LUVTruck.com

so i read the post on the forum and wet to the junk yard in search of an 80-86 power steering gearbox and found the only one they had. i happily paid the measley fee and giggled all the way home.

i have a 72 luv with the adjustable center link. the newer pitman arm only has 1 hole for the later luvs and troopers. mine has 2 is there a pitman arm i can get with 2 holes or do i have to convert the whole thing to the 80 luv style?


thanks

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recently purchased 72 luv truck
1970 dodge charger- 500ci 5 speed
ram big horn 5.7 hemi

You purchased a "late" power steering box, there are no two hole pitman arms that will interchange with this box. The only answer I know is to find a competent machine shop that can remachine your old arm to fit the newer box. The original pitman arm center hole will have to be enlarged about .104 and then the splines remade to fit the newer box. All Luv's from 72-80 use the same two hole pitman arm, it was not changed until 1981 when they changed to the one hole pitman arm.
Take the old and the new pitman arms in so they can be matched.
I have a machine shop close to me that has done this for me several times for a flat $100, which I consider a fair price.
If you wish to see pictures of the two arms before and after the machine work contact me at pinkertondusty@aol.com. I have some excellent close up pics of them.
Good luck,
scjconv

Here in Australia back in 78 the Luvs stopped using the the adjustable centre link,and changed to the Trooper design with the single hole pitman arm and adjustment on the tie rod ends.

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1980 4x4 KBD40 ISUZU/Chev Luv
Factory Fitted c190 Diesel Engine, ARB BullBar, Ramsey Winch, Custom Tilt Tray,

I have no help for you, just wanted to make some comments. My 77 has manual steering, and I never though a small truck needed it. Would have bought one without the power brakes if I could have. The car we had at time didn't have power steering at the time either. The truck was actually lighter to steer. My wife drove my truck every chance she got. Our next car had power steering, and she hasn't wanted to drive the truck since. I made my kids learn to drive in the truck. My boy did fine, but I didn't realize my daughter was such a wimp, that the steering delayed her learning to drive.

Thank you from "down under", just proves once again, a person should Never make a statement without knowing all of the facts!!
I am sure that Luvs/ etc. have many differences from all over the world.
Again thanks for the information...
scjconv

sent you a email

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recently purchased 72 luv truck
1970 dodge charger- 500ci 5 speed
ram big horn 5.7 hemi

i was talkin to some older hot rodders that used to weld pitman arms then bend them to what they needed. my predicament was fairley straight forward

well i lined up the pitman arms
marked them
beveled them down to an 1/8" of flat and full pen welded them... it looked good. no undercut no cold weld edges not with the welder i used, they even look thicker than when i started..



scjconv still has a line on how to do this without welding. and i am first inline to pick one up as soon as i find another early model pitman arm.

_________________
recently purchased 72 luv truck
1970 dodge charger- 500ci 5 speed
ram big horn 5.7 hemi

That is one of the best welding jobs I have seen! Congratulations, nice job, wish I could weld like that!!!!

scjconv

The welding of steering componants is illegal in Australia.

Not sure how it works where you guys are. But i know for my peice of mind i would be going back to the wrecker that charged a pittance for the steering box and removing the whole (adjustable tie rod) drag link assembly including idler arm from the Trooper or a Pup and fitting that to the luv.




Wonder why my 79 has a centre adjust on it then???? A centre adjust with a big bend like a bannana i might add.

Not being smart, but it does. Wheres your info from, be interested to find out why mine missed out.

I have got everything from an 85 to put in the front of it. Vented brakes, draglink and a power steering box from a trooper. Will all work nicely with the motor from a Piazza/impulse turbo.


Cheers, Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Hello Bob,

Regarding your 79 Luv steering, on my 78 the steering is of a three piece design, starting on the right side: A one piece tie rod, (non adustable) this runs from a arm off the back of the spindle to the rear hole on an idler arm bolted to the frame, also on the right side. The centre piece is adjustable on both ends and is straight, (NO Bends), this connects to the inside of the right side idler arm,(mentioned above) and the other end attaches to the inside hole of the steering pitman arm, (off the steering box), then there is another non adjustable tie rod that connects from the ourside hole of the steering pitman arm and to the back of the spindle arm on the left side. Hope I got it right!
Perhaps your centre arm is bent?
And the 4 wheel drive models have completely different steering compnents that are not interchangeable with the 2 wheel drive models.By the way if anyone needs a complete 4 WD steering sytem, from spindle to spindle I have one.
Hope this helps,
dusty scjconv

Dusty, your right, i would say its had some interaction with a stump or some other low lying, grass hidden object.

Ive done a fair bit of around farm stuff in my day with relatives and working for contractors or what not. It is truely amazing what you find just lying about, lost in the grass.

But it has the exact same setup you describe except yours is straight.


Tell me why the 4x4 one will not fit as a complete setup??


Cheers, Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

I don't have a 2 wheel drive to compare(i put a rack&pinion on mine)but i would think that a 4X4 stear asy. would fit a 2X4 but i could be wrong.The basic difference being the 4X4 has adjustable tie rods and is a lighter system.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

Hello TJ,

I am interested in installing a rack and pinion system, what vehicle did you get yours from? A year or so ago I read where someone in Mexico cut off the tie rod ends and rewelded them to a rack and pinion, but I'm a little cautionous (sic) about welding on my steering components???
And the 4 X 4 system is completely different from my 4 X 2, just don't see how I can use it? As stated above I will be glad to send pictures of both if you are interested in comparing them? Will have to e-mail them though, can't seem to get photo bucket to work for me, but then I am just learning how the off-on switch works on my computer! Computer illiterate? Thats me!

dusty

Photobucket is not the easiest to use.

Try imageshack

http://www.imageshack.us/index.php

Just do the pictures one at a time and its way easy.
Tick the box that makes them 640x480 for message boards.


Copy and paste the line of code.


Id like to see the pictures.

As far as i know, if you swap the steering box and swap the idler arm on the other side, youve changed the whole lot over to the adjustable rod end setup.

Fitting a steering rack is a science. Do it wrong and it will be a total pig to drive.


Cheers, Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Thanks for the information, will give it a try.
Will take the pictures tomorrow.
I do know the steering pitman arm is the same on both setups.

dp

The pitman arms are different as are the idler arms.

The Luv setup uses the pitman arm with the two ball joints in it. One for the rod end and the other for the drag link, its the connector between the two.

The other style has only one balljoint in the pitman arm because the other end of the tie rod end terminates inboard of the pitman arm in the draglink.

The difference is pictured in the first post in the thread.

Cheers, Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

i almost went back to pick up the pup steering set up. but it would crarsh into my oil pan. i already cut and welded my oil pan to fit the current set up. just a not the one hole pitman arm set ups are pushed further towards the rear of the truck the the twin hole pitmans. FYI for the different engine tranny combos out there

_________________
recently purchased 72 luv truck
1970 dodge charger- 500ci 5 speed
ram big horn 5.7 hemi

Yes, I noticed the one hole later pitman arm does not "drop down" the way that the two hole arm does to provide more clearance.
I have had over a dozen owners send me their old two hole pitmans arms and had them machined out to fit the newer steering boxes, so far not one complaint! I have a later power steering box at the machine shop so every machined arm is tested on it before they are returned.
I am really glad this works out so well, because there are fewer and fewer old Tropper P/S boxes available. I think that by machining the old arms to fit the newer boxes this will give us an unlimited supply of P/S boxes to use. I have checked out a 85 Isuzu Pup steering box and it is the same as my 81 Luv right down to the part number!
By having the old arm machined out and also using my special hose adapters that will fit the P/S box and have a AN fitting on the opposite end the whole job is much easier to do. I have also sold a lot of these adapters and because they are made out of stainless steel I have yet to hear a complaint on them. Almost all other AN fittings are made out of aluminum and I think the only way to go is stainless steel. The above information is in-valueable for doing sbc engine swaps.
Please check my post in the classified ad section for prices on the above.
Good luck, let me know if I can be of assistance?
dusty scjconv