TR2/3/3A Vertical link check

[vype]

Hello everyone,
I am reassembling the front right suspension and I have a mysterious problem.
The trunnion, the upper fulcrum pin, the upper ball join and all the bushes are new.
I checked the lower fulcrum pin and it is ok.
The first mysterious thing is that we had to force a little on the vertical link to connect it on the ball joint (~0.2" shift)
After reassembling there is no problem to move the whole vertically but when I try to turn the stub axle around the vertical axis it gets hard and stuck.
I dismantled again to check all pieces. No particular problem with the trunnion and the lower arms. The trunnion can rotate easily.



On the other hand I have a doubt about the vertical link (standard).
It's difficult to check it but I feel it is slightly bent.


What do you think about this? will replacing it with a new one be enough to solve the problem?
Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[CJD]

That is the sign of a bent link. Here is a link about how I check and straighten them:

http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?98354-Triumph-spindles

The problem with TR vertical links is that the bottom is restrained by the trunnion for/aft pin, so it can only rotate and move in and out. When the link gets a bend, as it rotates it begins to bind in the trunnion, making steering stiff and putting very high loads on the brass trunnion. I have yet to have a trunnion bend on my watch, so I am inclined to believe the problem comes from shops bending the trunnions to align camber...which doesn't work anyway! There is no camber adjustment in TR's, so something is bent if it is off.

 

[vype]

Thanks John.
I had not seen your post.
I will try to measure the deformation to see if I can try to straighten it or if I need to replace it.
My problem now is that the chuck of my drill press is to small compared to the vertical link diameter ....