The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks '66 K20 Steering parts

So, I just joined after finding this great site and happy to be here. The question I have involves finding parts for my recently bought 1966 K20 long bed, stepside, CE block power-pak 283 equipped pickup. With only 924 being made in '66 i am having trouble finding a pitman arm and a drag link for the truck. Does anyone have good parts they would be willing to part with, or know of any NOS or aftermarket parts sources? I would greatly appreciate any and all info anyone wants to share.
Thanks

I will take this one to pm. I may have advice being in the field of 4x4 front ends lately. Xena post a few more questions (without buying or selling) or checkin at the welcome forum. Once you post once or twice more i will send a pm.
Do you have a picture of what your steering setup to confirm what you are working with?

It seems I have wasted no time in engaging in prohibited activity...lesson learned, won't happen again.

What I am seeking is the drag link that extends back from the pitman arm to the left steering knuckle and a good pitman arm as well. All the websites I visit seem to have the C10 or C20 (and sometimes the K10) equivalents but not the 3/4 ton K20 parts. The front suspension is leaf spring which changes everything when seeking parts. I worked flatrate for Chevrolet dealerships for over 20 years so I know exactly what I am looking for, I just can't seem to find it. The draglink ends have what look like standard tie rod ends but there is no adjustment; both the link and the ends are not threaded, and the ends are welded in place requiring the replacement of the entire link rather than replacing the ends. The pitman arm has a shallow dogleg configuration that is less pronounced than the newer power steering arms and not straight like the C or K10 series manual steering arms; it is specific to the K20. I have spent a significant amount of time searching for the parts I am looking for (in person, on the phone and on the internet) with no success. The parts on the truck are working fine but are showing their age. I want to rebuild the steering box and would like to have fresher parts to use once I do that so any information about parts sources would be most welcome and appreciated.

How does a pitman arm and drag link show their age?

1 more post xena so i can pm.
You describe what i am in the process of replacing. I would love to see a picture of your steering box, pitman and draglink. I am curious wx your steering box has a support bracket or if the steerring box is mounted direct to frame? I have seen both and i am not sure i know of the years and implications to the pitman arm. I have some bits and pieces that i am discovering may or may not work. I am not selling or buying here. Just comparing notes so we can get on same page.

I just came in from reinstalling the steering wheel and replacing the coupling on the worm gear. While I had it apart I adjusted the worm gear preload and the sector lash; as a result I now have a woderfully rejuvinated steering box and the loose steering i was experiencing is now history. Now, to answer in order of posting... Bartamos.the age is being shown in the rubber seals of the draglink (they are totally shredded and any grease l lube the ends with is exposed to road grit and weather so excessive wear is inevitable. The age of the pitman arm is apparent in that no matter how hard I try, with a pitman arm removal tool, I cant get it to budge. I am reluctant to use a torch to heat it because I do not have a replacement for it. The reason I want to remove it is to replace the sector shaft seal.

The drag link is 1' solid steel; I do not know what DOM tubing is, but the use of tubing to replace solid steel in a steering system worries me. I would appreciate more info about that. Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying you are wrong, I just am not familiar with the material. If a link can be fabricated, I would be interested in a PM abou having that done.

Hambone, I would be happy to take pictures for you, but to be honest I have been spending so much time on, in, and under the truck that I have not read the proper procedure for conveying pictures on this site. I seem to recall something about posting links to pictures, but as I have none posted on the internet, I am not sure how to get them to you. Possibly imbedded in a PM to you? I will do that tomorrow if that is acceptable behavior on this site. I have already gotten warnings about 2 posts of mine so I don't want to risk throwing any more gas on the fire.

I can tell you now that my steering box is bolted directly to the side of the frame with 3 nut and bolt assemblies that pass through the frame itself and the steering box.

Yes you can post a picture or 5 to your posts. When you get time (and not to interfere with wrenching otherwise) review to process. I ask for pictures partly selfishly, but it will serve to make sure we know what you have. I would not be surprised at all it your steering stuff has not been repaired at some point the way these trucks were abused over the years. Maybe with stock stuff but maybe with whatever was left over and laying around.
My part # source tells me you may be looking for # 3854943. I am not aware of differences between k10 and k20 for tie rods and drag links and steering boxes. At some point 62-63? the set up changed. (that is the selfish part - I am trying to confirm when).
2 versions of drag link pictured. Pitman arm shape and dimensions are same for both setups. The tube-type drag link uses a pitman with the ball stud. Steering box as mentioned could have been 1 of 2 versions as well. Fit is the same, but I have 1 steering box that was mounted to a bracket and then to frame. Bracket spaced steering box off the frame 2-3 inches. My guess is that GM used a standard steering box for c-series and k-series, with the k-series leaf springs requiring the standoff from the frame and the curved pitman arm. (Also I would like to confirm this). At some point they built and supplied a new steering box that made the bracket no-longer-required. (Also would like to confirm what year and what applications).
Of course I may be completely messed up on the entire situation, which I hope someone will then make me smarter, which will then make us all smarter.
Take a long at the pictures and let us know what is familiar.

Xena, the photo instructions are in the side bar of each thread/forum unless you are posting from your phone. Linking is acceptable and sending by email is also ok if the receiving party is agreeable. You now have your 5 posts so all that Stovebolt has to offer is available to you.

As promised......

I have replaced the ragjoint and adjusted the worm gear end play and the sector lash and as a result completely eliminated the steering looseness at the steering wheel. I also replaced the worm gear seal, but was unable to remove the pitman arm with a piman arm puller and great manual exertion. I am reluctant to use heat on the arm or an air gun on the removal tool. I have noticed the worm gear seal is weeping a bit around the shaft despite being well lubed before installation, but am hopeful it will seal a bit better with use.

I did discover today that the stock steering box for both the K 10 and 20 is the same unit, so I was mistaken thinking they were different. I am now unsure about the pitman arm application being different. I do know the K10 uses control arms and coil springs as I have seen ball joints listed an parts catalogs. I have always owned 3/4 or full ton pickups or panels so I am not as familiar with the lighter trucks.

A tip on what has worked for me in the past is to use rockauto's online catalog to compare things like steering components and see what years used what bu searching each year of truck you are interested in; it is by no means totally inclusive or infallible but works often enough for me to considere it one resource among many.

Wrong again.

Hi

Apparently you know something I dont.

Possibly mis-communication. When I read "control arms" I am confused. The K models have leaf springs on all four corners. I really don't know what you meant. I don't know of any control arms and I don't know of any coil springs. So your statement about K10 is in error. I think you are trying to say that whatever ball joints are used in K10 or K20 could possibly be the same size as C10 or C20. But there are no replaceable ball joints on the components you are asking about. Hence my suggestion of DOM. Maybe that's where you are going with finding ball joints.

DOM is used because it is very strong due to it's manufacturing method, as in: D rawn O ver M andrel. It is hollow and threadable with thick walls. Can't get that with seamed/rolled/welded. Most links are solid forged steel or bar stock. The DOM material allows for safe, strong, modifications to steering systems.

The method I'm thinking of for a drag link is DOM tubing with tie rod ends not ball joints.

I have to admit that I am the one that was confused.

Like I mentioned I have always focus mainly on the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks and when I was working in Chevy dealerships the vintage stuff never came in. I was trying to visualize how ball joints and leaf springs are incorporated in the same vintage assembly and was not come up with anything so I went back to Rockauto to see if I was looking at the wrong listings (i had been comparing steering boxes between the K10 and 20) when I saw the listing in the K10 section for ball joints and just assumed that control arms were used. I know my K20 doesn't have ball joints or control arms, so I checked the K20 listing. Much to my surprise, ball joints are listed for the K20 as well.

Mystery solved and confusion ended.

I am assuming then that the only real difference between the two models is the height of the spring stack and possibly gear ratio? My K20 has the top loader granny gear 4 speed and Timken transfer case with 4:56 differentials front and back; does yours have the same or was it all available in the K10s?

You have the solid drag link. I believe newer style introduced in the mid 60s (?). Pictured from my previous post. The link style Bartamos mentions is also pictured. That is the other one. Your K20 front end is the same as the K10.

I still did not get an answer to why you are doing all this thinking. What is wrong with the parts!? What is actually wrong? If it ain't broke don't fix it!

The steering box responded so well to the adjustments I made that I am doing much less thinking about it. I cannot feel any internal damage or roughness in the bearings and as long as I keep it lubricated it will be fine indefinately, making the stuck pitman arm a non issue. I am no longer planning on rebuilding or disassembling and cleaning the box. However, the link end seals are still trashed badly enough that the inner, dare I bring up the term again, ball socket / joint is exposed to road grit, weather, snow salt and especially beach sand etc and excessive wear is inevitable. The majority of the grease I try to lubricate the ends with end up either below the truck on the ground, or blown or washed onto the road surface by weather conditions while going down the road. I would really like to find a replacement while the one I have is still serviceable.

I was amazed to find the factory original radio still in the truck.

Looks like a really nice find. Will be fun to drive.

There's a lot of good info to be found in these vehicle information packets
https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html

Thanks for the tip, I have already passed on the link to another member.

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