1969 Grand Prix Pitman Arm confusion
 

I’m hoping somebody can offer some insight into this. I’m converting from power to a manual steering box in my 1969 Grand Prix and need to know what pitman arm to use. If anyone has any part numbers as to what would work or even has one they would be willing to part with I would appreciate it. All new production sources I’ve seen list it as using the same arm as an A body, but upon purchasing and installing one, it isn’t long enough and doesn’t drop enough and cocks the drag link at an angle with the existing idler arm. Any help would be much appreciated.


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Being as the 69-72 Grand Pric and the 68 to 72 el camino both share the A.O.Smith #1942 frame, you might want to check out the el Camino offerings. By the way that frame is massive and too expensive for GM. It is one of the best frames to ever come from a GM car.

I would call Lee suspension. They carry some of the best steering boxes. I have there 800 Series 14:1 30 pound Torsion steering box. It has all the best features of a performance power box and a performance manual box. It returns the steering wheel to center faster then any manual box I ever had..

You might be out-of-luck.....
 

Pretty sure (99.9%) that MANUAL steering was NOT available on 1969-72 Grand Prixs.

I think power steering was standard and there was no option to delete it.

So there might not be a manual steering pitman arm that will fit and function correctly.

Good luck! :usflag:

Have ran across an original '69 GP with manual strg, never a '70.

389, Seems like every few months you repeat this INACCURATE statement.

Unfortunately, the frame you quote as being the same, it is not!

'68 & 69 as well as '70-72 Elco's have a 116" wheelbase, the Monte frame is unboxed.

'69 & 70-72 GrandPrixs have a 118" wheelbase.
69 GP used its own boxed frame... different die stamping in the rear wheel arches than '70-72 GP's.

Have frames of each style, have parted to the ground several dozen ElCo's & GP's of this era, as well as several Monte's. know them very well.

Power Steering box wise, a '69 GP uses a different PS pitman arm than a '70-72 GP PS arm. Has something to do with the splines. I always paint pen ID '69 GP PS boxes when I pull them, occasionally will get an inquiry for a '69 GP box. All the '69 GP Invoice copies I've viewed show Variable Ratio Steering on '69 GP's, not sure if that has anything to do with difference in '70 models.

Do know'70-72 MonteCarlo's did not use this style pitman arm.

Going manual steering...
For many years, 2nd Gen Firebird racers searched for mid 80's S10 manual steering boxes, & then swapped on the 2nd Gen Birds P/S pitman arm. Have searched for & had several of that style SI0 manual box. Same swap could be done in a '69 or 70-72 GP.

The common '64- mid 70's style GM manual steering box requires its own specific manual strg pitman arm for each bidy style. Extremely hard to find whether searching for the specific manual strg arm for a '69 GrandPrix, or the specific manual strg arm for a '70-72 Firebird.

There are differences in the input shafts (30 vs. 36 spline) and the out put shaft diameters also. Saginaw 605 (with the round top cover) was a "downsized" cheaper power box that used the same output shaft as most manual boxes. The Saginaw 800 power box used a larger out put shaft diameter. I have a whole 5 gallon bucket full of pitman arms, but an original '69 - '72 GP one, wow thats hen teeth. Kind of like finding a first gen Monte Carlo or a '73 Chevelle with manual steering.

Old stock car racers trick, use the power box, and loop the hose from each power steering box fitting to the other. Manuals box without all the drama. You of course have to make sure the box has power steering fluid in it to keep everything smooth, and lubricated.

:2cents:

Thank you for the insight and guidance everyone. I appreciate the help. Looks like I have some searching and trial and error ahead of me.


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The 70-72 Monte Carlo used Chevelle front suspension components. The '69 GP (which was the reason there was a '70 up Monte Carlo) did not use "off the shelf" A Body Idler and Pitman arms, as well as centerlink, to best of my knowledge. Suspect the length (front to back) of the GP idler and pitman is longer, than a typical A body one. Perhaps the same length, as an F body one, but with a "drop". But I haven't parted one in decades. Both the GP and Monte Carlo used "Stretched" A body frames, that were lengthened forward of the firewall, in several places, to give a longer hood and front clip profile. Believe Fisher Body coded both the GP and the Monte Carlo as G body, at that time. The GP had a different engine frame cross member, also, than a typical A body. As the GP was positioned a a "personal" luxury car, a manual steered one was either non-existent, or a very rare bird. Know they did have four speed ones, as there were also four speed early Monte Carlos, but again these cars were very rare.

The 69 GP did not have power steering as standard.
The 1 of 3 428 HO 3spd car (was converted to 4spd by my father) that I learned stick-shift on was manual steering.
I know of at least 2 others - here is one, wish I could post the invoice:
https://mfpclassiccars.com/pontiac/5...o-4-speed.html