Trunnions - a warning!!!

[mike.perry]

My suspension collapse happened outside the hotel where the MMOC commitee were meeting so there were plenty of photos taken and a certain amount of embarassment.
The hotel was a modest privately run establishment, not an expensive chain.

[M25VAN]

When greasing (a) add a small amount of diesel oil to the grease - keeps it softer

I think ESM sell Castrol MDX grease for trunnions. It's very sticky and softer than normal moly grease. Hope it does as good a job!

[Kevin]

jack up the car and support on the chassis leg, then raise the suspension arm to take the weight off the joints - this allows better penetration of the grease.
The twin nipple trunnions are supplied by the Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) and are worth every penny. They actually have the original nipple plus two additional ones. Having filled the trunnion with grease on assembly, and then pumped the original nipple until grease came out of the seals, both extra nipples took a few more strokes of the gun before grease came out of the seals.

I know most know the correct way of greasing as quoted but there are still those that done realise the car needs to be jacked up and thanks for mentioning it.
The twin nipple trunnions sound a good idea especially if they seem to allow better grease penetration.

I hadn't come across Castrol MDX before but that's probably because I have a couple of tubs on castrol LM grease and havent looked into buying any for a long time, but on looking up the differences I may get some just for the trunnions and its the same price as the LM grease and it does seem more appropriate so I can see why its been reccommended.

LM Grease
Lithium based, high melting point grease, specifically designed as a wheel bearing grease for use over a wide range of temperatures. Also suitable for general purpose applications

Impervia MDX
Soft, tacky grease, containing additives which give it excellent adhesion to metals.
Suitable for high temperature, high load applications including shock loading conditions

That gloppy, waxy, grease-slathered bandage stuff

Do you mean DENZO Rob[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Ah yes - I've been struggling to remember the name. But in fact - pretty sure it is DENSO tape.
http://denso.net/

[Ratbag]

jack up the car and support on the chassis leg, then raise the suspension arm to take the weight off the joints - this allows better penetration of the grease.
The twin nipple trunnions are supplied by the Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) and are worth every penny. They actually have the original nipple plus two additional ones. Having filled the trunnion with grease on assembly, and then pumped the original nipple until grease came out of the seals, both extra nipples took a few more strokes of the gun before grease came out of the seals.

I know most know the correct way of greasing as quoted but there are still those that done realise the car needs to be jacked up and thanks for mentioning it.

For completeness then, what's the recommended method of checking the trunnions for wear (apart from stripping apart....)?.

Cheers,
Phil.

[M25VAN]

The twin nipple trunnions are supplied by the Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) and are worth every penny. They actually have the original nipple plus two additional ones. Having filled the trunnion with grease on assembly, and then pumped the original nipple until grease came out of the seals, both extra nipples took a few more strokes of the gun before grease csme out of the seals.

Do these have extra channels inside or do they just have extra holes drilled with grease nipples added? If so it shouldn't be difficult to modify existing trunnions?

[MarkyB]

the recommended method of checking the trunnions for wear

You could ask your MOT guy, but I think you lift the side you want to check under the arm until the wheel is off the ground then with a crowbar or other lever, and a block of wood as a pivot, try to lift up the trunnion.
This will show up any slack in the thread.
When they are on the limit they will actually rattle over bumps.

If you find no play you are home dry, some is acceptable, but I can't put an actual measurement to it.

[simmitc]

Do these have extra channels inside or do they just have extra holes drilled with grease nipples added? If so it shouldn't be difficult to modify existing trunnions?

You could drill and tap existing trunnions to achieve the same effect.

[Dryad]

If you find no play you are home dry, some is acceptable, but I can't put an actual measurement to it.

Not so, I'm afraid! There was absolutely no play in my trunnions, AND it had just passed an MOT, and the reason can be seen in the photo below. Can you see any thread inside the trunnion? No, neither can I. There is some but it's covered with a hard layer of fine grit and old grease, and this seems to be all that was clinging to the worn thread on the king pin. If this has happened to your trunnions you will notice that the steering is quite heavy and not the light and responsive steering you've heard others referring to. With my new king pins and trunnions in place today it's like a new car! The two bushes you can see in the photo are from the eye bolt.[frame][/frame]

[twincamman]

the recommended method of checking the trunnions for wear

You could ask your MOT guy, but I think you lift the side you want to check under the arm until the wheel is off the ground then with a crowbar or other lever, and a block of wood as a pivot, try to lift up the trunnion.
This will show up any slack in the thread.
When they are on the limit they will actually rattle over bumps.

If you find no play you are home dry, some is acceptable, but I can't put an actual measurement to it.

A slight caveat on this, before using a crowbar on the wheel, make sure the car is on an axle stand rather than the jack.....

[Sam_Finlay]

Oh dear, - it's the sudden drop and lurch to one side accompanied by the grinding of metal that compounds the shock.

It's happened to me twice in the past - once in a low ceilinged multi story car park in the centre of Bristol which was a challenge to recover and on one of the steepest hills in Clifton Bristol around midnight. The residents were not amused.

Regular greasing takes on a different priority when it has happened to you so thanks for the reminder. Must go and buy a grease gun.

[Adrian Nugent]

hi there,
I have already made a post regarding this issue I'm having but I am hoping someone on here may also have some ideas.

Here is a link to pictures of my front suspension, i tried jacking it at the rear of the arm so that i could get the fulcrum pin out of the trunnion but it wouldn't budge. I didn't want to try and hammer it out in case i damaged anything. Is there something I was doing wrong? also if I were to get the pin out would I need to disconnect the steering arm to pivot the kingpin out to unscrew the trunnion?

I unscrewed the 2 nuts on the fulcrum pin but could not get it out, my setup is slightly different from the original so I'm not quite sure if there is something else I need to try

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nuggers123

any help is much appreciated.

[Dryad]

Blimey - I wasn't expecting a reply to a post i made four years ago! I can't see your pictures because it's asking me to log in to your Tumblr account. You can post pictures directly onto your messages on this forum. However, my guess is that it sounds as if you haven't separated the two halves of the lower suspension arm. You need to undo two bolts along its length and then take off the nut on the end of the torsion bar, and then you can just lever the two halves apart. Then it's just a matter of releasing the trunnion and you can knock out the pin easily.

[Adrian Nugent]

hi there, thanks for getting back to me.
I dont think my arm can be seperated to unscrew the trunnion, it has been modified and i cannot contact the original owner for assistance. i have attached the photos for you, as you can see I have unscrewed the nuts from the fulcrum pin but do not know where to go from there.

[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Dryad]

That's a HIGHLY modified suspension you have there! The problem is that the pin you are trying to remove has 'shoulders' which is why you can't knock it out as it is, and it looks like that suspension arm has been welded together with the trunnion in place, making it impossible to remove unless you cut through the suspension arm - not that I'm suggesting you should do that!!! I'm sure someone who has experience of your modification will come along shortly and give you advice.

[Adrian Nugent]

would you happen to know what type of suspension this is so i can look it up?
I also suppose i couldnt just bang the fulcrum pin out with a hammer and raise the lower arm up and then unscrew the trunnion from underneath?? or would that just be causing major damage??

[aupickup]

its a simialar set up tp JLH

[Dryad]

It looks like it, yes. See their website at http://www.jlhmorrisminors.co.uk/

[Adrian Nugent]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah thank you, i have looked on their site and that is the one that i have!!
i will contact them and see what the say about changing the trunnions!

thanks again!!

[les]

It must be able to be tapped out, I imagine it has to be knocked in a certain direction, remove the washers from either side and you should be able to see which way it comes out from. One hole should be bigger one side, to allow the pin removal.