2002 TJ Sahara. I am replacing all the front end linkage components: tie rod, track bar, drag link, steering damper, and pitman arm. All the old components are off. First to go back on is the Pitman arm, then I will do the track bar, etc. So the question is about the pitman arm: I have centered the steering wheel (all the way to left lock, then all the way to the right lock, turn back half the turns.) The sector shaft is now having the "flat" (there are four of them, every 90 degrees) pointing straight down/forward. The new pitman arm has four corresponding flats, and to the best of my ability I am lining them up correctly, and then pushing up the pitman arm onto the sector shaft to start it. But when I start cranking the lock washer and tightening nut to seat the pitman arm all the way up the sector shaft, the pitman arm starts rotating, as does the steering gears and wheel. Google and ChatGPT searches tell me I am not aligning the "flats" correctly and that if I do, then I can tighten the nut without the steering wheel turning more than a few degrees due to "gear lash". So sorry for the long winded description, and possibly for my relative inexperience and lack of understanding, but I can't understand how the steering should not start turning when tightening the pitman arm... the nut and locking washer are touching the pitman arm; turning the nut, by friction engages the pitman arm; the pitman arm is at least partially engaging the splines on the sector shaft; so everything turns. What am I missing? I am fully prepared to be called stupid, so please let loose, just make sure there is some actionable advice in there! Thanks in advance.
