Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

F-You Pitman Arm

4K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Black Magic Brakes 
#1 ·
Any ideas as to why my 185ft lb pitman arm nut would randomly come loose? I noticed it was loose, like hand tight, a year ago torqued an been fine ever since.

Was under my Jeep 2 weeks ago and noticed it was loose so I re-tightened it, was just laying under the Jeep today and look, sure enough its loose again.

Any suggestions?
 
#6 ·
I am in the fastener industry. Please use Loctite as it has been proven that lock washers have no real benefit. There are a few types that work but they are not very common. I will try to find the study on this (it was done by NASA).
You don't have to convince me. I don't design anything with lockwashers and I despise them with a passion. The only thing I've ever seen them do is tear up faying surfaces and get destroyed on removal.
 
#10 ·
There's a lock washer? Pretty sure there isn't one on mine. Its a flared shaft, so perhaps with the lockwasher it isn't snugging up properly.

Maybe I'm wrong and there is a lockwasher, but I'm pretty sure there isn't, and mine was hell to get off.
I use the lock washer on pitman arms as a spacer to stop the possibility of the nut bottoming out on the shoulder at the base of the threads where the splines stop.

I would be just as comfortable with a machined spacer and loctite or an upset locknut.

I've not seen a stock pitman on a stock steering gear without a lockwasher done that way on purpose.

Do you have a drop pitman arm?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top