Pitman Arm Recommendation: 39 box in a 35

Detonator

Detonator

Senior Member
I've put a '39 steering box in my '35. I went ahead and drilled out the rivets on the original '35 mounting plate and replaced it with the later version. The wishbone is a '40 with a dropped axle. I spent some time on the Barn looking for Pitman Arm recommendation, but eventually figured that since the front end was now effectively a 39/40, I'd use an 11A-3590



Per my Green Bible, this is correct for '37 - '41... but I don't like how low it hangs under the car.


Some guys have recommended a 78-3590 (which doesn't have a listing in the Bible) or just using the original 48-3590 off my '35 box.


What's the current advice on this? Thanks.
 

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I dont know about a 35, but on my 33, I used a later pitman arm, with the replaceable ball, BUT I had to file the interrupted splines on the pitman arm with a small triangle file so it would fit on the 33 sector shaft.
Lawrie
 
My 35, whilst RHD, is like yours; 39 box mounted on the later bracket, dropped axle. I use the original 35 pitman arm; it doesn't hang as low.
 
I'm with Rich B - take a good Rose Bud oxy/acet torch and heat-bend it (off the steering box). It does look a bit low to me . . . you don't need a "cow catcher" hanging underneath your car. :D
 
You could think about using a 7 Deg. reamer on top only going halfway and installing the draglink end from the top. JMO
 
I have a '40 steering box in my '36, the front axle is a '41 dropped two inches with a '41 spring and stock shackles. Stock '36 wishbone.

The pitman arm is a 21-A-3590-3 015..
Everything bolted together with no help from a VICTOR Wrench.
The column mass jacket is a '40 column shift, trans is a column shift, steering wheel is a '47.. Here again a bolt together application.
I used a '41 axle because dropping and axle tends to decrease the tread width, which looks funny on a full fendered car.
 
My understanding is the 78-3590 is 37-40 and the 11A-3590 is 1941. It probably superceded the 78- for replacement parts.

I have a few of each and can compare them tonight. You are welcome to a 78-3590 if it will help.
 
Detonator said:
I've put a '39 steering box in my '35. I went ahead and drilled out the rivets on the original '35 mounting plate and replaced it with the later version. The wishbone is a '40 with a dropped axle. I spent some time on the Barn looking for Pitman Arm recommendation, but eventually figured that since the front end was now effectively a 39/40, I'd use an 11A-3590



Per my Green Bible, this is correct for '37 - '41... but I don't like how low it hangs under the car.


Some guys have recommended a 78-3590 (which doesn't have a listing in the Bible) or just using the original 48-3590 off my '35 box.
Click to expand...


Detonator....NealinCA above is probably correct in suggesting the "78-3590" arm (1937-1940 & SOME '41s). It has a double bend in it like the picture BELOW shows. The tapered holes for the tie rod and drag link are both correct to have BOTH rods clear a '40 wishbone. Coop


385266



The short '35-'36 Pitman arm ("48-3590") BELOW!

202788



An "11A-3590" Pitman arm (BELOW) bend and tapers will make the drag link hit the '40 wishbone.


202648



The "21A-3590" with wrong-way tapered holes BELOW.


402877


402875



There are four basic arms to choose from, BELOW....The short '35-'36 ("48-3590"), the '37-'40 and SOME '41s ("78-3590"), the '41 ONLY ("11A-3590"), and the wrong way tapered '42-'48 ("21A-3590").


259669
 
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I went through several pitman arms on my '36 when I went to the dropped axle in '55, I did not like the way most of them hung below the car, very noticeable when the car was looked at from a distance.

I had parted out a '47 wagon to get hydraulic brakes for my brothers 36 pickup, had the 21-A-3590-3 pitman arm from the wagon so i tried it on my '36, it did the trick, nice and tight up under the car.
 
If you fit the later frame bracket this lowers the box by about 1/2 you then need to use the 1937 783590 arm to keep the control arm parallel with the tie rod ,but if you have a dropped axle (as said ) it would need to be custom bent ,
 
I went thru my stash and found one of each. The 21A actually looks kind of promising -- it mounts the rod end on top, but I'll have to see how parallel it is.


I didn't realize the later mounting plate lowered the box. I'll slap these on tomorrow and report back. Thanks everyone for the help.
 

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I used the '40 steering gear frame mount on my '36 with the '40 steering gears.
It was kind of a win win deal using the '41 dropped axle under my car. A friend of mine had the axlel under his coupe. on a trip to LA from Vegas Dick got ran off of the road outside of San Bernadino. Dick had the car towed into San Berd'o were a new dropped axle was installed, Dick brought the bent axle back to Vegas, giving it to me.
I did some checking to see if the '41 axle would fit under my car. I had used '41 spindles/brakes when I converted to hydraulic brakes. I lucked out, I had the axle straightened out and did the swap.
I did not know that the '40 frame mount placed the steering gear box lower in the frame. I had no need for the pre '40 head light wiring because I had converted from that assembly two years earlier, going to a dash mount switch and a floor mounted dimmer switch, with a dash mounted start button.

I have a '47-48 Columbia rear axle under my car with a '47-48 rear spring and shackles, the front and rear combination makes my car sit a little lower than stock, however, the overall stance is perfect in my book.
 
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