In a message dated 98-06-28 01:03:04 EDT, bmack@direct.ca writes:
<< If I am taking apart the suspension to do a MOSS major suspension kit
anyway
should I replace the trunions and balljoints and COILS or what????
My anticipation is that if the body is off even with the new engine etc it
should sit up!!!! The thing that holds it up are the springs, unless
SOMETHING is siezed DOWN....
Gentlemen....your honest and humble consideration to this matter would be
appreciated and furthermore....dammit just like you I got little cash to put
into this venture...... >>
Well, you asked. I absolutely do not understand anyone NOT replacing the
critical suspension parts in a TR this old. (or steering, or anything else for
that matter) Yes it looks OK. Yes it feels OK. Yes the PO SAID he'd
replaced it just before he parked it 10 years ago. But the odds are it just
won't last long under any kind of real use. Rubber rots. Metal fatigues. If
the thing is lopsided, yes something has given way. So what do you do? A
'repair" and put in the part you think causes the problem and hope the rest of
the 35+ year old parts hold up?
I suggest that your car deserves more. It is false economy to 'save' $7.50
on a part that 'looks' OK after you've spent so many hours working on the
thing. In my book there's only one way to do it right. Strip the frame
completely, every nut and bolt. Measure the frame for 'square' then start the
reassembly with new parts whenever possible and check the dimensions of every
used ( or new for that matter) part you reinstall . This includes even nuts
and bolts. Nylock nuts are made to use one time. I'm not talking about
building a concourse car here, just a reliable car. One that starts when you
want it to, drives well to where you want to go with little to no problem.
It's perfectly possible. You won't get that with unknown, worn parts. You
are the factory. You are building a new car.
There was an "alert' on this list a short time ago by an owner who inspected
a critical steering part, believed it safe then had it fail resulting in no
steering.
The good news is that the factory records of all the technical specifications
are available. Parts availability is better than it was in 1965, just a few
years after production of the TR3 stopped. True that the quality is mixed but
on average the quality is very good, certainly better than 30+ year old parts
that have been sitting on a car. I suggest that if YOU don't know the
provenance of a part, it is suspect. If you are replacing all the parts
around it why not be thorough. Consider all the labor involved.
That's my 3 cents worth.
Bob Paul
TS7280L 55 TR 2
TS45738 L O 59 TR3
TS 71101 L STC 62 1960 TR3
F376 36 Morgan Three Wheeler ( Now here's a car you take no chances with if
you want to drive it)
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