Moparts Tech Archive

Steering Gear

Pitman arm interchange?

Will a B-body power steering pitman arm bolt onto an A-body manual steering box? Or will I have to track down a B-body manual pitman arm to install in my '68 Charger?

According to parts & casting numbers book, B-bodys thru 72 pitman arms were used for both, manual and power. The sector size will be the deciding factor, later manuals had a larger sector, splined shaft where the pitman arm goes on. If your manual box has the small size and your pitman arm is the small size, then you should be okay.

It may bolt on if the sector size is the same (there are only 2), but I think the arms differ in those years. 73 and up A's and B's take the same, but the earlier years are different. Either the length or clocking of the 72 and earlier units are different. Here's Firm Feels list of Moog part numbers for various applications, the 62-72 B body arm (power or manual, they're the same piece) is the same as the 70-72 E, but different than any A.

Hope this helps:

http://www.sixpackcuda.us/chassisparts.html

Idler Arm & Pitman Arm Kits Year Model Idler Arm Pitman Arm

1973-76 All with Manual Steering K7086* N/A
1973-76 All with Power Steering K7086* K7076
1968-72 All K7042 K7074**
1967 All N/A K7074
1963-66 All K414 N/A

* Except Police Car and Taxi
** Except 383 engine

,,there is no such thing as an A or B body manual box, the manual boxes are all the same,and the same spline count,you can put any box in any A,B or C body from any '69,,3 bolts hold them to any K frame,just change the pitman arms,as all three are different lengths,,I've changed and sold lots of those over the years, but power steer boxes are different and don't interchange,so,no,you need a manual pitman arm,

well there are many different manual steering gear boxes.
6 cyl a-bodies used 1 with bushings instead of bearings,.
early manual boxes ie 1962-1965 used 3 small bolts with 3 small bolt holes in the box to mount them to the k-frame.
66 and up used the larger diameter bolts with the big heads
that matched the larger holes in the gear box.
also 73 and up used a larger sector shaft spline size, so you just cant take anyone of them and interchange them another.

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