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Does anyone know the diameter of the pitman arm ball? The drag link arm balls are 1.2", The pitman arm ball seems to be smaller from memory. I am looking for a replacement ball stud to put in a replacement pitman arm(that uses the ball stud type). Can't find any that are 1.2".

You can still buy the Pitman Arms NOS.

Outside Diameter of Pitman Arm Ball - 1.230 - 1.250 Wear Limit 1.215

Outside Diameter of Steering Idler Arm Balls - 1.2137 - 1.2237 Wear Limit 1,207

sturmtyger380 wrote:You can still buy the Pitman Arms NOS.

Outside Diameter of Pitman Arm Ball - 1.230 - 1.250 Wear Limit 1.215

Outside Diameter of Steering Idler Arm Balls - 1.2137 - 1.2237 Wear Limit 1,207

Thanks for the info.
I changed to power steering, and my turning radius is terrible, I think with the power steering box I need a longer arm- I think the standard steering box has a wider sweep angle than the PS saginaw box?

I have the stock steering on my truck, and can't turn the steering wheel unless I am rolling at least a little. One thing that would concern me about a power steering set up, in addition to the cost and complexity, is that turning without rolling would put a tremendous stress on the steering system. For me, there is some protection of the system by not being able to turn without some movement.

Out and about often in my own truck, runs fine, all well here. Hal, in UpState SC

06boblee wrote: I changed to power steering, and my turning radius is terrible, I think with the power steering box I need a longer arm- I think the standard steering box has a wider sweep angle than the PS saginaw box?

I had not thought about how the power steering setup might affect the turning radius. My truck had the power steering installed when I bought it. I have noticed that it has a significantly larger turning radius than my Tacoma pickup (even though the Tacoma is longer than my M37). I'll have to compare with a friend's M37 with stock steering to see if there is a difference.

NAM VET wrote:I have the stock steering on my truck, and can't turn the steering wheel unless I am rolling at least a little. One thing that would concern me about a power steering set up, in addition to the cost and complexity, is that turning without rolling would put a tremendous stress on the steering system. For me, there is some protection of the system by not being able to turn without some movement.

That's an interesting thought. I would think that a power steering system would have some sort of pressure relief as a safety measure to prevent damage to the PS system or the steering components. Most hydraulic systems do, but I confess to not knowing a lot about power steering systems.

My truck had power steering on it when I bought it, and the steering wheel and column from a Chevy S10 pickup in it. The S10 steering wheel was significantly smaller than the stock wheel. When the belt powering the PS pump failed, I could still turn my wheels while at a standstill, even with the smaller S10 steering wheel. It was a pain in the butt to do, but it was doable. Most of this was on gravel roads, which I'm sure makes a difference, but I did do some parallel parking on pavement with it. It was definitely a two-handed operation. (I've since changed it back to the stock steering wheel and column, but retained the PS system.) I've got over 3000 miles on my truck since I bought it two years ago (it was down for a good bit of that time for an engine swap, and transmission and transfer case rebuild). No indication of damage or abnormal wear, despite driving on pavement, gravel roads and off-road in my rocky woods. I would think we would be hearing more about this, if it were a significant issue, since this is a common modification. I will keep an eye on it.

I've heard reports on line and seen one frame cracked at the box mount due to excessive stresses.

just me wrote:I've heard reports on line and seen one frame cracked at the box mount due to excessive stresses.

I reinforced mine with 1/4" plate on the inside for strength (it comes with additional reinforcement in this area from the factory already).