On my '96 SS the OE drag link with 220k miles was seriously worn, so got a new replacement (a Raybestos, unfortunately).
I got the old one out and the replacement in with little problem. Until I went to install the final cotter pin in the bolt on the pitman arm. The taper on this new one didn't seat far enough, so the castle nut covered the hole in the stud. I pulled it back out and compared with the OE, they are identical. Measured the taper diameter, both are 0.59" at the top. The old taper was pretty gaulled, so I gently polished the inside of the pitman and the new stud with emory cloth. Didn't make any difference. The taper is gripping, that's not the problem, it's just slightly lower than original and I can't install the cotter pin.
Is this one of those things where the Caprice part was 0.01" different than the Imp SS part? Or should I just replace the pitman arm with a new one? I've never had a problem like this with a ball stud...
Thanks for any suggestions,
-Michael
I got the old one out and the replacement in with little problem. Until I went to install the final cotter pin in the bolt on the pitman arm. The taper on this new one didn't seat far enough, so the castle nut covered the hole in the stud. I pulled it back out and compared with the OE, they are identical. Measured the taper diameter, both are 0.59" at the top. The old taper was pretty gaulled, so I gently polished the inside of the pitman and the new stud with emory cloth. Didn't make any difference. The taper is gripping, that's not the problem, it's just slightly lower than original and I can't install the cotter pin.
Is this one of those things where the Caprice part was 0.01" different than the Imp SS part? Or should I just replace the pitman arm with a new one? I've never had a problem like this with a ball stud...
Thanks for any suggestions,
-Michael