Wishbone lower bush removal.

[TR Paul]

Hello, fellow TR6ers, I'm getting some squeaks coming from the nearside front suspension, on 'TRoy', my 1970 TR6pi. The upper wishbone bushes,ball joint & trunnion have all been renewed within the last year, unlike the lower w/bone bushes, which have never been done, in the 10+ years that I've owned TRoy; So I'm suspecting it's either one of those 'old car' squeaks, or it's time to do the lower w/bone bushes...?

I have 2 questions relating to this...

1) Can I access the w/ bushes by removing the shock absorber & road spring, then unbolting the w/bone brackets from the chassis, & swinging the whole lot forward, (avoiding disturbing the trunion assy), or has everything got to come apart, like it says in the Brown Bible?

2) Do I need to use (& possibly make) a spring compressor to remove the road spring, or can I use longer bolts in the spring pan, & just gradually undo them (I've always used this method on other classics I've owned: Spridget,A30/A35s & Rover P4), to decompress the spring?

As ever, your advice & suggestions, will be more than appreciated,

Cheers,

Paul.

Edited May 13, 2018 by TR Paul

[RogerH]

Hi Paul,

if you are going to remove the spring then yes, you will need a compressor.

 

12mm studding will work nicely. Double up on the nuts.

 

Roger

[Will]

Much more control with the spring compressor.

To remove the lower inner bushes, if rubber, it’s best to remove each control arm. So as you will be unbolting the trunnion pivot you might as well replace those bushes as well.

Note of caution. Some inner poly bushes have a sleeve that is a bit longer than the bushes. If you snug them up in this condition the arm will be wobbly. Trim the sleeve back to the bush length.

[Z320]

Hi Paul,

 

my front suspension also squeaks - from the new upper poly bushes!

Reason is that you can use as much silicone grease as you want - you move it

away when you push the poly bushes in the falcrum pin.

It squeks more with a tighter fitting bush.

 

If the car is cold - mine squeaks extreamly,

it the car has been driven for some miles it squeaks less, sometimes not at all.

Test this, I can not imagine a worn rubber or poly bush does squeake.

 

A friend of mine (he owns a lathe) did this on my stupid chatter:

he cut our 2 mm in diameter of the poly bushes an fitted a self made slotted slim POM bush inside.

He told me that works GREAT. If I work on the front suspension the next time I will also do that.

 

Until this - for the next 5 - 10 years - I live with the squeaking front suspension.

There are more interesting "problems".

 

Ciao Marco

Edited May 14, 2018 by Z320

[Kevo_6]

Hello, fellow TR6ers, I'm getting some squeaks coming from the nearside front suspension, on 'TRoy', my 1970 TR6pi. The upper wishbone bushes,ball joint & trunnion have all been renewed within the last year, unlike the lower w/bone bushes, which have never been done, in the 10+ years that I've owned TRoy; So I'm suspecting it's either one of those 'old car' squeaks, or it's time to do the lower w/bone bushes...?

I have 2 questions relating to this...

1) Can I access the w/ bushes by removing the shock absorber & road spring, then unbolting the w/bone brackets from the chassis, & swinging the whole lot forward, (avoiding disturbing the trunion assy), or has everything got to come apart, like it says in the Brown Bible?

2) Do I need to use (& possibly make) a spring compressor to remove the road spring, or can I use longer bolts in the spring pan, & just gradually undo them (I've always used this method on other classics I've owned: Spridget,A30/A35s & Rover P4), to decompress the spring?

As ever, your advice & suggestions, will be more than appreciated,

Cheers,

Paul.

Hi Paul

You are welcome to borrow my home made 18mm spring compressor, I’m only in Poole.

[harrytr5]

I have always fitted the super pro ones and never had a squeak out of them.Can not comment on the others out there of course as I have not used them.I concur with the above.Remove the road spring then the wishbone arms, much easier doing it on the bench. I am spoilt I have a fly press to push the poly bushes in.

If you have upper nylon ones and mild steel sleeves they can parcialy seize up as nylon can absorb water. This in turn caused a major failure with other parts not up to standard in the early 90,s.I always buy the parts I can trust from then onwards.

Regards Harry

Edited May 15, 2018 by harrytr5

[stuart]

Hi Paul,

 

my front suspension also squeaks - from the new upper poly bushes!

Reason is that you can use as much silicone grease as you want - you move it

away when you push the poly bushes in the falcrum pin.

It squeks more with a tighter fitting bush.

 

If the car is cold - mine squeaks extreamly,

it the car has been driven for some miles it squeaks less, sometimes not at all.

Test this, I can not imagine a worn rubber or poly bush does squeake.

 

A friend of mine (he owns a lathe) did this on my stupid chatter:

he cut our 2 mm in diameter of the poly bushes an fitted a self made slotted slim POM bush inside.

He told me that works GREAT. If I work on the front suspension the next time I will also do that.

 

Until this - for the next 5 - 10 years - I live with the squeaking front suspension.

There are more interesting "problems".

 

Ciao Marco

Use a PTFE spray lubricant on those bushes that will stop the squeak. Like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GT85-PTFE-LUBE-ROAD-MTB-BMX-CYCLE-BIKE-LUBRICANT-SPRAY-WITH-TEFLON-400ml-Bulk/371836223031?hash=item56932a7e37:m:mpaBGTkcOikQci_0GEA35vw

Stuart.

[Z320]

Hi,

 

I drive with Superflex (right on the photo) since 5 years, they inside have a rhomb surface to keep some silicon grease there.

That worked well for about 3 years, since than worse, but better than the polys I used before (left on the photo):

they clued on the falcrum pins after only one year, I told the story elsewhere on this forum.

 

 

 

Hi Stuart,

 

thank you for your advice, PTFE has similar features than POM, which I like very much to work with.

So my idea was: if there is PTFE spray, there may be also POM spray? But I only found PAM spray.

 

 

 

Perhaps we can debat about that in July at Fowey

 

Cheers Marco

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by Z320

[TR Paul]

Thanks chaps, for some excellent advice; sounds like I'll be buying some PTFE spray.

Kev- thank you for the kind offer of borrowing your spring compressor- I'll certainly keep that in mind,

if I need to take the suspension apart.

Best wishes,

Paul.