Ok....so my pitman arm has a solid 1/2 to 3/4 inch of movement in it and its angering me. Plan to replace it soon, and was wondering if you guys think its worth twice the price for Moog or similar or if the OEM stuff is just as good/close to. I think the OEM is just shy of 30 and the moog is over 50.

Also, my headliner sags and makes me angry as well. Im 6'3 so it touches my head when Im driving. Any of you repaired it or done anything custom with it and the little fabricked panels on the doors?

And finally. I plan on mounting a 10" sub in the rear. Any slick ideas you guys have done/seen done to make it a little less obtrusive than just tossing a big ol box back there.

 

Damn man your like a foot taller than me im like 5'4 and what the hell is a "pitman arm"

 

Yeah being tall is great and sucks all the same.

Here is a picture of a pitman arm. Not of a dodge, or anything close, but it shows you its function.

http://www.off-road.com/trucks4x4/da...pitman_arm.jpg

 

Simply put, a pitman arm is used to transfer the movement from the gearbox to a bar that goes to each wheel. (Technically, it transfers the movement from the gearbox to the center link, which connects to the tie-rods, which than move the steering knuckle, which the wheel is mounted to)

I'm in the process of re-doing my entire front end and brake system, and I am using only MOOG steering/suspension. (tie-rods, pitman arm, idler arm, ball joints, and bushings)
All I can say: have fun getting the old pitman arm off. Mine was being a real pain, so I just got a new gear box (besides, I needed to replace the lines, and they broke off when trying to take the old ones off!)
There also isn't a butt load of space to get the necessary tools in there.

 

Ya get the best parts so you wont have to mess with it again. And MOOG is a good company.

As for the headliner I have. Mine started to sag after a heavy rain storm and intense heat caused the glue to let go in one night. I just bought some heavy duty automotive upholstery spray and re-glued it. My headliner was fine no tares or stretches, since it was only hanging one day.

As for the subs what I did was custom make a box that sits under the rear seats. So the rear seats are still functional but have the subs underneath.

 

Ive never done joints and such before. I highly doubt its any worse than anything else Ive done, just new territory.

So would you guys recommmend moog or is there another company out there that would be preferable? Id rather only do it once.

Also what tools(besides standard tools) will I need? I saw the post saying you need a 2 1/8th socket to get the upper(or lower cant remember) ball joints off, anything else specific like that? Ill take a look through the FAQ, but thought maybe you guys had something else that came in handy since you both are doing/just did this.

Crazy....that was my idea as well. I really only want one 10" in there. Do you have any pictures of your setup? I was thinking about cutting the factory tool box in half so I still had one side to use for storage and using the other side for my amp/sub. I was planning on using a fiberglass kit to make the bottom formed to the floor and then MDF to make the sides and upper box. I guess I could make my own storage area, but I like the factory one.

Thanks guys. It really helps having some advice from those who have already been down the trail once.

 

i am very interested in the sub idea. Can you post pics of that Crazy4x4?! That would be rad man

 

Sorry guys I don't have the subs anymore (No pics!). One day I was throwing junk in the back and forgot to put the seat down. I killed one. And put a nice hole in the other. I took it out and just decided I want the storage space. So I through out the box. But a quick look on google got me these pics. Mine was similar. I had the amp mounted under the driver seat. Also if you want to build your own box, it is easy. This site can help. http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/lea..._building.html

 

I believe you will need a Pitman Arm Puller to get the pitman arm off the sector shaft, and maybe a balljoint or tie rod end puller to seperate the Pitman Arm from the Center Link (not sure about that depends on design and I'm not real familiar with Rams). Autozone has these tools on their loan a tool program. (You pay for the tool then get your money back when you're done) If you're going to try this and haven't done it before, get a Haynes Manual for your truck. Oh, you'll also want a torque wrench to properly torque the nuts after you install the part.

 

It's not just any 2-1/8" socket either!!
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/sk84689.html (perhaps the best deal I found on a brand new one) Notice that it's primarily a square, with just 4 rounded sides. (Just like the upper ball joints)
Also notice that these are 3/4" sockets, so you will need a 3/4" ratchet or breaker bar. (or 1/2 to 3/4" adapter, but I suggest the real 3/4")

I'm just saying, when I had trouble with mine (pitman arm, that is), I looked online and it's very common to get pretty frustrated with them. Although most people have a big pain getting the CV joint nut off at the steering knuckle, whereas mine came off without much pain.