Pitman arm wear?

[Josh Brown]

I desperately need a steering gear box as it has a ton of play and can't be adjusted anymore. While inspecting the front end I noticed some movement of the pitman arm on the shaft. Do you guys think the shaft is worn or the arm is worn or both? I'll be replacing the box soon. Thanks.

 

[RobertC]

I believe all pitman arms have a slight taper as do the respective splines.

It is a "press fit" -- nut is torqued to 100+ ft lbs (different values depending on the box)

so, I would think that both are "shot" if there is any movement.

At least I would find a "new" pitman arm to go with the "new" box.

 

[Robert Kenney]

If the retaining nut is not torqued properly it will work and wear the splines. That can damage both of the mates beyond repair.
Clean and inspect them for wear. Reassemble and torque to the recommended spec. Then see if the movement is still present. If not you are probably good.