I got around to swapping the steering gear with the help of a friend (who is a mechanic that does imports like volvo, mercedes, bmw, lexus, infinity). He has a snapon pitman arm puller but it wouldn't fit aroudn the pitman arm. for those that don't know, the snapon puller he has is like a sugar scoop with the handle being the screw. The scoop end would not fit around the pitman arm. We picked up claw type pitman arm puller from advance and could not get the arm off the steering gear. So we decided to swap out the pitman arm as well.

I called up my local advance, they said they didn't have a pitman arm and could not order it. I called autozone, they said they had one in stock. I went and picked it up. When I got back home, it was not the same arm that was on my truck.

The pitman arm on my truck does not have an integrated end. The pitman arm that I got from autozone does, and it was not anywhere close to being the same measurements. I double checked with autozone and i got the correct part. I was able to find pictures of a pitman arm for a 99 ram online and it matched the one that auto zone had.

I purchased the truck used from a woman whose husband passed away due to cancer. Since both of their names were on the title and he could not sign it, I had to do a title bond which means that the local police department had to run a VIN check (to verify vehicle was not stolen). The title matches the VIN and the VIN says it's a 99 ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 with a 360.

The steering gear I got was a perfect match. My friend was able to take the old steering gear and pitman arm to his shop and use a press to remove the pitman arm and re-install it on the new steering gear.

I'm curious as to how to find out if for some reason the steering and or front axle have been replaced on my truck?

Also, after connecting things back up, we followed the procedures in the FSM for filling it with fluid and my truck is still making the honking noise when turning the wheel and it's still a little hard to turn. I'm thinking there may be an issue with the steering pump.

thoughts or ideas?

thanks

Dan M

 

I think auto zone is screwing something up ... I have a 96 ram and I ordered a pitman arm as well... The one i received from auto zone had the ball joint intergraded into the pitman arm... On my truck the pitman arm has a hole in the end where the ball joint is on the linkage itself.

basically the pitman arm auto zone gave me has the ball joint in it and my pitman arm on the truck attaches itself to the balljoint on the linkage. Since my steering is HORRIBLY loose I have to change all the linkages, ball joints and drag links and leave my pitman arm where it is lol.

 

moog k440003. I believe it's no longer available. You can call around maybe some one has one or can order it. If not, it's dealer only.

 

I think I found out what's going on.

I spoke to a tech at a local dealer and he showed me what the pitman arm should look like and mine is a bigger drop. He thinks it's aftermaket, most likely from a lift kit.

The front springs are bigger and I looked at the rear leafs and there's a big spacer block under them.
The shocks don't have any markings on them that I can easily see.

The tech also gave me a nut to try and it worked! I got the pitman arm connected back up, however, now the truck won't start


- Dan M

 

The correct arm is still the one with 2 hole's(no ball joint). They very rarely go bad, which is most likely why they have stopped producing/stocking them.

Btw, they come from the factory with a block on the rear, I forget how tall it is though.

 

Thanks for the info. Anyway, the dealer showed me one with no ball join in it, but it was not very angled (tall).

still seems like the truck has been lifted, but seems odd since it was older couple who owned it before me.

anyways, i got the steering all connected back up, just working on no-start issue now.

Dan M