StevedTR4A Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Hi all, Just greased the trunnions and pumped until grease came out at the top. However some grease also came out from around the edge of the disc into which the grease nipple is fitted. Is it best to grease the trunnions without jacking up the car? Or, jack up with a spacer on top of the rebound rubber? Also is it neccessary to grease the trunnions every 1000miles? What do others do? Thanks Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Workshop manual for TR4/4A increased the steering/suspension greasing intervals to 3000 miles, and TR250 manual changed them to 6000 miles. I have been doing the job on my TR3A every 3000 miles, although it's probably not necessary given the advances in lubrication materials. However, it's an opportunity to inspect the bushes and grease retainers, etc., so I guess I'll carry on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I loosen slightly each wheel nut first, and then find it convenient to put wooden spacers on top of the rebound rubbers when jacking the front as the wheels leave the ground earlier. Then it's just a matter of axle stands to support the chassis and remove wheels. I grease everything at least once a year, which means about 2000-2500 miles. As long as the grease exits the top of the trunnion, some small leakage at the sealing disc is something to live with! Important to remember to remove the spacers afterwards! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 For the first 80,000 miles, I greased the trunnions and all the fittings in the front of my 1958 TR3A every 1000 miles as was stated in the manual. At 80,000 miles from new, the trunions were really bad with lots of play in all directions. I have to say that I rallied the TR extensively from 1959 to 1965 and that is the explanation I have for the trunion wear. I replaced them during the restoration and since then (another 109000 miles), I grease the trunnions plus all the others every 3000 miles and have had no issues with the trunnions Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james christie Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I thought we were supposed to use Hypoid 90 on our trunnions - not that I ever have , but as you sidescreen gurus seem to have brought up the subject I thought I'd just ask ! james Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StevedTR4A Posted November 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Thanks Brian, Ian and Don. Thats great Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 My Castrol lube chart for the TR2/3 (obtained about 1963) specifies Castrolease LM grease every 1,000 miles. Castrolease CL is specified as an alternative. My Castrol lube chart for the TR4/4A (obtained about 1969) specifies for the TR4 Castrolease LM grease every 1,500 miles. It says that "this service should be carried out after jacking up the front suspension until the wheel is clear of the ground. This service should be carried out every 3,000 miles on models made after July 1963". For the TR4A's lower steering swivel, it states: "remove plug, fit grease nipple and apply a grease gun containing Castrol Hypoy Gear oil until oil exudes from swivel. Remove nipple and refit plug". What a performance! And why should the TR4A require any different regime? I imagine almost everyone uses a decent moly grease, as I have always done. Incidentally, the TR4/4A lube chart is available from the Register's on-line shop as a full size print in the correct colours (we have permission from Castrol for this, lest anyone should think we are being naughty). Although it says TR4A, it is the version with cart rear springs, not with IRS! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) I've been using EP140 in my trunnions for 30 odd years now. Bit of a nuisance having to crawl under the car with 2 grease guns though! This year I have gone over to steering box semi fluid grease for the trunnions and stayed with Castrol LM on the other points as my bottle of EP 140 has run dry. I suspect any good grease or heavy weight EP oil would do the trick in trunnions. I was swayed towards the use of the EP after reading the requirement for TR4A etc. In truth the early car trunnion is a bit feeble and the repro trunnions are not very well produced when compared with NOS Stanpart. Most notably the 'pop out' grease cap and poorly sized and cut thread. Cheers Peter W Edited November 16, 2011 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I always store my TR3A in my warm garage during the winter. No more salt or slush since 1990 when I finished the body-off restoration. It's during all the idle time I have during the winter that I grease the TR. When I do this, it stands on 4 jackstands and the front wheels are off the car during these grease jobs. For the past 3 years, I have used red synthetic grease from AMS and my reason for the change is to try to determine if this synthetic grease will not turn the poor-quality repro rubber boots into sticky black goo. So far - so good. Many years ago, Ian suggested that I spray aerosol silicone lubricant onto the poly bushes in my front suspension to get rid of the squeaks that had been there since about 1960, despite changing them several times. A few years ago, my winter project was to take it all apart again and I drilled and tapped the inner ends of the wishbones for grease fittings and I'm happy to report that for the last 3 years, there has been nary a squeak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Don, Nice job on the grease nipple fitment. However.... I was taught that nylon was a self lubricating material and The use of greases or oils with nylon bushings would attract grit or dirt; turning the lubricant into a grinding paste. Cheers Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Pete - my experience showed that nylon seemed not to be self-lubricating, as the car developed the most embarrassing, noisy, creaks and groans (as members of the NLG will testify!), which were alleviated only after I treated the nylon with regular blasts of Masterlube from both ends (of the nylon!). Since there is a neoprene ring round each end of the nylon, some protection is afforded against ingress of dirt, added to which the assembly is so tight (even after many years) that I don't believe anything other than a searching fluid could squeeze its way in. After 18 years, there is no detectable wear on these bearings in my front suspension, which would not be the case if the original rubber stuff had been used. I believe the PTFE bearings, which became available later (my car went back on the road in 1993), provide some self-lubrication and are not prone to making noises - but I have no personal experience of this. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 A significant characteristic of nylon is that it absorbs water. In doing so its dimensions change - this wouldn't help the squeaking. A coating of grease may hold the water at bay. However on the other hand it may absorb the oils within the grease expand anyway!! Life can be a bu99er at times. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 You should not lubricate the outer of poly bushes that's why they will squeak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Yes my nylon bushes squeaked and creaked terribly and a squirt of lubricant shut them up for a while. I renewed them recently with poly bushes at the top and orig nylons at the bottom. I am now awaiting the creaking to restart from the lower bushes.... Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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