2007.5-2010 Chevy Duramax LMM Pitman Arms

Pitman arms on the 2007.5-2010 Silverado HD

Power recirculating-ball steering was standard equipment on these Duramax HD trucks. The box mounts to the frame rail and the pitman arm clamps onto its sector shaft, so every input your hands make leaves the box through that one joint. From there the arm pushes the center link, the center link feeds the idler arm on the opposite frame rail, and outer tie rods carry the motion out to each knuckle. Nothing in that chain carries only its own load, which is why one loose pivot shows up as sloppiness everywhere.

What fails and why

Pitman and idler arms on these trucks wear early and let the center link move. The usual signs are wander at highway speed, no clear on-center feel, inside-edge tire wear, and play you can see with a helper rocking the wheel. Wear at the pitman end plus wear at the idler end lets the center link rotate, so the two are judged together rather than one at a time. Lift and oversized tires accelerate all of it; trucks set up that way can go through front-end parts every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. Cranking the torsion bars to level the front end expedites the same wear, because it loads the joints at angles the factory did not plan for.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

If your Silverado is at stock height on stock-size tires and the front end is simply old, a replacement arm of OE caliber puts the geometry back where it belongs and that is the end of it. Forged arms and heavier steering assemblies start to make sense once you have added height, weight or tire, because the extra leverage is what killed the original parts. The other half of the fix is bracing: support brackets with rod ends that double-shear the center link pivots stop the link from moving at all, instead of just renewing the joint that let it move. Owners who run big tires or pull sleds usually pair stronger arms with upgraded tie rods, since stock tie-rod ends fold under that kind of load.

What we carry

This page is PPE and BD Diesel. PPE's extreme-duty forged pitman arm covers it when you only need the arm, and PPE's forged 7/8-inch steering assembly takes in more of the linkage in one order. BD Diesel's steering upgrade kit is the other route. The PPE pieces here are listed as three-groove parts, so check the grooves and markings on what is on your truck before you order.

Fitment notes

Most of this hardware is cataloged for 2001-2010 6.6L Duramax trucks, so the listings cover more than just the LMM years. It stops at 2010 on purpose: the 2011 HD trucks arrived with a new frame and new upper and lower control arms, so 2001-2010 steering parts do not carry forward. Watch the other end of the range too, because a 2007 Classic Silverado HD is the older body with the LBZ, not an LMM truck. Support brackets want the center link in its factory position, which rules them out on lifts that hang the link from a drop bracket. Tell us cab, bed, 2WD or 4WD and single or dual rear wheel, or run the VIN through the fitment checker on any product page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell a worn pitman arm from a worn idler arm?

Have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth with the truck on the ground while you watch both ends of the center link. Movement at the pitman end that the box is not making is a worn pitman arm; movement at the passenger-side pivot is the idler. Because wear at either end lets the center link rotate, a truck showing play at one end is usually not far behind at the other, which is why they get addressed together.

Will a new pitman arm fix steering wander on its own?

Sometimes, and only when the pitman arm is the one loose joint. Wander on these trucks traces back to center link movement, and that movement can come from the pitman end, the idler end, the tie rods, or a combination. Inspect the whole chain before you buy a single part, or the truck will still wander with a new arm bolted in.

Does a leveling kit mean I will need these parts sooner?

Yes. Cranking the torsion bars to level the front end expedites deterioration of the steering components, and adding tire size on top of that compounds it. Lifted trucks on large tires have needed front-end parts as often as every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. If your Silverado is leveled, treat the linkage as a wear item rather than a lifetime part.

Not sure which arm your truck takes? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.