Is this pitman arm slop normal?

[Billyj7175]

Good on you finding that, BEFORE you left. I get that it's stressful under a time crunch, but fixing stuff at home is a heck of a lot easier than on the side of a busy interstate. Had that come completely off, the results would have likely been really, really bad. Especially with the whole family along.

Sponsored

 

[tysongladiator]

I have a video about this issue that I posted on my youtube channel almost three years ago. I've also posted it on these forums quite a few times as well. I also mention checking the four steering box bolts for proper torque as well.

 

[DrewsJT]

I have no clue.

Absolutely not

 

[WILDHOBO]

I have no clue.

No. Very bad. Tighten it.

 

[WILDHOBO]

holy hell its finger tight...i loosened it with 1 hand.

i dont have any way to torque that...no 42mm

vacation cancelled. omfg.....

You can find one. It won’t be easy, but you can. Or just use a huge crescent wrench and lay into it as much as you can.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Reading online says use red locktite

Definitely. Definitely. Yes.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I have no clue.

This happened to me a year and a half ago. Steering felt loose and bad. It was loose like yours and I found out a shop didn’t use red loctite in January of 2022. I now have a 42mm socket I bought on Amazon, and it’s always under the back seats. But don’t cancel your vacation. It’ll be annoying, but you can get this tightened.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I have no clue.

Did you get it tightened so you could go on your trip? I really hope so.

 

[ecidiego]

Back!!! Nut did not move even after some trails.

Will post some pics later....tired and drinking beer.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. It's time I learned more about my truck. I'm good at electrical and lots of other stuff but need to learn my suspension and steering. Never gave it much thought yet since it's all stock.

LOVE this place because of people like you who come in quick to help.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Back!!! Nut did not move even after some trails.

Will post some pics later....tired and drinking beer.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. It's time I learned more about my truck. I'm good at electrical and lots of other stuff but need to learn my suspension and steering. Never have it much thought yet since it's all stock.

LOVE this place because of people like you who come in quick to help.

So happy to hear it. We all just learn these things as things happen. I wouldn’t have known before it happened to me. Now you can help someone else with the same thing in the future.

 

[ecidiego]

To emphasize..mine hasn't been touched since I took it off the lot with 9 miles. It's a 2021 so has the black steel steering box...no TSB work.

Safe to assume factory didn't torque it? It was weird..... I could move it both ways easily with fingers and you can see the slop in my video.....but when I tried to really take it off....near the end of the stud it was major impact time. Then I impact drove it back up ...got loose for some threads....and then I hit with my 250lb wrench set to 185. SERIOUS muscle on it to achieve 185 so the nut didn't seem compromised.

That said my new nut shows up next week with the factory 'red' loctite embedded and I will redo it.

 

[WILDHOBO]

To emphasize..mine hasn't been touched since I took it off the lot with 9 miles. It's a 2021 so has the black steel steering box...no TSB work.

Safe to assume factory didn't torque it? It was weird..... I could move it both ways easily with fingers and you can see the slop in my video.....but when I tried to really take it off....near the end of the stud it was major impact time. Then I impact drove it back up ...got loose for some threads....and then I hit with my 250lb wrench set to 185. SERIOUS muscle on it to achieve 185 so the nut didn't seem compromised.

That said my new nut shows up next week with the factory 'red' loctite embedded and I will redo it.

Sounds like you handled it perfectly.

 

[ecidiego]

I had both spots in these pics.... 19 and 20 of Arch Rock campground in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Had some challenges with wind..... 50+ MPH gusts, but I have these 2 Kodiak Flex-Bow tents for my wife and I and the kids and those tents took it no sweat. Place was UNREAL. The pic with my truck backed into my driveway is post trip - success thanks to you guys. No fancy overlander perfect setup - I use the "cram it in" setup. You'll notice I take an entire set of impact sockets with me.

Video is just me driving on 13 Mile Loop trail near Overton, NV. One hand on wheel one with GoPro out the window so nothing crazy but these Nevada desert wildflowers blow away ANYTHING I have ever seen in my local desert here - Anza Borrego. Easy to get stuck here, but we have Gladiators so that didn't happen. Other video is just a walkthrough of the 2 spots I reserved.





I have tons of pics of the park as well. I can post those later. My wife took tons of pics on her "pro" setup of the sites of the park. These are just my idiot mobile pics of my campsite.

Again - I FREAKED OUT when I found that loose pitman arm. No time for Jeep " Warranty " - my truck has 15k miles and under 3 years old but yeah - probably a 4 week wait for a "diagnosis". I had to depart for this in less than a day. Without you guys especially @azmojave and @bleda2002 chiming in so fast... literally 4 freaking minutes, I would have called it and missed this experience.

 

[ecidiego]

Drop the axle side track bar bolt, torque pitman arm, re torque track bar bolt to 120ftlbs, go on vacation

Going over this now that I am back - woops - I dropped the bar right underneath the pitman nut - and hit that @ 120 - I am still alive, lol, but - too much? too little? Thanks again seriously.

 

[ecidiego]

Good on you finding that, BEFORE you left. I get that it's stressful under a time crunch, but fixing stuff at home is a heck of a lot easier than on the side of a busy interstate. Had that come completely off, the results would have likely been really, really bad. Especially with the whole family along.

Just reading this now - I am so glad I even checked. Found serious danger and didn't know what the best thing to do was - I would have cancelled and missed everything - but because of you guys on this forum I fixed it and had my time.

Sponsored