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Steering Arm or Pitman Arm

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On Sunday my wife and I took a Healey ride to Watkins Glen. About a 1-1/2 hour run. I noticed that I was getting a wheel shake at anything above 60 mph. Today I got it up in the air and found that my steering arm was loose on the splined steering box shaft. Ya know how we can never get them off when we want to, well mine was so loose that the large flat washer could be spun around the shaft with your fingers. Cotter pin still in place, etc. Can't figure how the 'ell that could have come loose that much. Unless I never got it tight when I put it together about 3 years ago. But I'm sure it was snugged up tight back then. I took the cotter pin out and put a socket with a breaker bar on it and got about 5 - quarter turns on the nut to snug it up. Just can't figure it.
 
I'm pretty sure you would have looked for it but the only thing I can guess is a split/crack that allowed it to expand around the splines. Or possibly some grit than prevented it from seating all the way on when you assembled it? If it's tight now & no crack, then I would just drive it & check regularly for a while, could be just one of those life questions.
 
Did tightening the nut eliminate the shake? I can only suggest there was something that gave the incorrect tension when you installed the arm. Perhaps it was bound up on the splines due to wear? Then with use it freed itself up.
 
Thanks for the replies. I agree with both of you. Red57 made me think about a crack. I didn't think of that. But then it did pull up tight this time. But I will look at it again to make sure no crack. Thanks.
It did eliminate the shake or at least most of it. I want to get my rear brake drums balanced because I believe some shake that I have felt in the bottom of my butt for awhile may be attributed to the rear wheels. At least that is what I think I am hearing from other threads.
 
Hi Vette,
balancing the rear drums is all the go in our club at the moment. One of our members provided a great article for our club magazine about chasing a vibration in his BJ8 which was cured by balancing the brake drums. The amount needed to be machined off was surprising to put it mildly! I can e-mail a copy of our magazine if required (Reid Trummel will already have a copy).
 
pan said:
Hi Vette,
balancing the rear drums is all the go in our club at the moment. One of our members provided a great article for our club magazine about chasing a vibration in his BJ8 which was cured by balancing the brake drums. The amount needed to be machined off was surprising to put it mildly! I can e-mail a copy of our magazine if required (Reid Trummel will already have a copy).
Click to expand...

I had the same experience with my BT7. The guys at the machine shop said both were no where near balanced and one of them was so far out of balance that they initially assumed that they hadn't centered it properly on the machine. They laughed and asked me if the car hopped as I drove it down the road.:highly_amused:

Needless to say, I highly recommend balancing the rear drums. It made a huge difference in my car.
 
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