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Originally Posted by [__--MUD--__]
Just though of somethign...measure the thickness of the old arm and the Moog. Maybe the Moog is just a little thinner and it is fully seated.
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THX for the suggestion on the level, I'll do that.
Wouldn't the truck need to be level on the jack stands for the level on the center link to read accurate? No biggie as I can level out the truck with the jack.
Brings up another thought. I believe I'd need to have both hubs installed and knuckles bolted up to joints as well.
LOL.... you know what? I held the OEM arm up to the MOOG and eyed it. While 3/8" is obvious on the gear shaft it might not be so obvious when holding it up to an installed arm. I will MIC them and see.
It was dark outside when I separated the OEM arm with a pickle fork through the front of the truck. I swear that thing was fully seated. I swear with a couple whacks it separated. Because it was dark, and the beer was really kicking in, I stopped in an attempt to not damage the splines. I was thinking heck yes this thing is going to pop right off, due to how easy it separated with the pickle fork.
I spent over 3 hours the next day getting that darn arm off. A lot of the time spent was just learning the technique. Taking the box off the frame. Positioning the box for the puller. Getting the puller on the arm, etc....
When I finally did get puller on the arm my impact gun would not bust it off. I must have spent a combined 20 minutes with my finger on the trigger. Oh how easy it is to forget about good old muscle when you have the almighty power tool in your hand.
I was able to get a ratchet and breaker bar on that puller, with the box off the frame and positioned forward, and somehow get the leverage with my feet on the frame to pop the old arm off.
The point of explaining this is, even if the arm was seated fully before the pickle fork un-seating it didn't knock it loose. Not even close. We're talking feet on the frame 1/4" ratchet turns using all my strength type sh*t.
When I started the efforts of getting the puller on I had no choice but to stare at the bottom of that arm and where it was positioned on the shaft. There was just enough lip on the arm to feel it rubbing your finger across the arm and gear box spline.
That's exactly how the new arm is installed. The bottom of the arm has a very small lip as the splines on the steering box don't fully protrude through the bottom of the MOOG arm.
I really wish ( and could have solved a lot of my questions ) that I would have waited until it was light out and paid attention to every aspect of that OEM arm before I pickle forked it. For all I know I didn't do shi*t with the pickle fork.