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1971-74 F Engine FSM

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Rebuilding the Center Arm Pivot

Removing the Center Arm

If you are going to be rebuilding the Center Arm shaft you will need to remove the center arm itself. I did not need to rebuild my shaft but I wanted to degrease and powder coat the arm.

Removing Arm

Fig. 1

Removing Center Arm

Powder Coated Center Arm

Fig. 2

Powder Coated Arm

  1. You will need a BFH and a strong jaw type Ball Joint Remover or a pickle fork type.  I used a $9.95 Advanced Auto parts pickle fork style ball joint remover.
  2. Insert the pickle fork between the arm and the shaft as shown in Fig. 1. The pickle fork is not an exact fit to the shaft but it does work.
  3. You know the drill: Beat it till it cries Uncle! Actually mine popped off after 4 solid blows with a 3lb baby sledge.
  4. Clean it up, inspect for cracks, paint it or powder coat it. See Fig. 2.

Removing and Rebuilding the Center Arm Pivot

My brother (the PO) said that he had bought the Man-A-Fre rebuild kit just a couple of years before the truck was parked. I knew it was still in good shape so my reason for taking it off was more to make sure he did it right and to powder coat it. I was also curious as to how it actually worked.

Before

Fig. 3

What I started with

Removing Top

Fig. 4

Removing Top

 

  1. Start by removing the 4 14mm bolts holding the Center Arm bracket to the frame. See Fig. 3. The two that go into the cross member have welded nuts on the back side.  The two that go into the frame rail are normal bolts with nuts. You will need a 14mm wrench inside the frame rail to hold the nuts.
  2. Once the unit is off clamp it in a vice as shown in Fig. 4. Use a 14mm wrench and remove the small bolt. Then use a 22mm socket or wrench to remove the main cap. This will be rusted on and you may need to use an impact wrench. You might even consider taking the top plate off BEFORE you take the center arm off the vehicle! Mine came off quite easily as my brother had actually rebuilt this piece!

Spring Plate

Fig. 5

Spring Plate

Spring?

Fig. 6

Spring? :-)

Pivot Shaft

Fig. 7

Pivot Shaft

Pivot Bearing

Fig. 8

Pivot Bushing

  1. Figs. 5-8 show the disassembly of the unit. To get the bushing out you will need to bend the tab up (right where my thumb is in Fig. 8) I used a small punch to bend it out.

Bottom Seal

Fig. 9

Bottom Seal

Driving Seal Out

Fig. 10

Driving Seal Out

All Cleaned

Fig. 11

All Cleaned

 

  1. Next put the 22mm socket on a long extension and use it to drive the bottom seal out. Be careful! Unless you have the rebuild kit you will be putting this seal back in! I reused mine. See Fig. 9-10.
  2. Clean the parts in solvent to remove all the crud. Inspect the bushing for wear. The bushing that came from Man-A-Fre has a steel outer and the inner part is brass. I don't know but I think the stock part is all brass. If you look closely at Fig. 8 you can see the 'liner'.
  3. Fig. 11 shows all the parts cleaned. The housing has been powder coated and it's ready to reassemble.
  4. Reassembly is simple: Use a 32mm or equivalent size socket to drive the seal back in. Refer to Fig. 9 for the orientation of the seal. Coat the seal lips with grease.
  5. Coat the inside of the cast housing with grease. Coat the outside and the inside of the bushing with grease. Place the bushing in the housing then use a small punch to bend the tab back in place.
  6. Coat the pivot shaft with grease and insert into housing. Push it all the way in.
  7. Fill the cavity in the top of the shaft with grease then place the spring in the cavity.
  8. Place the lock plate on top of the spring so that the tab is pointing down.
  9. Apply anti-seize to the inner threads of the housing where the top threads in. Put the locking plate bolt through the threaded top and start the bolt into the locking plate. Now while holding the housing press the bolt down to compress the spring enough to start threading the top in. Don't thread it any further until you have it mounted back on the truck.
  10. Use a 10mm x 1.25 tap to clean the threads of the nuts in the cross member. Apply anti-seize to all the bolt threads.
  11. Bolt the housing back onto the truck and tighten it down.
  12. Now use the 22mm socket and tighten the top of the housing down until it's snug. Back it off 1/4 turn to set the pre-load. Now tighten the 14mm bolt until it's snug to lock the top plate in place.
  13. Apply anti-seize to the outer splines and bolt threads of the center arm pivot shaft and the inner splines of the Center Arm. Slide the arm on so that the curved arm is 'up' and to the left. Put the lock washer and nut on and tighten it firmly. That's it! You are done!

Finshed Product

Fig. 12

Finished Product

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Drag Link Rebuild

 

 

 

 

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