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Re: [TR] Reconnecting ball joint and vertical link

To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Reconnecting ball joint and vertical link
From: Jeffrey Gayton <jtgayton@icloud.com>
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 20:04:46 -0800
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: triumphs@autox.team.net
References: <A0.AD.04279.EDC8AA45@cdptpa-oedge03>
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Hi Randall and everyone else. I think the damage is limited to the upper =
wishbone arms. They move VERY stiffly and comparing them to the other =
side, are visibly further aft. Of course, the damage could be where they =
mount to the frame, but if that=E2=80=99s the case, the work is beyond =
my abilities. Trying to be optimistic, I=E2=80=99ve ordered new =
wishbones, as well as an upper fulcrum and ancillary parts from Moss. =
Fingers crossed!

All I need is the ability to (relatively) safely get the car out of my =
garage and to a decent repair place in the Ashland/Medford, OR area. =
There=E2=80=99s other damage to the car, unrelated to the vertical link =
disconnection, that I=E2=80=99m unable to do myself. I curse the =
shipping company, which clearly drove the car partway off the ramp when =
loading or unloading somewhere between here at Nova Scotia. =
Unfortunately, I never noticed that their contract stipulated that any =
damage to the undercarriage isn=E2=80=99t covered.

Live and learn, I guess.

-- Jeff

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 5:08 AM, Randall <tr3driver@ca.rr.com> wrote:
>=20
>> With everything else still attached, the hole on the top of the =
vertical link is a good 1-2 inches forward of the pin on the ball
> joint.
>=20
> That is huge; it should be much closer than that.  Even 1/4" is cause =
for concern, as it will cause the trunnion to bind and make
> steering difficult.
>=20
>> I'm not sure what kind of movement I should and should not be=20
>> seeing on the VL. With the VL and ball joint disconnected,=20
>> the hub moves out and slightly forward, in one smooth motion.=20
>=20
> That sounds normal, if the steering lever is still connected to the =
tie rod.  The steering forces the VL to turn, which moves the
> hub forward.
>=20
>> The previous owner was=20
>> pretty savvy, but just in case, how do I tell if I have the=20
>> right trunnion and if it's on the right way?
>=20
> If you look carefully, you should be able to see that the round =
vertical part of the trunnion assembly (the brass bit where the
> vertical link screws in) is tilted slightly (3 degrees, which isn't =
much) and not perpendicular to the pin through the lower A-arms.
> Check out Fig 25 on page 4.115 in the workshop manual.
> =
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2H2NJt34OffN2FkZjI2NjktNWJiMy00YWExLWIy=
NjctOTYzNmI3OTg2ODM0/view?usp=3Dsharing>
> It may help to hold a small ruler up so you can see the axis of the =
pin better.  If you can't see it with the VL in the way, you may
> have to remove it.  The vertical part should tilt so the top is closer =
to the rear of the car.
>=20
> Another possibility I suppose is that the upper A-arms are installed =
wrong.  The arm with the larger offset has to go on the front.
>=20
> But since it was presumably working before, I think it much more =
likely that you have accident damage.  Pages 4.114 through 4.116 of
> the workshop manual give some dimensions to check, but you'll probably =
have to disassemble the suspension to make the measurements.
>=20
> Don't forget to inspect the points where the suspension mounts to the =
frame, especially the lower pivots.  When my TR3A got wrecked
> in 2005, I actually drove it home and only later discovered as I was =
stripping the carcass that the front pivot on the RH side was
> ripped loose from the frame.  The one I bought in 1975 had the same =
problem, and it took several months (and multiple visits to
> alignment shops) to figure that one out.  Rather dangerous, as the car =
would pull violently to the left when you got on the brakes
> hard.  I foolishly tried to drive it that way, until someone pulled =
out in front of me and I could not keep the car from jumping the
> curb into the oncoming lane.  (Fortunately no one was coming the other =
way and I was able to drive off the curb.)
>=20
> -- Randall =20
>=20


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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" =
class=3D"">Hi Randall and everyone else. I think the damage is limited =
to the upper wishbone arms. They move VERY stiffly and comparing them to =
the other side, are visibly further aft. Of course, the damage could be =
where they mount to the frame, but if that=E2=80=99s the case, the work =
is beyond my abilities. Trying to be optimistic, I=E2=80=99ve ordered =
new wishbones, as well as an upper fulcrum and ancillary parts from =
Moss. Fingers crossed!<div class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div =
class=3D"">All I need is the ability to (relatively) safely get the car =
out of my garage and to a decent repair place in the Ashland/Medford, OR =
area. There=E2=80=99s other damage to the car, unrelated to the vertical =
link disconnection, that I=E2=80=99m unable to do myself. I curse the =
shipping company, which clearly drove the car partway off the ramp when =
loading or unloading somewhere between here at Nova Scotia. =
Unfortunately, I never noticed that their contract stipulated that any =
damage to the undercarriage isn=E2=80=99t covered.</div><div =
class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div class=3D"">Live and learn, I =
guess.<br class=3D""><div class=3D"">
<span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; =
font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; =
line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: =
0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;  "><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline">-- Jeff</span>

</div>
<br class=3D""><div><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div =
class=3D"">On Jan 5, 2015, at 5:08 AM, Randall &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:tr3driver@ca.rr.com"; class=3D"">tr3driver@ca.rr.com</a>&gt;=
 wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div =
class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D"">With everything else =
still attached, the hole on the top of the vertical link is a good 1-2 =
inches forward of the pin on the ball<br class=3D""></blockquote>joint.<br=
 class=3D""><br class=3D"">That is huge; it should be much closer than =
that. &nbsp;Even 1/4" is cause for concern, as it will cause the =
trunnion to bind and make<br class=3D"">steering difficult.<br =
class=3D""><br class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D"">I'm not =
sure what kind of movement I should and should not be <br =
class=3D"">seeing on the VL. With the VL and ball joint disconnected, =
<br class=3D"">the hub moves out and slightly forward, in one smooth =
motion. <br class=3D""></blockquote><br class=3D"">That sounds normal, =
if the steering lever is still connected to the tie rod. &nbsp;The =
steering forces the VL to turn, which moves the<br class=3D"">hub =
forward.<br class=3D""><br class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" =
class=3D"">The previous owner was <br class=3D"">pretty savvy, but just =
in case, how do I tell if I have the <br class=3D"">right trunnion and =
if it's on the right way?<br class=3D""></blockquote><br class=3D"">If =
you look carefully, you should be able to see that the round vertical =
part of the trunnion assembly (the brass bit where the<br =
class=3D"">vertical link screws in) is tilted slightly (3 degrees, which =
isn't much) and not perpendicular to the pin through the lower =
A-arms.<br class=3D"">Check out Fig 25 on page 4.115 in the workshop =
manual.<br class=3D"">&lt;<a =
href=3D"https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2H2NJt34OffN2FkZjI2NjktNWJiMy00Y=
WExLWIyNjctOTYzNmI3OTg2ODM0/view?usp=3Dsharing" =
class=3D"">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2H2NJt34OffN2FkZjI2NjktNWJiMy=
00YWExLWIyNjctOTYzNmI3OTg2ODM0/view?usp=3Dsharing</a>&gt;<br class=3D"">It=
 may help to hold a small ruler up so you can see the axis of the pin =
better. &nbsp;If you can't see it with the VL in the way, you may<br =
class=3D"">have to remove it. &nbsp;The vertical part should tilt so the =
top is closer to the rear of the car.<br class=3D""><br class=3D"">Another=
 possibility I suppose is that the upper A-arms are installed wrong. =
&nbsp;The arm with the larger offset has to go on the front.<br =
class=3D""><br class=3D"">But since it was presumably working before, I =
think it much more likely that you have accident damage. &nbsp;Pages =
4.114 through 4.116 of<br class=3D"">the workshop manual give some =
dimensions to check, but you'll probably have to disassemble the =
suspension to make the measurements.<br class=3D""><br class=3D"">Don't =
forget to inspect the points where the suspension mounts to the frame, =
especially the lower pivots. &nbsp;When my TR3A got wrecked<br =
class=3D"">in 2005, I actually drove it home and only later discovered =
as I was stripping the carcass that the front pivot on the RH side =
was<br class=3D"">ripped loose from the frame. &nbsp;The one I bought in =
1975 had the same problem, and it took several months (and multiple =
visits to<br class=3D"">alignment shops) to figure that one out. =
&nbsp;Rather dangerous, as the car would pull violently to the left when =
you got on the brakes<br class=3D"">hard. &nbsp;I foolishly tried to =
drive it that way, until someone pulled out in front of me and I could =
not keep the car from jumping the<br class=3D"">curb into the oncoming =
lane. &nbsp;(Fortunately no one was coming the other way and I was able =
to drive off the curb.)<br class=3D""><br class=3D"">-- Randall =
&nbsp;<br class=3D""><br class=3D""></div></blockquote></div><br =
class=3D""></div></body></html>=

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