trunions

[flag man]

This probably looks very dim..........but can some one tell me if the brass / bronze runion thing should rotate easily on the upright thingy. and how do you replace them if required?
told you it sounded a bit dim!

[CHRIS211083]

They just unscrew and should move freely. If it doesnt then you replace the trunion(the brass bit) but only if the threads on the upright are ok and there are no cracks. Canley classics do a trunionless kit so you don't have to oil them anymore or worry about them snapping. I think your next purchase should be a Haynes manual. Cost you a fiver on ebay and will answer most of your questions.

Chris.

[MikeTeesside]

Should rotate easily, yes. But they screw on rather than just being slipped on. So when you put a new one on, you screw it all the way in then back it off 180 degrees so it can turn full lock both ways without bottoming out.

Pretty easy to replace unless it's rusted in place as some old or poorly maintained ones are. The bolts I mean.

[nang]

If you can afford it get the trunnionless kit from Canleys......(no connection with them).......well worth it in my opinion.
Tony.

[Velocita Rosso]

6925 wrote:

This probably looks very dim..........but can some one tell me if the brass / bronze runion thing should rotate easily on the upright thingy. and how do you replace them if required?
told you it sounded a bit dim!

Lets start at the beginning
The  brass trunnion rotates on the vertical link
When needing to change you have to ;
Remove road wheel
Remove brake caliper (for ease)
Remove brake disk and all add ons eg whl brg complete
Undo the wish bone at the trunnion and shocker
Pull out the vertical link and trunnion and then unscrew(both sides are handed)
If worn they will spin off very freely
To replace (as said above) screw on and then back off(after they have been lubricated)
Then replace all, as removed in reverse

Not a long or complicated job just fiddly.
the new should be a tightish ,but easy to turn fit

If you can`t turn by hand then there could be a problem
Some new manufactured ones have been found to be faulty and will not turn easily by hand

Check the vertical link threads and neck
If worn badly then replace the vertical link aswell

However the vertical links are now being sold at neraly the same price as trunnion less, so do a cost exercise beforehand  

[Deleted User]

Can I add, get a manual or workshop booklet and do not attempt any work if you are not completely happy as this is a part of the car that has to be right, failure of the vertical link or it not being fitted properly could lead to a serious accident.
Rob

[JohnD]

And if I may add to the above:
1/ Inspect the top of the thread on the upright carefully.  This is much more exposed to water and salt and is where it will weaken and where cracks occur.
2/ Original trunnions were made in solid bronze.  Modern replicas have a steel cap swaged to the bottom, which can leak.   A  useful preventative is to clean the new repro carefully and then seal the bottom with a layer of araldite. This need only be thin as it is a seal, not structural and will not limit the throw of the link in the trunnion.
3/ Do not forget they come in Right and Left hand versions for the appropriate sides.   One should have a boss on the bottom, the other not - I can't remember which!  Consult WSM!
4/ Do not forget the rubber cap between trunnion and upright.  Often lost, so unless you consult WSM you may not know to fit one.
5/ And oil, not grease!

John

[JensH]

Quote:

Modern replicas have a steel cap swaged to the bottom, which can leak

Hi John,
Sure about this - I have had several NOS ones in my hands, but never seen any like that? (but 'nos' ones could be replicas too...)
I would just have expected to have seen some on the cars I have replaced those trunions on too.

Cheers,
Jens.

[MikeTeesside]

Also make sure it's screwed ALL the way down when refitting, one of mine was a bit stiff and I thought it was down all the way, but it wasn't, so it wobbled a bit. I corrected it once I realised, but it's an easy mistake to make. Then obviously back it off so it can turn both ways freely.

Or buy the trunionless  kit if you can afford it. They're on my 2014 xmas list. :)

[yorkshire_spam]

I'm eagerly awaiting somebody chipping in with a joke along the lines of "this guy really knows his (tr)onions"
;-)

[Velocita Rosso]

6797 wrote:

I'm eagerly awaiting somebody chipping in with a joke along the lines of "this guy really knows his (tr)onions"
;-)

.....been done before......that shallot!

[heraldcoupe]

Does anyone have a photograph of one of these solid bronze trunnions?
Of the 100+ small chassis Triumphs I've owned, as well as countless others I've worked on, I've yet to see a Trunnion which lacks a steel disc in it's base.
Trunnions on the Standard 8/10/Atlas have been solid, but they're substantially different in design and don't match the geometry of the Triumph trunnions,

Cheers,
Bill.

[GT6chris]

I have not seen the trunnions without the steel disc in the base. The new pair I fitted on my car leaked so I soldered a one pence piece on the bottom of each one - fits a treat and easy to solder to the bronze trunnion.

Chris

[heraldcoupe]

GT6chris wrote:

I have not seen the trunnions without the steel disc in the base.

I doubt very much that anyone else has. The OE Stanpart trunnions I own all have steel discs in the base.
With newly manufactured trunnions, I've taken to applying an aggressive flux to the outside face of the join, then flowing solder in to ensure it's sealed before use.

Cheers,
Bill.

[Spitfire2500]

heraldcoupe wrote:

Does anyone have a photograph of one of these solid bronze trunnions?
Of the 100+ small chassis Triumphs I've owned, as well as countless others I've worked on, I've yet to see a Trunnion which lacks a steel disc in it's base.

Interesting one this. My recollection is that the OE trunnions I was getting from main dealers in the 1980s were solid - when I was re-Triumphing ;D in the early noughties I remember being a bit miffed when I noticed the steel disc... :X

It was a long time ago and I was young and fiddling with cars for the first time so I'm quite prepared to believe I was mistaken about the original trunnions but it's odd that my reaction back in 2001 or thereabouts - which I remember quite clearly - was so strong.