Based

What size opening should I get a pitman arm puller in to pop the control arm out the steering knuckle? Or is there a specific tool for this job? The control arm will just not budge no matter what I do. I bought a Pitman arm puller from autozone and it has a 27mm opening but it's like half an inch too small.

akdoggie

Use a ball joint type pickle fork and about a 3 pound hammer to remove the joint from the knuckle. Do not use a tie rod separator, or you may not be able to get it back off the upper joint. Since you are replacing the are arm, you don't have to worry about pinching or tearing the old boot. Position it between the knuckle and upper arm and give it a good hit. The joint should separate from the knuckle and the upper arm will pop free for removal (after the mounting bolts are removed, of course).

Based

Are all pickle forks the same size? What size should I get?

w0lvez

You can just strike the knuckle with plastic/rubber hammer.

Z7What

Don't use a hammer or a fork you can damage the steering box. This is the correct tool to get, there pretty cheap iirc. The opening is 1-3/8"



Wayne

w0lvez

Why not just remove the tie rod, stabilzer and lower balljoint nut so you can slide the knuckle?

akdoggie

He is not working with the gear box, he is taking the upper control arm off. You would never use a pickle fork on the gear box, but he's on the arms. There is no way to bend anything on the gear box from that position on the truck. He's not pulling the pitman arm off.

Z7What

I'm guessing his use of words confused me. He's trying to removed the UCA from the spindle?

Wayne

99SportXLT

Thats the way I understand it. I just used a pickle fork, worked like a charm.