I had the front vertical link break on my TR4 at the top of the threads to
the trunnion. I happened to be motoring at excessive speed on the freeway
when my car hit a big dip in the road. I attribute the failure to worn coil
springs, old shocks and lack of trunnion lubrication.
I remember trying to lube the trunnions with a grease gun a few weeks
before. The old grease inside the trunnions had hardened to a point where I
could not force any new grease into it. Little did I suspect at that time
what a catastrophic failure would occur from 37 years of front suspension
neglect.
I was very lucky that the upper a-arms stayed connected to the car, giving
me a little control of the vehicle and keeping the wheel attached to the
car. The front tire just sort of dropped back and up into the wheel well.
Messed up the paint on the outside of the fender, and gave me quite a shock
when I looked at the damage (I thought I only had a flat tire when it first
happened!). At least the car didn't roll.
Also, I had a heck of a time getting the lower a-arm removed from the
trunnion during repair. It's possible that someone installed new a-arm
bushings or a new trunnion without reaming the bushings. Maybe just forcing
the a-arm on the trunnion.
Moral of the story. Maintain your front suspension as if your life depends
on it, cause someday it might!
Paul W.
Torrance, CA
1964 TR4
1956 TR3
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Templeton" <davidt@opentext.com>
To: <triumphs@autox.team.net>; <spitfires@autox.team.net>;
<nass@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 7:35 PM
Subject: Spitfire front trunnions
| As always, a little history to my questions :-) During a recent car show
the
| local club attended a gentleman came up to my wife and I. He stated that
he
| worked on the Spitfire line at BL, sorry no name.
|
| He then proceeded to tell us a tale about the front trunnions and that
after
| a period of time if a front wheel took a real good jolt, like the one from
a
| pothole there is a good chance that the trunnion would come apart causing
| the wheel to go off in a undisirable direction. The reason he gave was
the
| straight cut thread and the angled thread of the trunnion.
| Before I get jumped on, I have not had the front end of the spit apart but
I
| did do the tr3a's and there the threads appeared to be cut similiar in the
| trunnion and the upright creating a nice snug fit.
|
| Has anyone heard of such an issue? Something I (we), need to check on? I
| haven't heard of this kind of issue on any of these lists, and there is a
| lot discussed on these list in 4 years :-P
|
| Thanks
| David Templeton
| '74 Spitfire
| '59 TR3a
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