Help with Pitman arm length

[Lou Kish]

I am looking for information for center to center length of the pitman arm used on 1998 to 2001 Cadillac Catera.  I want to use this pitman arm because it is flat, to locate a Delphi 600 steering box on my 37 LaSalle project.  Any help with dimensions would be greatly appreciated.  The local Cadillac dealers do not have any in stock and are listed as discontinued.  This is reasonable since the part does not wear out.  No luck finding one at local recyclers either.  I have found the pitman arm available from Moog and AC Delco, but no length dimensions.  I don't really want to order one without knowing that the effective length will work for what I am trying to do.  Thanks for any help or suggestions.  Lou Kish.

[markl]

Lou,
I am in a unique position of being able to get you the information on the Catera Pitman Arm length and also to want to know what the heck you are doing, as I too own a 1937 LaSalle.  However, I'm recuperating from surgery and it would be July 19th at the earliest before I would be able to crawl under the Catera, which is actually my daughter's, though only a few miles away.  I do all the wrenching on her car (1998 w/ a 1993 Opel engine), so no big deal on the pitman arm length, though I think it will be necessary to remove a plastic cover on the underside of the car before the pitman arm is exposed.

So hopefully, someone else can get you this info in the near term.  If not, feel free to contact me via Email or repost your request sometime after the 19th.  And now, the inevitable question; are you thinking this particular steering box can be substituted for the original and mate to the steering column etc.?  Or are you changing out all the steering gear up to and including the wheel?

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

[Lou Kish]

Mark,
First of all I hope your recuperation goes well.  As far as what the heck I am doing is building a hot rod out of my LaSalle.  I have owned it since I was in college back in '73.  My father was a mechanic and I grew up in a garage and had a hot rod all my life, but kept this to do something special with.  When I bought it, the engine was no good, but the body was fair.  (I know purists would have restored it.)  After I retired a couple of years ago, I started on it.  I have sectioned the frame and used the front and rear frame portions from a '77 Coupe D'Elegance to achieve a good suspension and braking setup.  I have 500 cid engine and 400 turbo to replace the 425.  My problem came in the forward mounting of the '77 steering box not clearing the front fender adequately.  The solution is to use a smaller gearbox (Delphi 600, which I have) and locate it lower on the frame rail which necessitates the use of a flat pitman arm providing it is very close center to center effective length to the original ’77 drop pitman arm so as not to drastically change the steering ratio or affect the idler arm.  I am hoping the Catera pitman arm will do the trick, but through much research, have not been able to find the length of the arm.  If you or others can help, it would be greatly appreciated.  Once again I wish you a speedy recovery.  Do you have an Opera Coupe?

Lou

[markl]

Lou,
Well the short answer is that "no" I have the 4 door sedan (5019).  And I am going the route of a faithful restoration, but I am not above substituting more modern parts where they are an improvement (like electric fuel pumps etc.) and are unobtrusive.  I do however admire the work of those that have the patience to "Rod" a car such as the LaSalle.  And besides, I have discovered that you guys are an excellent source of parts that no "resorter" would ever part w/!  It is in fact how I came by a decent fuel tank.

So yes, if someone else has a Catera, it won't hurt my feelings if they get your cc measurement before I do it.  But the truth is I'd rather be crawling under the Catera than being stuck talking about it!

Have you considered posting photos of your project on the modified chapter's board?  I'd like to see how all this turns out like.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

[Classic]

You might want to call Paul Lares at Lares Corp  http://larescorp.com/index.html.  He might know the answer as well as have other helpful info.  He's a car guy.

[Lou Kish]

Thank you Gene.  I will get with the link you provided.  Really appreciate it.

Lou

[markl]

Lou,
Just in case you check the CLC Forums before you read your personal Email, the cc length of the Catera pitman arm is 4-3/8" to the best of my abilities to measure it.  There is a plastic cap on the end that fits over the steering box output shaft, so getting a good read on the center of the shaft requires a little guessing.  By calculation, this would be about 111mm, and no doubt the arm was made to metric standards, so if you every do come up w/ dimensioned drawings, I'd bet it is some even metric measurement like 110, 111 or 112 mm.  Let us know how your conversion works out, though I now understand this is to mate it to more modern Cadillac steering components, not the original 37 LaSalle linkage.

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216

[Lou Kish]

Thanks Mark,

Will send you an update on what has been going on.  To everyone trying to help, thanks.  Have the information I requested.  This forum is great!

Lou