Pitman Arm & Steering Pullers
Pullers and separators for heavy truck steering -- pitman arms off Sheppard and TRW sector shafts, tie rod ends out of steering arms, and ball joints apart, without shock-loading the gearbox or destroying parts you intend to reuse.
A pitman arm is a tapered, splined press fit clamped down by a very large nut, sitting outdoors under the truck for its whole life. Corrosion turns that press fit into something close to a weld. The temptation is to hit it, and hitting it is the one thing that turns a steering job into a gearbox job: hammer blows travel straight up the sector shaft into the steering gear's bearings, and a gearbox is an order of magnitude more expensive than the arm you were trying to save.
A pitman arm puller reacts against the arm itself and drives on the shaft centre, so the load stays in the joint instead of the gear. This page covers that tool and the rest of the steering linkage set that goes with it -- spreaders for clamp-type arms, tie rod end removers sized to the common thread pitches, and ball joint separators -- in OEM-alternative form for Sheppard M100 and M110 boxes and the trucks built around them.
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How to Choose
Never hammer a pitman arm off
The shock does not stay in the joint. It travels up the sector shaft into the steering gear, and sector shaft bearing damage does not always announce itself until the box starts leaking or develops play weeks later. A puller keeps the force between the arm and the shaft end where it belongs.
Match the puller to the gearbox, not the truck
Sheppard M100 and M110 boxes take different pullers, and there is an intermediate size between them. The listings here name the gearbox and the OEM tool number they replace -- confirm against the box casting rather than the truck badge, because the same chassis was built with more than one steering gear.
Puller or spreader? They are different joints
A solid pitman arm on a taper needs a puller that draws it off. A clamp-type arm with a pinch bolt needs a spreader that opens the split so the arm releases without deforming it. Using a puller on a clamp joint or a spreader on a taper wastes effort and usually damages one or the other.
Mark the spline position before it comes off
Steering geometry depends on the arm going back on the same splines. Most arms have a master spline or timing mark, but corrosion hides them. Paint or punch a witness mark across the arm and shaft before you pull, and you remove all doubt at reassembly -- getting this wrong puts the steering wheel off centre and the stops in the wrong place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you remove a pitman arm without damaging the steering box?
Use a pitman arm puller that clamps behind the arm and applies force through a centre screw onto the end of the sector shaft. That keeps the load inside the joint. Hammering or prying transmits shock into the steering gear and can damage the sector shaft bearings, which is a far more expensive repair than the arm.
What size pitman arm puller do I need for a Sheppard gearbox?
It depends on the box. Sheppard M100 and M110 take different pullers, and there is an intermediate size as well. Identify the gearbox from its casting or tag rather than the truck model, since the same chassis was offered with more than one steering gear.
Will a pickle fork work on a pitman arm?
It will usually separate the joint, but it destroys the boot and often the seal, and on a tapered arm it can spread and ruin the arm itself. A pickle fork is acceptable when every part it touches is being replaced. If you are reusing the arm or the boot, use a puller.
Do I need to re-time the pitman arm when I put it back on?
Yes. The arm has to return to the same spline position or the steering wheel sits off centre and the steering stops move. Look for the master spline or factory timing mark, and mark the arm and shaft yourself before removal as a backup -- corrosion frequently makes the factory mark unreadable.
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Need Help Identifying the Right Tool?
Our team works with these engines every day. Contact us with your engine model and OEM tool number and we'll confirm the fit.