Trunnions

[Encom]

Okay, now I have rebuilt the entire back end of the car, replaced the steering rack, mounts and column at the front; but trunnions are bugging me. How fast do they wear out? how can you tell? (looks like they have been greased rather than oiled), will the whole upright just give up the ghost one day and send the front wheel into the bonnet? is it better just to save up and go for the Canley trunnion-less front end? help!

[Clive]

Take the trunnion off the vertical link, clean it out. Likewise clean any grease out of the vertical link, wire, drill bit whatever, right up to the grease nipple (or indeed blanking plug)

Clean the threads of the VL and inspect. If they are rough, bin them. I have had them where they are like saw teeth, not at all good, but most are smooth. The really important bit is to check for pitting or worse, any evidence of cracks, at the top of the thread. This is where they snap, though usually at slow speed (but not always)

Wear on trunnions is evident as there is a lot of movement of the brass trunnion on the VL. Should be only minimal.

2 ways to look at this. Original VL's have generally lasted 40 years, and a new set of them should last very well. Breakages always show long-standing cracks by the discolouration.
However, I added up the cost of new VL's and trunnions. The difference between those and the canley conversion wasn't huge, so I went that way.

[Encom]

Clive,
        Sweet, cheers for that, I'll take them off tomorrow and have a look.

[uksnatcher]

12 months ago the VL's were priced at 175 pounds....each..! , now priced at a more reasonable 89 pounds, include a new trunnion at 18 pounds makes for 107 x2 so 214 pounds to do both sides or 329 pounds for the trunnionless kit (which is currently unavailable)
(prices from canleys)

Like Clive says, the original VL's / trunnions have lasted decades, and were fitted to the Grand Prix racing cars so some new ones will be fine if you chose to go that way  ;)

[Encom]

uksnatcher wrote:

12 months ago the VL's were priced at 175 pounds....each..! , now priced at a more reasonable 89 pounds, include a new trunnion at 18 pounds makes for 107 x2 so 214 pounds to do both sides or 329 pounds for the trunnionless kit (which is currently unavailable)
(prices from canleys)

Like Clive says, the original VL's / trunnions have lasted decades, and were fitted to the Grand Prix racing cars so some new ones will be fine if you chose to go that way  ;)

I priced it up today. Total cost just to do trunnions, VL's, poly bushes, replace all the bolts and do the anti-roll bar at the same time is 308.13. To do the same and swap out to trunnionless set up is 417.19. Having had a look at the trunnions, one is greased and the other one dry, I am going to go the whole hog save up and rebuild using the Canley setup. Hopefully this will be about the same time as Canley's have another batch available.