Yep. Two things have happened to the Repro trunions lately. First, the pin is not as loose as the OEM pins were. In fact, I cannot remove the pins or even get them to budge, to the point of bending the frame on my 10 ton press. Secondly, the threads on the pins are NOT strong enough to set the nuts into the splines as the manual says to do it. I came up with a work around about half down the page here:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?108693-Recipe-for-a-TR2
Here is the meat of it re-posted:
Here is the outer pivot ready to complete...NOT so simple!
Here is the rub. The washer you see in the pick is too small for the trunnion post it goes on. You have to tighten it onto the post so tightly that some splines on the post cut into it. The only thing is that if you try to use the retaining nut to do this, as the instruction say to, I assure that you will strip the nut. Ask me how I know!?! So, we need to alter the instructions a bit. Here is what I recommend.
First, the original trunnion posts apparently had a loose interference fit inside the trunnion. The manual instructions assume that tapping the post will move it fore and aft relatively easily. I have YET to be able to move the post in a trunnion. I have bent my 10 ton press trying to move a trunnion post. Trust me, unless you are working on an original trunnion with no mileage, the post in all later trunnions are not going to budge!! We are going to use this fact to our advantage.
So, rather than stripping the nut trying to fit the washer on the trunnion post, Hammer it on like so! I am using an old piston pin to go over the end of the post. Once the splines have cut through the washer, then you can switch and put the retaining nut on.
Like so. Next, we have to get the clearance on each end of the trunnion post to about .004-.008". Because we have decided that the trunnion post will not move, do this one end at a time. Tighten the pivot nut until the suspension will no longer move...it is just locked solid. Then Back off the nut 1-1/2 to 2 flats (not turns!). Then put the cotter key in the nut. At this point the nut is loose, and the suspension is still locked up, since the washer is holding it tightly together. So...use a drift and smack the arm away from the trunnion. When you do, the arm will push the washer against the nut firmly, and you'll have the perfect play in the pivot, so the suspension will move again.
Repeat the process for the other end of the trunnion post and you're done with that trunnion.