Trunnion replacement first timer

[Matt531]

Yay. Both sides are moving. Thanks folks. Everyday's a school here isn't it?

some lubricant on the splines you can tap the arm forwards too as it will help spread the lube and clean more muck off the splines.

That seemed to be the key. Getting some lube in there and then getting some movement. I then gave the arms a sharp blow with a 2lb hammer and a 'drift' (not a springy screwdriver) placed as squarely and as close to the torsion bar as possible and 'voila' moving rear wishbone arms. Thanks for that.

But... Que Darth Vader entrance music...

On the offside the spigot pivot/bush is moving with the rear arm and on the nearside the rear arm has stayed where it is and the arm has drifted from the spigot pivot/bush. Mmh. Should I be concerned?

So. Both sides of the front suspension are stripped. Now all I have to do is...

• Undo the big eyebolt bolts on the engine side of the chassis rail.
• See if I have enough space and movement to 'wangle' the eyebolts out.
• Put everything back together with my shiny new bits.
• Make another list for all the jobs that are included in the above.

When moving the rear arm back on to the spline is it best practice to use some form of anti-seize compound?

Gosh, time to put the kettle on I reckon. This is a lot more fun than just paying somebody to look after your plastic and electronical consumer car isn't it?

[bmcecosse]

No harm in copper grease. Hope you are fitting polyurethane bushes. And consider a packing washer to eliminate some of the positive camber........

[MarkyB]

I hope you doused the eyebolt bushes with something, even WD40, before you put the kettle on!

You may live to regret not loosening the eye bolt nut while the torsion bars were still in, but all is not lost anything round shoved in there will suffice.

If you are very unlucky and the eyebolt doesn't want to come out there is very little scope for whacking it, my trolley jack handle fits in the big hole and gives plenty of leverage to give it the idea of what is required.
You can probably find something similar.

[MGs]

Just had the front offside trunnion come off whilst I was driving (an interesting experience). The thread on the trunnion was bare. However, the one on the kingpin looks fine. I have ordered new trunnions and a kingpin just in case. However, just curious about whether you can install a new lower trunnion, without removing the king pin/brake assembly. The version of the Haynes manual I have doesn't even mention trunnions. I have removed the old one, but obviously this was easy as it was just hanging in the suspension arm. Just wondering if you can screw on a new one without taking half the car to bits.

[MGs]

What a nasty job. Not helped by some previous halfwits. The split pin on the ball joint had been broken off at both ends. I got the castle nut off. Not sure what I am going to do the with the plugged up hole.
Also had to saw off the copper brake pipe as someone had rounded off the union, which was seized solid. Just ordered a new pair of pipes. Getting the kingpin off the backplate isn't that easy either. However, having got it all to bits, it wasn't just the thread on the lower trunnion which is worn the lower kingpin thread is flattened off on one side. So, new all round is the way to go.
Then only some slight repairs to the front wing to complete. Amazing what damage can be done

[bmcecosse]

As you have found - when it falls apart like that, it needs a complete new kingpin assembly. Just 4 bolts hold the brake backplate to the kingpin - shouldn't be that difficult. Probably need a new flexi brake pipe too....... Others have found new trunnions to still have swarf inside - worth cleaning them out - and of course put PLENTY of grease in there on assembly - I use Moly grease. the biggest problem is likely to be getting the steering arm out of the old kingpin........... And of course - if this happens on one side of the car - you should wonder if the other side is in a similar condition............

[lincschris]

I've now read this & several other forum threads in great detail & am completely mystified.

I need to replace the near side lower trunnion quite urgently (MoT fail) & have never done it before. I can't decide what the right sequence should be to achieve this and diferent threads seem to suggest different things and use different terminology although I have got my head around most of this now (I think).

To get the lower trunnion off, is it better to slacken off or remove the front lower arm or the rear & is the lower arm the same thing as the suspension arm & wishbone arm? Do the arms indeed have to be separated or can I get the trunnion fulcrum pin out by just slackening off the arms?

Any help or hints & tips would be most appreciated as all the "little" jobs I've done in the past have turned into monsters - who would have thought fitting new rear bump stops could be such a pain

[bmcecosse]

There is no 'wishbone' - the lower suspension arm has two parts - yes you need to remove the front half - do nothing to the rear. Be aware that a new trunnion may not completely cure the wear - although it should reduce any wear, if the kingpin threads are badly worn - they will very quickly destroy the threads in the new trunnion. A complete new kingpin assembly would be a much safer way forward.