I am getting a squeaking sound from my pitman arm. I think it is the pitman arm. It is on the left side of my 97 F150 4.6L. Not the side with the grease zerk. It just started and I only notice it when I turn the wheel to the right. I had someone turn the wheel while I listened under the truck. Sounds like I need grease in the closed fitting? Can this be remedied? Is there a fitting I can buy to convert this joint to a greasable type?

Thanks,
Alan

 

only solution is to have the pitman arm replaced. TSB on this problem, it should be replaced under warrenty. If your out of warrenty try to get an aftermarket one with a grease fitting.

Hobbit

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99 XLT,4.6L Auto,4X4,tow pkge,Factory Nerf Bars and Mudflaps, K&N filter,BugflectorII, Amazon Green/Silver, Pace Edwards Rolltop Cover, maybe a Superchip

 

Any luck finding that Pitman arm? Need to know where to get one since my beast just started squealing like a fat pig and my warranty expired. Is this a difficult install? What do I need to do this? Any help greatly appreciated. The noise makes me nuts (not because I hear it very ofted but because I know its there)!

 

Never mind that last question. My dealer has one. Pretty cheap - $38. But the service manager told me there is a boot that I can pull back and add grease and that I probably don't have to grease the arm. He also told me that when you take your truck to the dealership it is something they automatically grease during normal service. Is this right? He is a pretty good guy and I trust him. I told him my warranty is up and I wanted to do it myself. It just doesn't sound like what I've been reading here. Any thoughts?

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'97, 4x4, ORP, Airraid, Fixed Crack, soon to have chip and Flow all for mileage according to the wife.

 

Okay, here is what I did. Took it to the dealer to have him listen. He said that although the fittings are not zerked he has his guys use a needle attachment to their grease guns and just squirts the grease under the lip of the seals. I asked if there was any damage to my idler and pittman arms since it has been doing this squeak grind for 2 weeks. He said it should be fine after I add the grease. He seemed to think that it should have been routine for me to grease these boots at every other oil change. I understand the need to do this, but Ford should then have built in a fitting. I just thought (blindly) that they had some kind of super joint that did not need any further grease for the life of the vehicle. Ha!
Once I added the grease with the needle I purchased at a local auto parts store, it immediately stopped squeaking. I tried the best I could to get the grease under the lip of the boot so as not to put a hole in the boot. This was hard to do while laying on the garage floor and trying to get the needle under the shrunk boot.
Good luck in trying this. It solved my problem and as far as I know it should do the trick.
Alan

 

Could you tell me where exactly those boots are.

 

As I remember there are 5. One on the idler arm, 2 at either end of the middle steering rod and two at the ends of the steering rod (toward the wheels) I had to crawl under the front of the truck to do/see this. Mine were pretty scrivaled (hence the squeek)
Alan

 

Are you sure the noise is coming from pitman arm? As someone said earlier it sounds like a squealing pig. Mine will make the noise 99% of the time when turning the tires. It drives me crazy that there is but only one grease zerk under the front-end. I thought the noise was coming from inside the steering box myself, but hope I am wrong, that's big bucks there.

 

All I know is that after adding grease to the parched joints that had boots, the squealing stopped. It must have been one of the joints if not a couple. Not all Oil change shops will automatically grease this with a needle fitting. It is worth trying to grease these joints first if you think the sound is coming from dry joints.
Alan

 

...squealing pig...that's the Pitman Arm all right...they are notorious for going..everybody I know down here w/ a F 150 has had to get it replaced (all were 97s).

FYI mine was a real ##*%(%*( for the shop to get off...and $75 P&L but the silence is worth it.

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1997 Arctic White F-150 XLT Flareside SC, K&N, Magnaflow muffler, Air Box mods, Bugflector II, Soft Tonneau Cover, Chrome Westin Bars, 3" Performance Accessories Body Lift, tinted windows

Flares Rule!!!!!

 

Is that the only sign of a bad pitman arm, the squeeling? Every once in a while, while turning, I will get a loud exploding bang coming from the driver side wheel. I thought that possible it could be the Pitman arm? I will be taking the truck in for warranty work, and I want them to look at the intermediate steering shaft because of banging noise when the steering wheel is turned side to side, I thought that i read that there is a TSB for this. And I will also have then look at the pitman arm. Any suggestions? Thanx

 

Mine went "bang" once...and the driver's side outer tie rod end popped right out. If you're still under warranty, get it replaced!
The part & labour to install was cheap, but it did leave me stranded & needing a tow. Funny, but it didn't seem to steer loosely up to that point either.

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'97 S/C XLS black/silver 157" WB, 4.6/auto, 3:08, home made custom stainless tube grille, terminator muffler, phantom sweep wiper switch(factory installed), a few billet aluminum goodies (the list grows), airbox mods, TPS tuned
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