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TR2/3/3A Recipe for a TR2

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CJD

CJD

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So, since the body thread is indefinitely on hold...here comes the chassis build thread I promised! Follow along as I build a TR2 from scratch...





Start with one part TR2 frame, freshly blasted, welded, and painted. Well, not so fresh, since I did that 3-1/2 years ago?!?



During a walk around, I'll point out some of the features. This is the rear exhaust mount.



This is the reinforcement tab that was added to rear shock mount on the TR frame at about TR4699.



This is the bracket on the right that accepts the rear axle brake hose.



The rear 4 feet or so have a little kick up, so be sure to support the frame under the straight section, so there is no chance the jack will slide out while you are working on it. Be sure to pad the jack stands, as the frame is only 16 gage sheet metal. It WILL dent rather easily from poor jack handling.



This is the rear of the cruciform. I believe the later frames got a gusset in this area??



These are the very early jack tabs. Although Standard never admitted the early jack was unsafe...they replaced it part way through the TR2 production.



The front of the cruciform does get a gusset after TR4310, shown here.



On the left...the bracket for the clutch hose.



And further up the diagonal brace, the bracket for the (in)famous fuel shutoff valve.



This is the ID tab on the front crossmember.



This area makes a decent front jack location. It will be out of the way here as we install parts later.
 
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Next, we will remove all the boxes of prepped parts we have accumulated over the last 4+ years from storage! This is cool, as by this time the pain of rebuilding every tiny miniscual, drudging, stained, corroded, bent, little part has faded from your memory!?! Each box is very much like a little time capsule...created for, ME!



Now we will mix in one part rear differential...



This is one that many will never see in person. This is a close-up of the integral wire hubs. Unlike later TR2's and 3's, the hub does not take a wire adapter...the hub IS the adapter.





Add 2 parts of the now very unobtanium wire wheel collars...that, by the way...cost as much as the entire rear diff!!

Now we'll take a little walkaround an early Lockheed differential.

















 




In preparation for mixing the diff into the frame, take especial note of the hole in the spring mounting pads. This hole must be located over the center bolt that holds the spring pack together.



Add one box "spring mounting hardware".



Spray every mounting bolt and bare part with LPS3. This stuff will prevent rust for a very long time.





Our first mounting bolt! This is one of the 2 front spring eye bolts.



Add 2 parts front spring eye bolt to 1 part frame.





Note that the frame inner bolt tube has a notch sticking out to prevent the bolt from turning.





Install 2 parts rebuilt springs to front eye bolts.









Now it is time to pause, and take a moment to give praise to the Triumph manual. Here we find all vital information about torques to bind our creation into one permanent vehicle, forever and anon.







And...all praise be giving the gospel of the torque wrench! Seriously, I need to point out that 28ft/lbs is LESS than hand tightened by an average mechanic!! Ever wonder why people have had so much trouble removing these nuts? I bet many bolts have been TLAR'd on over the years. Rather than using bolt stretch to hold the nuts on, as american designers did, the Brit's preferred to use less torque, and ensure the nut stays on by using a cotter key. Follow the Triumph Bible for torque and thou wilst not depart the true path to a righteous build.
 
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John

amazing stuff, love the pics please keep them coming!

Randy
 


Glad you like them, Randy...cause a lot are coming!

This is the diff mounted to the center of the rear spring. The problem with the spring is that it presses the dif into the top of the frame when there is no weight on the car. So, you must mount the u-bolts and loosely mount the lower shackle plate. Once you've done that, then you can press down at the rear of the spring and install the rear shackle...



Like so!



Now add the lever shocks, 1 each side. You will find the end links for the shock rod is a real PITA to deal with. If you remember, tape the link in place before installing the springs. If you forget, as I always do!?!, then you can pry the spring outward enough to just slip the lower end of the link down and into the spring plate.





Finally, add some wheels and the bump straps, and the rear dif is a part of the car!



The next surprise box opening gives us the front suspension parts...all rebuilt and ready to go. You gotta love 60 year old "new" parts!





So, now our reading is out of the front suspension section. The lower spring pan has more parts than the entire front suspension on the average American car...so I have to rely on this section...to the letter!







An important addition is in the back of the book...don't forget to check! Essentially the initial TR2 had rubber lower bushings. These didn't hold up, so the lower inside bushings were changed to nylon. I'm not sure you can even find the original bushings, and not sure why you would want to, since the Judging guide says the nylon are fine.

Just insert the supplemental instructions where it says to...





As always, torques are in the "General Section", in the front of the manual, so you will be flipping back and forth a lot.



I previously rebuilt the vertical link and trunnion in one assembly...and the upper pivot arm in another. So, here I pick up the manual instructions where it says to assemble the vertical link to the upper arm ball link.



Now that goes on the frame. At this point there is no left or right. The upper inner pivot (gotta love Triumph terminology!?!) is held with 2 set screws...which means they go into a welded nut in the frame tower, and 2 bolts with nuts on the inside.







Part of the change to nylon lower inner pivots are these steel sleeves. They go over the original pins that are usually corroded on the frame...so the corrosion doesn't ruin the rebuild. At least as long as the pins are thick enough to hold the sleeve.





Now we have to build 8 of these little nylon washers with rubber seals around them. Some frustrating work, as the seal is pretty tight and wants to slip off!



Always grease! The lower inner pivots do not have grease fittings, so this is your only chance to lubricate them.



Now nylon sleeves go in the forged pivot arms. There are 2 different types of arms. We will build them into a right and a left.



The threaded holes are for grease fittings. Build the arms so that each side has the fittings facing downward when you are finished.



Also, note that the bronze bushings in the small end come too small for the trunnion pin. After pressing them in they MUST be reamed to final size.



The outer pivots use metal washers, but the same style rubber seals...even more of a pain to get hte seal on the washer!





Here is the trunnion and frame pivots all ready to accept the front arm.



It just slides on both at the same time...assuming nothing is bent.



And same for the rear.



The outside gets another metal washer with seal, and then this special washer that will lock the assembly together. This now gets complicated!
 


First, the inner pivot is easy. It gets a second nylon washer with seal, and is retained with one of these plates on each pivot. The plate bolts to a little bracket welded to the frame. Simple!



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.



Now, pull the vertical link upward and install the special studs on the inner hole of each forged arm.



The spring pan gets a rubber insulator.



If you have a churchill spring compressor, you will install the spring now. I don't.



Another insulator at the top of the spring.



And the aluminum spacer at the top. No insulator over that one.



This is a standard spring compressor I bought when I was 16 and wanted to install W30 springs on my Cutlass. We are going to use it, only not like this...



We are going to unscrew it and slip the bolt through the top of the spring tower, where the shock mounts.



Now the bottom spring jaws go in the spring. We set the upper jaws aside for this job.





Now we screw the jaws onto the bolt and cinch up the spring into the tower. Impact gun makes it a 30 second job!



Now the lower spring pan gets placed on the 2 studs we installed earlier, using 2 castle nuts.





The middle rear of the pan gets the bump-stop bolt. The other holes are special bolts with holes for cotter keys, and castle nuts. Note...these each need a thick washer. Without the washers, the nuts go on so far that the cotter keys do not engage the top of the nuts. Important safety tip!

Once all 6 nuts are torqued and cottered, you can loosen the spring compressor and remove it from the tower.



The bottom mount for the shocks look like this. Notice the locking tab. The shocks feed upward from hole in the spring pan, and the assembly is held in by a plate and 4 nuts.

Once the bottom of the shock it mounted, you can extend the shock and mount the top to the hole in the spring tower. I used a screw driver to pry the shock through the spring coils.



This is the rebound bumper that mounts to the frame. Currently, we have no weight on the front suspension, so they are over-extended. The mount will still go on, but...



We have to remove the rubber bumper and save it until the engine and body are back on the chassis. We'll set this aside for now.



Here is the rebound bumper plate installed with 2 long bolts and nuts.



Now we have a complete front suspension. Cool!
 


Brake time. Here is my brand new 60 year old backing plate. Funny how the pain of rebuilding all this junk fades when you see the fresh part come out of the box!



The right back is marked. The left is not.



I am amazed when I see I remembered to bag all the parts I'll need!



And this is everything needed to assemble the brakes to the vertical link. Let's get to work.



The back plate is held with 2 "set screws" at the bottom, and 2 long bolts at the top, which also go through the steering arm. Note, these are the early Lockheed, dual cylinder front brakes. Most will never be unfortunate enough to have to deal with this many parts! The locking tabs have to be bowed a bit...even the originals looked like that.



You can tell night set. One day I'll have to get a new camera with a flash!?!. This just shows the steering arm held by the upper 2 long bolts with nylock nuts.

That's where I stopped last night. I'll have more progress to report by the end of the week...
 
You make it look so easy, and fast. And clean. Fantastic.

CJD said:
So, since the body thread is indefinitely on hold....
Click to expand...

So... you and your wife can ignore that white elephant sitting in the living room, just because you painted it British Racing Green?
I think you meant indefatigably instead of indefinitely.
 
All your preparation and forethought paying off. So well organized. I presume you took it all apart. My TR came pre-disassembled and the parts were blended in in random boxes.

Your photos and directions would have been a great help when I put mine together.

Great job.

David
 
Today she actually made the comment that "it looks good in there".

I'm not sure how to take that. Either she is coming over to my side...or early stage dementia is setting in. I guess I'll choose to be pleased??
 
DavidApp said:
All your preparation and forethought paying off. So well organized. I presume you took it all apart. My TR came pre-disassembled and the parts were blended in in random boxes.

Your photos and directions would have been a great help when I put mine together.

Great job.

David
Click to expand...

I would be far to scared to take on a car that was in pieces! The manual is very helpful, but there are some parts that only a pic can explain. You have done well!
 
Very nice John.

Cheers
Tush
 
Looks great. My early TR3 was in boxes when I got it but many of the details look very similar. Nice to have the details documented. Cheers, Mike
 
Thanks guys! You bore with me through the dark years, so I figured you would enjoy seeing a project finish off in short order. Hopefully it'll help someone in the future too...
 
BlueMax said:
Are you using the original brake tubing?
Click to expand...

I will be using a combination, but most of the lines will be re-bent from new tubing. The original are the short lines on the brake backing plates and the lines on the differential. Those were greased up enough that they are un-pitted and look good. The crossover line at the front and long line down the frame were pitted...so they are getting replaced.
 




Finally, we're back to daylight! Here's where day 2 begins...at the brakes.

These brakes are the early style, that actually use 2 slave cylinders and 2 adjusters per wheel.



Here is a look at one of the 4 front wheel cylinders with the mounting bolts. These are fresh from Moss, as the originals were unrecognizable under the rust.



They drop in place...one up, and the other downward. The locating holes make it impossible to get them wrong.





At the bottom, the 2 cylinders are tied together hydraulically with a hard line. These were well protected with grease and are original.





A new hose and copper washer goes on the rear cylinder at the top.







The inside end of the hose goes to the frame mounting tab.



At this point we can set the turning stops. It is just a 5/16" bolt holding a cam, and there is one on each side. Here is what you are looking for...



When you turn the vertical link, it will hit the lower a arm.

Note...you did catch that, even with the spring loading on the suspension, I can relatively easily rotate the link by hand? If you cannot easily rotate the link, then your link is bent. Stop now before you get to far and fix/replace your vertical link. A straight link will allow easy rotation, period!



So...rotate the link just a tad away from where the steering arm contacts the a arm...and then rotate the stop cam so it contacts the link stop.



Now tighten the cam mounting bolt. That's it! Then repeat on the opposite side.





The brake bleed screw now goes in the top of the front cylinder.
 
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