suspension Grease for trunnions and top-hats

[15eren]

Can anyone tell me what kind of grease I should use for the trunnions (trunnion to vertical link).

I have read that either EP90-oil or grease. What would you prefer? And if grease, which to choose?

And the top-hats in the lower wishbones. Shall I apply any kind of grease between top-hats and the distance bush?

The trunnions and vertical links are apart and cleaned totally dry and new top-hats and bushes in the wishbones.

Any advice would be greatly appriciated.

 

Tage

 

[TR NIALL]

EP90 Oil for the TRunnions gets my Vote.

[Andy Moltu]

Grease any time.

EP 90 will leak out unless you seal the bottoms of the trunnions.

LM grease or moly grease - a couple of squeezes of the grease gun once a year. EP 90 every 3 months.

 

Yes the manual says EP 90 but that kept cars coming back to Triumph dealerships every 3 months. Vested interest or just stuck in the pre-war era?

[peejay4A]

I use CV joint grease.

[Guest ntc]

JCB grease

[15eren]

Thanks for the replies so far.

But what about the top-hats? Are they mounted dry or shall I apply any kind af grease between the top-hats and the distance bushes?

 

Tage

[peejay4A]

I can't help with the wishbone bushes as mine are poly and not like the multi-part originals.

[Peter Cobbold]

Thanks for the replies so far.

But what about the top-hats? Are they mounted dry or shall I apply any kind af grease between the top-hats and the distance bushes?

 

Tage

My bushes are stainless steel and nylatron. I assembled them with generous amounts of a mix of waxoyl. molygrease and copaslip, everywhere. After tightening them up I wiped off the excess then coated exterior with waxoyl. Keeps the rust at bay.

Peter

[stuart]

JCB grease

Caterpillar grease

Stuart.

[Guest ntc]

Probably one day all Tr's will be built this way

[Kiwifrog]

Caterpillar grease

Stuart.

 

 

Dear Stuart,

 

As the high preist of all things mechanical TR I always follow your advice to the letter. I managed to find some catapillars which was not easy with the wintery weather we are having, however I am uncertain should I use a blender to extract the grease or the old wine press in the garden?

 

I did try loading my grease gun with them without any preperation but I found their legs kept bunging up the outlet and no matter how hard I tried I could not get any catapillar into my trunions.

 

Keenly awaiting your response

 

M T Tallisker-Bottle

Edited December 9, 2013 by Kiwifrog

[Guest ntc]

 

 

Dear Stuart,

 

As the high preist of all things mechanical TR I always follow your advice to the letter. I managed to find some catapillars which was not easy with the wintery weather we are having, however I am uncertain should I use a blender to extract the grease or the old wine press in the garden?

 

I did try loading my grease gun with them without any preperation but I found their legs kept bunging up the outlet and no matter how hard I tried I could not get any catapillar into my trunions.

 

Keenly awaiting your response

 

M T Tallisker-Bottle

Brilliant Alan

work out the answer to that one Stuart

[Alec Pringle]

Hi M T T-B,

 

you are definitely moving towards the right lines here, even if a tad like a wee Scottie on a Friday night closing time . . . . .

 

Caterpillars do have a lot of little legs, and said legs are a jolly fine fit when it comes to corking the grease gun - as you've found out the hard way, demonstrating that it's always wise to think before loading, let alone before shooting. Stupid boy.

 

Presumably you are still recovering from the eyeful of high speed caterpillar remnants resulting from the backfire ? Yes it will be painful, a large glass of syrup of figs will take your mind off the eye and focus it elsewhere . . . . your mind that is.

 

Once you've finished with the smallest room, revert to caterpillar grease preparation.

 

They'll need a food supply, hopefully the frost hasn't kyboshed the last of the greenery, so go pick whatever is left. Secure catties and foodstuffs in an appropriate cage, and let the blighters scoff until they pupate - that's when they stop looking like caterpillars and turn into something looking like vaguely unpleasant. Crunchy on the outside, squashy on the inside.

 

Collect your pupated catties, not including the feline cat or the family might get upset. Chip pan on the stove, just a centimetre of fat in the bottom, shallow fry your cattie pupae. Ignore the squeals, they don't shriek for long. Allow to cool somewhat before pouring into the blender - failure to allow cooling will result in a melted blender and a wife on the warpath. Blend chipfat and fried catties, dump blender in dishwasher, hoppit sharpish before SWMBO realises what you've just done.

 

Reassure her that things could be worse, Puss is still on the sofa, missed the cut as they say. She'll probably hit you anyway. Wives like warpaths.

 

Now go load the grease gun and shoot the trunnions full of caterpillar grease.

 

Test drive car down to the local boozer, explain just what you've been up to. Ensure that you have a pal organised - to drive the TR home when you've been driven away by the chaps in white coats.

 

Bear in mind that when they do eventually let you go home, the caterpillar grease will have solidified into something resembling epoxy - but considerably stronger. By all means try a test drive, having first checked that the will is up to date, then put head between legs in order to kiss the fundamental goodbye.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[Don H.]

One should probably hunt for the big yellow caterpillars. It's easier to extract grease from those. The bigger the better.

[RogerH]

Hi Alec,

a very interesting, pragmatic approach to DIY car maintenance. However you should have given a warning on the types of caterpillar to use,or not as in this case.

Should the unwary use any old caterpillar then we, in the normally aspirated cars, may have problem for the future. - Butterfly valves my become extinct.

 

Roger

[stuart]

Ha Ha nice one Alan , to save you the bother of cooking or extracting you can get it ready made here.http://parts.cat.com/parts/machine-fluids/greases

Stuart.

[Alec Pringle]

Well those are big and yellow for sure . . . .

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[Kiwifrog]

Hi M T T-B,

 

you are definitely moving towards the right lines here, even if a tad like a wee Scottie on a Friday night closing time . . . . .

 

Caterpillars do have a lot of little legs, and said legs are a jolly fine fit when it comes to corking the grease gun - as you've found out the hard way, demonstrating that it's always wise to think before loading, let alone before shooting. Stupid boy.

 

Presumably you are still recovering from the eyeful of high speed caterpillar remnants resulting from the backfire ? Yes it will be painful, a large glass of syrup of figs will take your mind off the eye and focus it elsewhere . . . . your mind that is.

 

Once you've finished with the smallest room, revert to caterpillar grease preparation.

 

They'll need a food supply, hopefully the frost hasn't kyboshed the last of the greenery, so go pick whatever is left. Secure catties and foodstuffs in an appropriate cage, and let the blighters scoff until they pupate - that's when they stop looking like caterpillars and turn into something looking like vaguely unpleasant. Crunchy on the outside, squashy on the inside.

 

Collect your pupated catties, not including the feline cat or the family might get upset. Chip pan on the stove, just a centimetre of fat in the bottom, shallow fry your cattie pupae. Ignore the squeals, they don't shriek for long. Allow to cool somewhat before pouring into the blender - failure to allow cooling will result in a melted blender and a wife on the warpath. Blend chipfat and fried catties, dump blender in dishwasher, hoppit sharpish before SWMBO realises what you've just done.

 

Reassure her that things could be worse, Puss is still on the sofa, missed the cut as they say. She'll probably hit you anyway. Wives like warpaths.

 

Now go load the grease gun and shoot the trunnions full of caterpillar grease.

 

Test drive car down to the local boozer, explain just what you've been up to. Ensure that you have a pal organised - to drive the TR home when you've been driven away by the chaps in white coats.

 

Bear in mind that when they do eventually let you go home, the caterpillar grease will have solidified into something resembling epoxy - but considerably stronger. By all means try a test drive, having first checked that the will is up to date, then put head between legs in order to kiss the fundamental goodbye.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

 

 

Sounds like too much hard work Alec, I have replaced the trunions on my 3A with the castor wheels from my computer chair as they have not needed lubricating in over 10years. I have used best quality hairy brown string and number 8 fencing wire to attach them so should be good to go !

 

 

Stuart

 

I was using the wrong catapillars the ones in my garden were green not yellow, however with the racing mod carried out as described above my car no longer has the weak point of trunions

 

 

Now where is that bloody bottle...............................

[pinky]

 

No wonder there isn't many butterflies left.

 

Pink

[Peter Cobbold]

Could you use grub screws instead?

[peejay4A]

I imagine Tage must be thoroughly confused by now. I am.