out though. In other words, bring that sucker over to my house, I'll tell ya if it's worth a shit or not.
Here in NZ ,we are just not allowed to,even heating and bending is frowned upon,or you wont get certification !
I didn't know you guys had torches in NZ. Just kidding, just kidding. I hope your a good sport. Check out my board name. Ok, I'll save you the time, yes we still have cowboys and Indians in Kansas.
HAHA, my miss's nick name is 'Lippy' ,so im use to it America has everything, its just always 'bigger' !
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