[TR] Suspension rebuild questions

[Randall]

> Do the outer control arm bushings that pivot on the trunions require
> reaming to fit?? I seem to recall that the older style bushings
> required reaming to fit, but not sure if the newer "split" type
> bushings require this step.

Mine were the 'split' variety and did require reaming.  I used a fixed
"chucking" reamer that was under $20 from Enco.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=331-1140
(but double-check that 5/8" is the correct size as I may have misremembered
that part).  Lacking a chuck that big, I clamped the reamer in my bench vise
and turned the arm around it to ream the bushing.

> Faced with this
> bewildering array of steel, nylon and rubber bits for the lower
> control arms. The manual is the usual helpful "re-assembly is the
> reverse of disassembly".  Any help out there?

It's not nearly as hard as it might look at first.  There are some more
detailed instructions in the TR3 supplement to the workshop manual
(attached).  Basically smear the pins with grease (to hold down on rust)
then slide the sleeves on.  Stretch a rubber ring onto a nylon washer, smear
the washer with grease and slide one onto each sleeve.  Smear the outside of
the sleeve with grease.  Now push the nylon bushings into the arms (should
be just finger-tight, but use the vise if necessary), grease and install the
arms (don't forget they need to go over the trunnion pins at the same time).
Stretch rubber rings onto the two remaining nylon washers, smear them with
grease and install outside the arms.  Now add the plates just like with the
rubber bushings.

BTW, if the rubber rings break when you stretch them into place, they were
junk and should be returned.  There have been some very low quality versions
on the market, I've had some that split within months of installation and a
few that broke during installation.  But the ones I got from TRF some 10
years ago were in good enough condition that I was able to reuse them a few
months ago when moving parts from my wrecked TR3A to my project TR3.

-- Randall 

[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/pdf which had a name of TR3 front suspension nylon bearings.pdf]