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Latest/ front end bushing question

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Gblake2613

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up-date/ front end bushing question

I am finally putting parts back onto the frame!!! I can't remember if I am supposed to ream the lower, outer wishbone bushings or not. I have pressed them into the wishbone and now the assembly does not want to go on to the new trunnion cross shaft. I called TRF and they said that it should be a close fit, use a mallet. I seem to remember reaming these last time???

Is there a reamer out there for this application that you have used that worked well? The local auto parts store had a 2 stone reamer that only adjusts down to 11/16", used for hydraulic bores. I can't find those ball reamers I use to use.

Thanks,

Greg
 

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Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Picture of front end. I wish I could remember where all those parts go.
 

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Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

I didn't have to ream mine when I redid my front end my TR6. It was a tight fit though. Hope this helps
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Greg, Powder coat all of them. They will look beautiful forever!!!
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

I think you are confusing a reamer with a hone. A reamer has fluted cutting edges and are a finite size..the hone is what you are taking about, I think.

I'm not sure ball hones go that small but I may be wrong...
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

There is reaming that is necessary on a TR3 front end rebuild, but not on the TR6.
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Greg,

I just finished rebuilding the front end on my 69 TR6, I didn't need to ream anything. I bead-blasted everything and painted everything in Hammerite. I had the same experience TRF sugested...tight fit, but all fit OK.

Cheers,

Rob
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Greg-

[ QUOTE ]
I wish I could remember where all those parts go.

[/ QUOTE ]
You could put them in my storage unit in Katy TX for when I get back! (I want a late TR4 frame just like that one) Your project looks great - yes, you definitely need to ream those outer bushings for a TR3 or TR4 setup. I posted my poor boy solution on this a while back but I think all the picture links broke when my website shutdown. I did save everything to a pdf and will try to post later today when I get back home (working in the office on Thanksgiving, dang).

If you have a competent machine shop nearby you might just want to drag the trunnions and wishbones over to them for fitting. My 'I did it myself' solution worked and wasn't very expensive ($10-$20 for a reamer), but it probably wasn't machine shop quality.

Randy
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

p.s. If you want a good weblink on reamers, here's one:
Enco reamers

They are cheap, quick to ship, and worked well for me. I went with a fixed reamer size, but if I did it again I think I'd buy an adjustable one.
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Those bushings might fit OK BEFORE they are pressed into the A-Arm, but they collapse a bit because of the interference fit. DO NOT HAMMER THEM ON. The bushings need to be reamed. I used and adjustable reamer and took out just enough to make a nice fit. The nominal size is 5/8" (.625). A .625" chucking reamer should also theoretically work, but I'd mike the cross shafts first to make sure, as maybe a .626" would be the right choice.
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

I agree with the light reaming with emphasis on light. If you're not in a hurry you might look on ebay for a used adjustable reamer, which will always work on nylon. A little grease doesn't hurt either. The guy I worked for 35 yrs. ago always added grease zerks to the inner nylon bushings on the 3's and early 4's when rebuilding front ends. I still have the same set on my 3 and just had to replace the outer brass bushings last year, but the inners were still in great shape.
Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Forgot to add, had to spend most of last week in your fair city. Great town. The daily traffic on I35 was, however, shall I say interesting. Seemed that no matter how early we would leave the hotel, we still arrived at our destination at the same time.
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Hi,

Previous posts are correct: TR2 and up through TR4 the standard lower/outer replacement bronze bushings need to be reamed (definitely not honed) for final fit. Ideally, you want to be able to slide the part onto the horizontal trunnion pin without forcing it, but have no play when you try to rock it side to side.

There are replacement bushings available that don't require reaming. The only source I know of is www.revingtontr.com in England.

Local machine shops were a big disappointment to me for this work. They basically have forgotten how to do it, don't have the proper tools and massively overcharged me. But, I had an urgent need to have one side done, so went ahead and outsourced it to a shop. That was a mistake. They charged me about triple what a 20 min. job should cost, had the parts for two weeks and over-reamed one of the bushings in the end.

I'll get an adjustable reamer and do it myself in the future. Or maybe just convert the car to TR4A-TR6 style bushings, depending upon which parts are being replaced.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Re: up-date/ front end bushing question

Sorry you had that experience Alan,
Most machine shops I know would refuse to do a job like that up front. It simply is not worth the time and effort to break away from the work they normally do and make money at to essentially do a favor. Luckily my brother and son are in shops and I can get them to do those favors.
We car enthusiasts look at it as spending more than it is worth and the shops look at it as a money loosing proposition. I have been on both sides. Unfortunately the result usually turns out similar to your experience. You are not satisfied and they more than likely wish they had never seen the job. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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