Pitman arm pullers???

[Dangling_Dave]

Ok I hate removing pitman arms. I usually end up taking an angle cutter to them and just replacing them. However I need to take one off without killing it.

I have busted a ton of the cheap little ones that they sell in Checkers, HF etc. Besides Snap On who makes a decent puller? I am looking at one from OTC, the OTC 7310A for medium to heavy trucks, does anyone have experience with this puller?

Is it a POS and should I just bite the bullet and get the snappy?

The puller I am looking at...
http://www.toolking.com/shop/view.asp?id=8595

thanks in advance
dc

[bronco75]

I never had much luck with that style i prefer the rigid stye I have both a snap on and a Kd tools and they hold up well with used with a impact if impact can't be used smack push bolt with hammer when everything is good and tight

[D60]

KD? The only KD I find online is this guy

http://www.nationalwholesaletools.com/productimages/wtfull/KD-2289.jpg

Just looks like a slightly improved version of the cheap ones from the big chain parts houses?

[Flashover Mfg]

I picked one up from NAPA a couple of years ago. It is the solid type and very beefy. Guaruanteeded for life too, if I can ever find a way to break it.

[bronco75]

I have had my KD for about 25 years i bought it fromn Napa broke 2 then they redesigned it and haven't broken it since then

[D60]

I have had my KD for about 25 years i bought it fromn Napa broke 2 then they redesigned it and haven't broken it since then

So it looks like the pic above?

[bronco75]

Yep

[blacktoy]

been using this snap-on one for 3-4 years at the shop and at home, hasen't given me any problems...

Sanp-On pitman arm puller (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=10316&group_ID=1245&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog)

[Dangling_Dave]

Yes that is the one I want to buy. Now all I need to do is track down the Snap-on guy for Golden...

dc

been using this snap-on one for 3-4 years at the shop and at home, hasen't given me any problems...

Sanp-On pitman arm puller (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=10316&group_ID=1245&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog)

[frankenfab]

I have one from OTC. I have pulled a lot of pitman arms with it. I broke it on a really rusted arm once, and OTC replaced it under warranty. Every other time, it has worked without problems.

[Tech Tim]

I have an OTC one that looks like the one in your link and it has worked great. Have stretched the bolts a couple times since, but it is an easy shopping trip over to the bolt bin to get replacements.

Had an OTC solid one and broke that twice before going to the adjustable one. It is easier to get a good bite because you can open or close it to fit perfect.

[shooter]

I have bolth the Snap On and OTC. Snappy at work and otc at home. THe OTC is more compact and is better when trying to remove them in the vehicle when clearance is an issue. But for overall BEEF go for the snap on.

[CanuckJeeper]

I've never broken the one I got from Carquest, and I've applied about 400 ft-lbs of impact wrench on it.

My "trick" is to tighten it good & tight, then use a BFH to whack the arm. Apply more impact pressure, whack again, etc, until it comes off. PB Blaster applied a few days before works well, too....

JP

[Dangling_Dave]

I ended up chasing down the Snap On truck and put the CJ119 puller on order.

dc

[braxton357]

Seems like it would be pretty easy to build the snap on one...

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/OBJECTS/21000/20982.JPG

But as has been said, the trick is to beat it with a hammer while using the puller...

[saf-t scissors]

But as has been said, the trick is to beat it with a hammer while using the puller...

Yep.... load up the puller, then whack the pitman with a BFH. Might have to whack it a few times, but it's always worked for me.

Hit it harder, Dave.

[D60]

Yep.... load up the puller, then whack the pitman with a BFH. Might have to whack it a few times, but it's always worked for me.

Hit it harder, Dave.

Believe me, we tried that here with a swap on a '96 Bronco. NO GO. I've seen it work plenty of times before, but it won't work with particularly stubborn arms...........altho we were using the el-cheapo Autozone puller, which could have been the problem.

I've had great success tho loading up the ball joint press with stubborn u-joints and then giving it a good whack to spit the caps out.

[Dangling_Dave]

The original one on my Bronco broke three of the $20.00 auto zone/checker/HF ones. Then I took it to a shop and they busted their one that looks like the KD tools one above. We finally got it off using an impact hammer. So that was $60.00 + shop time on just that one job. I have broken several other ones besides that. I was starting to rebuild a gear box the other day and busted another HF one, and a 2 jaw puller that I had lying around.

I was looking at the design on the snap-on one and it is pretty simple. They must heat treat it pretty well though. I had several designs I was thinking about building that involved small hydraulic jacks/rams but it was cheaper to go snappy.

Shawn, I always "hit it harder" just ask the GF.

dc

[CanuckJeeper]

One thing that wasn't mentioned....

The rigs that are in the rust belt or see a good bit of road salt... that thing is in there for a LONG time.

Here in SC, I've removed a bunch of pitman arms, never broke a puller.

JP

[bronco75]

here in Ohio rust belt I have removed many through the years i broke several tools to start finally got a good one and learned how tight to tighten it before it broke and get bfh and beat on it haven't found one yet I couldn't get off. Key is the tool can only take so much then you have to help it

[saf-t scissors]

Believe me, we tried that here with a swap on a '96 Bronco. NO GO.

Man.... what would you guys do if you had RUST?? :eek:


:flipoff2:

[PTSchram]

After having broekn a coupla cheapies, I bought a big-ass Craftsman two-jaw puller. Tighten it up with the impact, whack it with the BFH and away we go.

As I work on so many different vehicles, the pullers like the OTC and the Snap-On don't have enough capacity for the different arms-as a result, I like the two-jaw puller. If I was gonna use it once on a single vehicle, perhaps the ones shown above are the way to go, but not for my purposes.

One note-make damned sure you are out of the way when you whack the arm. I had one fly off and hit me in the knee. I didn't walk for a day and didn't walk well for a week. Thought I'd broken my leg!

Peace,
PT