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Re: pitman arm replacement
There should be enough room to get the pitman off of the center link without too much trouble. In my case, I had to remove the skid plater to get better access. Don't be afraid to crank on the puller ... it's a tapered fitting and gets pretty tight after 8 or 9 years. You might need to loosen things up with a hammer to side of the center link. I used a sledge hammer behind the center link to give it some support and then hit the front part with the hammer.
Getting the pitman arm off of the steering box is another story. I had to remove the steering box. It's not as bad as it looks at first and gives you the opportunity to change the steering fluid. I disconnected the battery when performing the work ... not sure if it's absolutely necessary, but I didn't want to take any chances with setting off the air bags. Then I disconnected the 2 hydraulic connectors on the top of the steering box (be ready to capture the steering fluid). The bolts that hold the steering box can be accessed from the wheel well.
I only loosened a bit at first in order to make it easier to disconnect the steering column from the steering box (1 bolt under the cover). The steering column slides up easily. Then take out the rest of the bolt. Drain the fluid.
My pitman arm was seized onto the steering box pretty tight ... I thought I was going to break the puller. It wasn't graceful, but what ended up doing was loading up the puller as much as possible, putting the assembly on the ground, and then taking a swing at it with the sledge hammer. Everything popped off nicely with one big hit.
It's not a bad idea to change the idler at the same time. Also, a wheel alignment may be required.
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