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TR2/3/3A Front suspension lubrication during assembly

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charleyf

charleyf

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On the front suspension components during assembly, besides the locations where there are grease fittings on the outer locations, what are some of you using if anything on the inner upper bushes and inner lower bushes/fittings for lubrication? I can not say that I have ever seen much of anything on disassembled parts for those areas. It seems like with so many modern lubricants like silicon available it would be best to use something.
Charley
 
If you are using the stock rubber bushings at the top, then they should NOT have any lubrication at all. The rubber is supposed to stick and deform as the suspension moves, rather than sliding (plus most lubricants will degrade and ruin the rubber). The book says to oil the nylon lower bushings "occasionally", but in theory the bushings are self-lubricating. The oil is mostly to prevent rust.

I actually added grease zerks when I converted to Nylatron. Dunno if it actually helped or not, but made me feel better :smile: You can see one of them peeping out in this shot

 
I used urethane bushings is some places. IE: hard to get to , don't want to take them apart again. What I read was lube them with synthetic grease so they don't squeak. Mine don't squeak, but I have less than 500 miles on the car. So who knows.
I have been driving the car to the gym 3 days a week and been getting a lot of stares. Of course, it could be my driving. I like to accelerate, they gave me a gas pedal!. I use the excuse, that I am breaking in the engine.

Jerry
TR3A
 
I will leave my silicone lube in the drawer and not use any on the upper bushings. On the lower I am thinking about using some copaslip on the inside of the metal sleeve that goes over the lower fulcrum pin and then grease on the outside of that one for the rest of the assembly. My first foray into rebuilding a TR3 front end is a bad memory of trying to get that sleeve off of the fulcrum pin. It was so rusted on there that I had to resort to a torch and a pipe wrench top get it off. And this was on a car that was being driven regularly and not a rust heap that had been sitting around.
Thanks for the help.
Charley
 
I would think that you could use the sprayable white lithium grease on rubber bushings, at least after they are installed. We often spray that stuff on rubber suspension parts on more modern vehicles, especially to deal with squeaks. I used urethane bushings on my TR3 and used a waterproof grease on those during assembly.

I can vouch for Jerry's car not squeaking. I had the pleasure of driving l'orange (say it holding your nose, with a french accent), on last Saturday and it was a hoot. He's done a spectacular job on that restoration and is having a ton of fun driving it. Jerry and Katie came to my home on Saturday and helped fit the front apron and hood (and a lot of other odds and ends). They are a well-oiled machine when it comes to working together on British cars and helped me get over the paralysis that seems to occur when you're almost done and not quite sure how to finish your resto.

Pat
 
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