TR4A can you change lower inner front suspension bushes without removing shock

[Efuentes]

By the way, Darren's video serves to illustrate the point that if you manage to undo the lower inner mountings without compressing vehemently spring, (i) the damper may stand the tension, but the ball joint may not, and (ii) you will have a hell of a time and need a lot of patience and of luck to align the arm with the bracket holes... Good video... if that was a classic my car gathering, I am surprised there was only one car stuck after the show... Oh the pleasures of classic cars!

[AndrewMAshton]

Enrique, whilst you have the front suspension dismantled I would recommend a 'Front Suspension Strengthening Kit' as supplied by Revingtons, some parts are easy to make up yourself, I would strongly recommend the doubler plates that go on the inside of the chassis and take the two bolts from the lower fulcrum brackets, it helps spread the load, I would also strongly recommend you fit these at the rear as well, cheers, Andrew

[Efuentes]

Update: I made the left hand side. As I thought, only the inner lower bushes were bad. It looks like the other ones had been replaced, as they looked new. I ended doing my own spring compressor, for the fun of it, and it worked great. The most difficult bits were accessing the inner spring pan bolts and, particularly, the suspension bracket bolts that link it to the chassis. Getting the bushing into the suspension arm was also tricky . Now, a question. The fit of the bush inside the U of the bracket that links the arm to the chassis is pretty tight, this meaning that the upward and downward rotation of the suspension arm is sticky (ie: requires some force). Is this normal?

[earckens]

On 11/27/2017 at 11:16 AM, PYU940F said:

(...)

5/ Consider changing the aft lower wishbone fulcrum support bracket with the modified and stronger one with 2 studs (available from Moss)

6/ Consider installing the kit to beef up the forward wishbone support bracket as this is weak part of suspension ( simple welding required)

(..)

For 5: is there a part number or some reference on how to find this please?

For 6: same here please?

Thanks!

 

[stuart]

7 hours ago, earckens said:

For 5: is there a part number or some reference on how to find this please?

For 6: same here please?

Thanks!

 

Deleted

Stuart.

Edited August 14, 2019 by stuart

[earckens]

58 minutes ago, stuart said:

5 is part number 148691 you will need to replace all 4 of.

6 Strengthening kit is here https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/triumph/tr2-4a/steering-suspension/front-suspension/strengthening-brackets-for-lower-wishbone-arms.html

Stuart.

Hi Stuart, thanks for that information. However when checking at Moss its description says that this is for TR4A, mine is a TR4. I think it would be ok but I just want to verify if that is ok for you too?

 

[stuart]

32 minutes ago, earckens said:

Hi Stuart, thanks for that information. However when checking at Moss its description says that this is for TR4A, mine is a TR4. I think it would be ok but I just want to verify if that is ok for you too?

 

If you have a TR4 then none of this applies to you, your fine as you are dont worry keep driving it.

Stuart.

[earckens]

1 hour ago, stuart said:

If you have a TR4 then none of this applies to you, your fine as you are dont worry keep driving it.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart, many thanks!!

 

[Andy Moltu]

The short answer to the question is no.

Remove the trunnion bolt if you can and swing the upright out of the way. (You can remove it later still attached to the wishbones)

The damper is easily removed - nut/locknut at the top and 4 underneath & drop down.

You can usually remove the spring by evenly undoing the 6 bolts/studs that hold the spring pan on, however it is important you don't fully remove the two inner ones completely. These prevent the abrupt release of spring compression.

(I would advise wearing eye protection and keeping your fingers out of harms way just in case the spring tension releases with a bang!

If you have a standard spring this is usually enough to decompress the spring completely enough to allow it to be removed.

I would recommend a slightly shorter spring which will allow you to reverse this process without needing a spring compressor  although you may need to put a couple of long bolts in temporarily to pull the spring pan up enough to start the nuts on the remaining studs/bolts.