Planning on replacing the Pitman arm on my 93 4x4 this weekend. Checked on Rock Auto and got a bunch of price options ranging from $10.00 to $50+. Can anyone share which replacement they used? I figured I should probably go Moog to hopefully avoid issues, but I'm open to other options if anyone here has had success using a different brand without problems. Thanks!

 

I haven't done my 94 yet but on my little 85 I used the Moog parts and am happy with the results. I figure in most cases you get what you pay for. I usually choose the option for daily commuter on RA

 

Let's try this again, bad phone connection when I tried to reply earlier.
I JUST (as in yesterday) did the same on my 96.
Got them from Rock auto too.
Do NOT waste your time or money on ANYTHING other than Moog parts! Seriously. I have been an alignment guy for 20 years, have seen some pretty bad stuff.
On the pitman arm $38 for a made in USA Moog is a steal. Look up the part number anywhere else and you'll see.
Also while you're there replace the idler arm too. Rock Auto has them on a wholesale clearance for $10 Genuine Moog in a car quest box. it will say private label when you are on the site.
You see Moog used to supply everything front end related to car quest before advance Auto bought them out, and once they did they changed (some) brands of parts and all of their packaging so they returned a ton of parts to the warehouse so the warehouse had to dump it all. Also a made in USA part! I looked up an idler arm today on NAPA site for the hell of it and their cheap line is like $54 and usually Chinese. Their top line which is often Moog, was like double that. So $10 is also a steal. No tax either, shipping on both should be about $8 to your door.

 

I third the notion of MOOG, due to real world experience with cheap parts. I have had a cheap pitman arm, idler arm, and both outer tie rods snap, all within of week or so of putting them on. I replaced them with MOOG parts, 6 years ago, when i rebuilt my truck from the ground up, and even after towing, heavy winters (in the N.Y. snowbelt), 4 wheeling, and what i consider "normal" use, and everyone else considers severe use, since i only use my truck to tow and haul and go deep in the woods, i have yet to bend or break one of the MOOG parts.

 

Thanks guys, I went with the Moog parts. I'll post an update once I get them on the truck. I've never replaced either before personally and hear they can be a pain to get the old ones off.

 

yup, the one time I went with another brand, this was on my Durango, I put ball joints in it (Moog lowers, someone else's uppers because a buddy told me they were "cheap but good")
I was in Houston(1000 miles from home which is in the Chicago area) and upon crossing a RR track at ~20 MPH I had the rt upper ball joint shear off right where the threads end and the taper begins. Luckily I carry tools with me when I go more than about 75 miles from home-- usually do not need them but this time I was so glad that I had them. I had to walk a mile away to an Oreillys to buy a pair of upper ball joints, leaving my wife, and son's girlfriend sitting in the Durango while my son and I went after the parts (YES I got Moog.... I didnt want this happening again, let alone cruising 75ish on the way home) and changed the busted one right there along the road, and the other one in the motel parking lot upon getting back there before heading home. These alternate brand ball joints had only been in service for 7K miles.

 

Got around to replacing my pitman arm today. All in all a pretty simple job, but ran into a snag when I realized none of my sockets were big enough to fit the nut on the pitman arm. FYI for anyone looking in the future SAE- 1-5/16 or Metric - 33mm. Had a hell of a time finding a store that had one, but eventually nabbed a 1-5/16 at tractor supply only to then realize it was a 3/4 drive socket so I had to grab an 1/2 to 3/4 adapter as well. I rented a Pitman arm puller from Advance Auto, and with a breaker bar and a little elbow grease it came off pretty easily. Installation of the new Moog arm went smoothly and my steering is much improved. Gonna try and get the idler arm done tomorrow if the weather holds up.

 

To add to this, some stores, like AutoZone and Advance will rent the socket to do this job, but, not as a pitman arm socket. You need either a 1-5/16" or 32/33MM axle nut socket.

 

You can get a set of heavy duty half inch drive 33mm down to 17mm at harbor freight I paid about $27

 

For me, the nearest harbor freight is about 120 miles away, and by renting them the few times i need them, i get what i paid in rental back when i return them. Within 15 minutes of my house, i have 3 Autozone, 3 Advance auto, and 4 NAPA's, so rental is a better option for me, since i do maybe one or 2 pitman arms a year.