Pickup restoration part three

[davidmiles]

yes you're quite right, how could I ? But it's got to all come off again, I'm seriously thinking of renewing the whole trunnion unit, they're onLY £15 a side for the kit from ESM[frame][/frame]

[brucek]

I would David - the front suspension links are pretty critical to the safety and stability of the car. I'd also consider doing the bottom trunnions and eyebolt bushes too whilst you are at it as these also wear quite quickly and, in the case of the eyebolt bushes, are often responsible for the 'clonk' you hear when driving on rough road surfaces. The bottoms and eyebolts are a little more difficult to do but there is plenty of 'how to' info on here or in the usual technical manuals. If you use poly bushes throughout you'll probably not have to do teh job again for many years to come. Good luck

[davidmiles]

Thanks Bruce, I will replace the lot with POLY bushes in time, you are right about the safety aspect, you can't take that too seriously. So, with that in mind, and my terrible gaff with the washer, Ive cut off the nut as it was stuck fast and going around and around, the front nut came of textbook, but the tapered part of the pin is stuck fast in the damper arm. Time for a little heat to expand the metal and break the seal, Once that is out I can fit all new parts with poly bushes on monday afternoon, when I get back from ESM.[frame][/frame]

[aupickup]

use superflex polys they are the best

[davidmiles]

Yes Dennis, I intend to fit polys next. Finally I managed to remove the trunnion pin after successive heat application followed by striking the end with a hammer, then finally it came loose, I had to cut off the threaded portion as it had mushroomed over. So new pin in, the old trunnion is just resting in place to take strain off the brake hose. Ive ordered some poly bushes from ESM as the counter is closed mondays.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

ESM are out of these castle nuts, I had to nip to Namrick in Hove to pick up two of these, waste of a trip for two nuts, plus me in the car, three nuts then. But it was all I needed, they're helpful lads in there.[frame][/frame]

The nut on the tracking rod end is hard to tighten, it just keeps roatating, it's what a ball joint is designed to do, Ive got to find a way of tightening that up to impress Mr MOT man, Rob.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

out with the old, in this case one year old, rubber bushes, and in with new poly bushes that should arrive in the post tommorow. I'm surprised at the damage to them in one years motoring.[frame][/frame]

[mogbob]

David
To tighten the nut ( which just keeps turning ) on the ball joint, put your trolley/ scissor jack under the steering arm.

Jack it up....JUST enough to exert some pressure on the taper joint ( but not so much that you lift the whole car off the axle stand !!).The pressure will push the taper in, from underneath and stop the ball joint rotating.
Tighten the nut and drop the trolley jack slowly...job done.Easy when you know how..one of those... why didn't I think of that moments.
Bob

[mogbob]

David
Next time...when "bashing out " pins replace the nut on the thread and leave it near the very end of the thread.
When knocking seven bells out of it...I mean " gently assisting"... you have a greater surface area (face of nut, plus end on of the thread ) to hit.The nut protects the thread and stops it "mushrooming over " and the pin will slip through the hole, once the grip has been broken and the nut removed.

Castle nut split pins...I was always taught to put the pin in flat, the eye in line with the thread ( twist the pin 90 degrees when looking at your photo ) and to wrap the excess of the "legs" of the pin around the perimeter of the castle nut.The theory being that the legs grip the nut even further, to stop rotation / loosening.You've also got access for the side cutters when you next have to remove the split pin.

It amazing what I can remember being told by a couple mates who were mechanics.."when I were a lad ".
Bob

[aupickup]

i meant the make superflex
they are made to the exact dimensions to the original equipment

[les]

When fitting split pins, if you want to be engineeringly correct, only one 'leg' of the pin should be bent, after it's in place!

[davidmiles]

thanks for all the advice Gentlemen. The nearside is finished,tight and ready for inspection. Now the offside, first I moved the whole car over to the left side of the garage to give me more room to work on the offside. First off was the hub.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

the Trunnion top pin came out very easily compared to the other side, brand new pin, bushes and trunnion, very quick and easy when the old stuff comes off ok[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

dismantling the hub from the wheel bearings was relativley easy.The ball bearing parts had seperated from the steel rings. I'm not confident enough to seat the new one's, I'm getting professional help there [frame][/frame]
I'm unsure how the spacer relates to the bearings, so for this crucial area, I'm taking the hub and bearing kit along to the Garage, where they have the proper press equipment.[frame][/frame]

[aupickup]

put them square on and use a socket the size of the ouiter and hit them in

[davidmiles]

Ive tightened up this bolt on the right as far as it will go, but there is still a gap between the large washer and the damper arm. How tight should that be, zero space,or just enough to let it move up and down without friction. Is any space ok?[frame][/frame]

[aupickup]

does not seem right

[davidmiles]

it doesn't seem right to me Dennis, so I took the nuts off either side and spent an hour reducing the gap, but there is still a space, even on max nut torque, I'm afraid to go further and do some thread damage. I've done a check of the trunnions, trying to get any sign of movement, there's nothing. Those Poly bushes are great.

Pin done up as per advice from Bob, I thought of leaving one part down, as per Les saying it's engineering correct, but I just know I'll impale the back of my hand on it[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

I found a Historical precedent for doing the split pin up like that, thought I had seen it somewhere.[frame][/frame]

It's on the suspension of a Mark 4 Panzer at Bovington, you know me and my tanks, but it's German and they are and have always been sticklers for engineering perfection, far cry from a Morris Minor, but interesting all the same.

Here's a wider shot of it[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

just awaiting the hub and bearings and I can refit the front wheel and away we go for the MOT retest[frame][/frame]