Dodge 2001 Ram 1500 Owner's Manual page 1616

BR/BE
PITMAN SHAFT (Continued)
INSTALLATION
(1) Install pitman shaft bearing into housing with
a bearing driver and handle.
(2) Coat the oil seal and washer with special
grease supplied with the new seal.
(3) Install the oil seal with a driver and handle.
(4) Install backup washer.
(5) Install the retainer ring with snap ring pliers.
(6) Coat the dust seal with special grease sup-
plied with the new seal.
(7) Install dust seal with a driver and handle.
(8) Install pitman shaft to side cover by screwing
shaft in until it fully seats to side cover.
(9) Install preload adjuster nut. Do not tighten
nut until after Over-Center Rotation Torque
adjustment has been made.
(10) Install gasket to side cover and bend tabs
around edges of side cover (Fig. 11).
(11) Install pitman shaft assembly and side cover
to housing.
(12) Install side cover bolts and tighten to 60 N·m
(44 ft. lbs.).
(13) Perform over-center rotation torque adjust-
ment, (Refer to 19 - STEERING/GEAR - ADJUST-
MENTS).
PITMAN SHAFT SEAL
REMOVAL
(1) Clean exposed end of pitman shaft and housing
with a wire brush.
(2) Remove preload adjuster nut (Fig. 19).
(3) Rotate the stub shaft with a 12 point socket
from stop to stop and count the number of turns.
(4) Center the stub shaft by rotating it from the
stop 1/2 of the total amount of turns.
(5) Remove side cover bolts and remove side cover,
gasket and pitman shaft as an assembly (Fig. 19).
NOTE: The pitman shaft will not clear the housing if
it is not centered.
(6) Remove pitman shaft from the side cover.
(7) Remove dust seal from the housing with a seal
pick (Fig. 20).
CAUTION: Use care not to score the housing bore
when prying out seals and washer.
(8) Remove retaining ring with snap ring pliers.
(9) Remove washer from the housing.
(10) Remove oil seal from the housing with a seal
pick.
(11) Remove pitman shaft bearing from housing
with a bearing driver and handle (Fig. 21).
Fig. 19 Side Cover and Pitman Shaft
1 - SIDE COVER BOLTS
2 - PRELOAD ADJUSTER NUT
3 - SIDE COVER
4 - GASKET SEAL
5 - PITMAN SHAFT GEAR
6 - HOUSING ASSEMBLY
Fig. 20 Pitman Shaft Seals & Bearing
1 - BEARING
2 - WASHER
3 - DUST SEAL
4 - RETAINER
5 - OIL SEAL
GEAR 19 - 23