This pitman arm done?

[psimet]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

The condition of that pitman arm ball is a result of poor lubrication maintenance and over-tightening the drag link's end plug in an effort to reduce shimmying. I can almost guarantee you someone installed the horrible aftermarket front radius rod ("wishbone") mounting configuration with the rubber ball covering the wishbone ball. That will cause shimmying in short order, once the rubber has absorbed oil leaked past the rear main bearing and suffered road slush, mud and water. The rubber becomes mushy and then the wishbone gyrations begin and the front end shimmies. The usual "cure" most guys reach for is to overtighten the drag link and tie rod end plugs. That creates egg-shaped steering balls and divots in the metal balls, as your pitman arm evidences. Why people think the rubber ball mounting system is an improvement over the original Ford design is beyond me. They will fail sooner or later - usually sooner. If I've replaced one of those *^&#$^ things to stop shimmying, I've replaced 50 over the years. Check your radius rod mounting configuration and if it's the aftermarket one with the rubber ball inside, order the correct design with your new pitman arm.
I agree with the others - change pitman arms, either back to the stock length if you are a purist, or install the shorter arm if you want easier steering. You may lose a little turning radius with the shorter arm, but you'll never notice it. You will LOVE the easier steering the shorter arm will provide.
Marshall

Just wanted to round back on this - the car still has the original radius ball.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Good! Keep it that way. One less thing to cause shimmying.
Wiggle the wishbone up and down and sideways with the FRAME resting on tall jack stands, not the front axle. This will tell you if the wishbone ball is worn undersize and is loose inside the clamshells. If you can feel movement and the shells are tight, the front end may shimmy as the ball gyrates inside the clamshells.
Marshall

[Marshall V. Daut]

So that we're on the same page here and comparing apples to apples (Who REALLY ever does that???), can you post a photo of your wishbone mounting beneath the bellhousing? You state that the "original radius ball" is there, which is not the same as saying the original radius ball MOUNTING pieces are present. I just want to make sure we're talking about the same thing here.

By the way, posting photos on this website is a snap, far easier than on other car websites I have frequented. In a nutshell if you haven't done this yet, take your picture and download it to your computer. Resize it using any number of free on-line apps so that the picture can be posted here. Click on the "Go Advanced" option at the bottom of your screen and then click on the little black paper clip icon. A new window will open. Expand it full sized (mine opens in a partial half window). Click on "Choose File" and locate the photo in your browser. Click on it. When it is acknowledged as being chosen, click on "Upload" in that box's lower right corner, followed by "Close This Window" at the bottom that page. You will be returned to your message. Click on preview to see if the photo has been attached. Piece of cake!
Marshall