Pitman arm help
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
Swapped to the Durango box but I can't get the pitman arm off of the xj box. Between a torch, convincer, enough jb80 to drown a small mammal, and 2 pitman arm pullers (1broke) we still can't get the damn thing off. Any suggestions?
Seasoned Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 309
Likes: 2
From: Jackson, WYoming
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6
Did you tighten the puller, tap with hammer, tighten again, tap, so on and so forth? That should do it. I broke one once after tightening it and hitting it too hard a few times but if you tighten and tap it should come off fine.
Seasoned Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 309
Likes: 2
From: Jackson, WYoming
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6
I tap on the bottom of the puller. Retighten. Tap again. Retighten and it should come off. If not tighten down the puller as much as you can and hit the arm itself with two hammers at once( or have a friend help you with this). Tighten and repeat. With eventually come off. Just a PITA.
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
I tap on the bottom of the puller. Retighten. Tap again. Retighten and it should come off. If not tighten down the puller as much as you can and hit the arm itself with two hammers at once( or have a friend help you with this). Tighten and repeat. With eventually come off. Just a PITA.
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
Trending Topics
If the box is still in the rig.....
Pop the hood open.
Put tension on the puller and use a piece of scrap DOM or pipe on the top of pitman arm.
Smack the pipe with a 4lb hammer.
Works every time.
Pop the hood open.
Put tension on the puller and use a piece of scrap DOM or pipe on the top of pitman arm.
Smack the pipe with a 4lb hammer.
Works every time.
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas, NV - St. George, UT
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I tap on the bottom of the puller. Retighten. Tap again. Retighten and it should come off. If not tighten down the puller as much as you can and hit the arm itself with two hammers at once( or have a friend help you with this). Tighten and repeat. With eventually come off. Just a PITA.
CF Veteran
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,440
Likes: 3
From: Seal Beach, CA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO Straight Six
I dont know why this worked for me but after hours of tightening the pitman arm puller and wailing on it with a big hammer and heat and penetrating oil, I decided to take the box off with pitman arm attached and take it somewhere with better equipment to get it off. After I took it out, I gave it a few frustration whacks by holding the box in the air by the pitman arm and smacking the output shaft and it fell off somehow haha.
You'll get lucky somehow like I did. Just keep working at it.
Persistence is key!
You'll get lucky somehow like I did. Just keep working at it.
Persistence is key!
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
thanks for all the suggestions guys. my brother stole the box overnight and came back with the pitman arm off. he took it to mieneke and they used a real not $10 puller lol
CF Veteran
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,440
Likes: 3
From: Seal Beach, CA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO Straight Six
Good deal. See, that's what my plan was until mine magically fell off. So now we know if all else fails, $10 is not a bad deal at all. I woulda paid that in a heartbeat if I could go back in time. Woulda saved a few hours of crazy amounts of frustration
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
yeah definitely man. so worth it


