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How to adjust the front suspension of a BN6

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BN6_2197 said:
Dave, it is easy to execute step 5 including..... Volker
Click to expand...
Sorry if my understanding of the English language isn't as good as yours, but are you saying you executed steps 1 thru 5 inclusive. If so, then yes the upper trunion should come off. Make sure there are no pieces from the bushing stuck in there crossways. If all this has failed it is time for some Heat. Or you can continue to soak it and keep working at it. i'm betting that there is a heck of a wear ridge on the Swivel pin. Heating the trunion may be the only way. You'll have to get it to expand enough get it past the wear ridge. Dave.

Bye the way, Merry Christmas to You and All.
 
I agree with Dave re the heat. It probably won't take a lot -- I used a propane torch to heat #88 (same page) enough to loosen the tie rod end tapered bolt.

Suggest heating trunnion #45 and worrying back and forth with a bar or big screwdriver until it loosens.

Not sure why there would be a wear ridge - it the trunnion were loose enough for that it would fall off in your hand. It is intended to be bolted up tight against the step visible just above the callout #48.

Merry Christmas to All and all your families.
 
Gents, thanks for all the hints. I will try a puller first. Hopefully getting one from the local garage on Monday. If not I will order one over the Internet. I will keep you informed.

Merry Christmas to All and your families.
 
Volker, I am wondering if we are still miss understanding each other. I want to restate this another way. And I have to admit that i have not pulled ther swivel pins apart on a Healey in many years, but i don't think I have missed anything. If you look at the picture in the manual you will see that the swivel pin at the location of the trunion is machined with a swag or groove or cut area. If the bushing is still in the trunion or maybe the bar you are using is large enough to be engaging that cut in the swivel pin, then the trunion can't come off. Dave.
 
As a European I must admit that the English we learn at school is not ideal for communicating on Internet ;-)

There is a dent in the king pin (swivel pin; red circle) where the (trunnion)bushes fit into.
The assembled bushes hold the king pin / trunnion in place.
This could work against you when taking the trunnion from the king pin

There is a little pin with a flat face (green cirle) that fits in the fulcrum pin. This little pin with the flat face must go in with little effort.
The flat face of the little pin must fit exactly, it holds the fulcrum pin in place when the wheel goes up and down on the road

The 2" block helps align all the parts to insert and fasten the little pin the right way

AHSWP_LPSet.jpg
 
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vette said:
Volker, I am wondering if we are still miss understanding each other. I want to restate this another way. And I have to admit that i have not pulled ther swivel pins apart on a Healey in many years, but i don't think I have missed anything. If you look at the picture in the manual you will see that the swivel pin at the location of the trunion is machined with a swag or groove or cut area. If the bushing is still in the trunion or maybe the bar you are using is large enough to be engaging that cut in the swivel pin, then the trunion can't come off. Dave.
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Dave, we do not misunderstand each other: I removed the bushing and the bar is not tool large. I can see the "cut area" of the swivel pin. I is hard to turn the trunnion around the swivel pin and it is unfeasible to move it upwards on the swivel pin.
 
Big Green, Thanks for the assist with the terminology. Every little bit helps. I can imagine the difficulty between the languages even if one has learned them. Years ago I was in Switzerland and I was hiking in the mountains. I got separated from my group and came to talking with a Swiss couple who were also hiking. As soon as I said Hello, they turned and said, "you're American". We sat in the Alps talking for close to an hour until my friends found me. It was quite an experience for me, and they enjoyed practicing their english. Dave.
 
Have you tried the heat yet? As can be seen from the picture, the swivel pin is not tapered, so a combination of penetrant and heat should allow you to loosen the upper trunnion enough to worry it off. You're undoubtedly dealing with corrosion in the joint.
 
Steve, I did not try the heat yet. I will hopefully get a puller tomorrow and give it a try. I share you opinion, that I am dealing with corrosion in the joint. I will post the current status soon.
 
Gents, I was able to remove the trunnion with the puller. Unfortunately I damaged the thread of the swivel pin, either by working on/turning the trunnion a few days ago or by applying the puller. There was no corrosion as expected. After removal, I am not able to put the trunnion on the swivel pin again without applying a lot of force. It seems that the swivel pin and the trunnion are not "in line". Any idea? Volker
 
BN6_2197 said:
Gents, I was able to remove the trunnion with the puller. Unfortunately I damaged the thread of the swivel pin, either by working on/turning the trunnion a few days ago or by applying the puller. There was no corrosion as expected. After removal, I am not able to put the trunnion on the swivel pin again without applying a lot of force. It seems that the swivel pin and the trunnion are not "in line". Any idea? Volker
Click to expand...

Volker -- I'd look for a distortion in the bore of the trunnion. The top or bottom edge might have gotten distorted with all this struggle. You'll want to measure the bore of the trunnion and compare to the diameter of the swivel pin.

You could used a brake hone to enlarge the bore just enough for it to tap onto the swivel pin.

You may be able to clean up the thread through careful use of a fine triangular file.

It is difficult to believe an uncorroded factory trunnion is not going to be an easy fit onto a factory swivel pin.

Where are the pictures of all this!
 
Gents, I measured the diameter of the trunnion and the swivel pin. It seems the one of the trunnion (approx 15.03 mm) is al little bit smaller than the one of the swivel pin (approx. 15.04mm). My idea it to polish the inside of the trunnion and the upper portion of the swivel pin. How can I do that without damaging the things? Attached you can fond two pictures of my setup.

In the picture of the swivel pin you can see the damaged thread and some other damages of the upper part of the swivel pin caused by the removal of the trunnion I think.

Volker

IMG_0531.jpg

IMG_0529.jpg
 
Damage looks severe enough to represent a safety hazard. You wouldn't want to trust it going over Stelvio Pass.

Am really curious how that ring groove got worn in halfway up. The swivel pin and trunnion don't even rotate relative to each other.
 
steveg said:
Am really curious how that ring groove got worn in halfway up. The swivel pin and trunnion don't even rotate relative to each other.
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Steve, the only explanation of the halfway damage is in my opinion, that it happened while I pulled the trunnion from the swivel pin with the puller.

No chance to "repair" the damaged thread?

Volker
 
You could buy a die and clean up the threads.
However, this damage looks pretty bad and this is a safety-related part -- how would you like to have your front wheel collapse as you're driving one of your alpine roads?
New kingpin (swivel pin) sets are not that expensive.
Believe me, I feel your pain, as I'm always on a budget.

My opinion: If the damage in the pictures is a result of your work, maybe you need to find a good mechanic to do the work for you. Healey work would be easy for a Porsche or Mercedes mechanic. I mean no disrespect.
 
It certainly seems like a good idea to replace the damaged parts. You likely know better than anyone what caused the damage to the king pin. If you caused it, don't feel too bad. You are not the first person to damage something when taking it apart for the first time. I expect that virtually every mechanic - amateur or professional - has inadvertently damaged parts in their career. Unforeseen things happen, and parts don't always come apart or go together as one would expect. (Who knew, for example, that U joints on GMC pickup drive shafts use two slightly different size cups on the same joint. Add a 20 ton press to the equation and you can imagine the rest.)

While it might seem like small consolation, it is important to understand where one went wrong and what one would do differently next time. In the case of replacing king pins, most people do not have the necessary tools or experience for the job, so it might be time to bring in someone with the specialized equipment and knowledge required.
 
Bob_Spidell said:
Those look like wear grooves to me; don't think Volker created this damage.
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Bob,
Agree it looks like wear, but am just trying to envision how there could be wear there, since the kingpin doesn't rotate at all. Also, that would imply the pin was really loose in the trunnion, when in fact it was apparently seized on it.
 
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