removing front damper

[myoldjalopy]

General advice is to support car on axle stands, jack up suspension arm, knock back tab washer at rear of top link pin and remove said nut,washers and rear bush, then "slide top trunnion off pin". This I could not do as not enough movement in kingpin/trunnion. I found the answer to be remove damper bolts at this point and then it will slide forwards off the trunnion, complete with pin.

Pete

[bmcecosse]

The top arm goes through slot in inner wing - so sliding forward is not generally possible....much easier to pull the trunnion off.....

[Fingolfin]

Sliding it forwards can be done if one removes the damper mounting bolts first and then wiggles the damper around -- there's just enough room. I know because I just did it a week ago.

[myoldjalopy]

Yes, that's what I did. It came off very easily by removing damper bolts and wiggling forwards off the trunnion - the damper came through the slot in the wing with no trouble. No way could I pull the trunnion off backwards!

[bmcecosse]

Can't understand why not - there's noting to hold it!! But whatever works for you...........

[philthehill]

It is possible to remove the top trunnion without disturbing the shock absorber in any way.
What you have to do after taking the load off the torsion bar is remove rear trunnion bush (Part No: SUS144) and with a some pressure (but not excessive) push the trunnion (Part No SUS137/8) eye rearwards and at the same time twisting it whilst also making sure that the front trunnion bush (Part No: SUS144) remains on and at the front of the pin but out of the trunnion eye and I can assure you that the trunnion will come off the trunnion pin, it is a tight fit but it will come. I have been rebuilding my front suspension this week and have had to disengage the top trunnion from the shock absorber several times. There is absolutely no wear or excess movement in the suspension of my Minor that allows me do disengage the trunnion from the pin it just does.

[bmcecosse]

I don't even find it a 'tight fit' - just slides off...... and then unscrew from the king pin.

[myoldjalopy]

Crikey! I wish I could just slide it off. When I undo the rear nut, lockwasher and thick washer the trunnion won't move backwards at all..........I just sweated buckets and got scared I would pull the whole car off the jack under the arm (yes it was on an axle stand as well) .
There must be a knack to doing it - what the hell is it? I found it a hell of a job to get the rear bush out as well until I pulled the damper arm off forwards. It was a poly bush and I couldn't even lever out out with a screwdriver.

[myoldjalopy]

Having had to do this job again (serves me right for getting a second-hand damper which failed within weeks) I confirm Phil the Hill is right - the trick is to pull the top trunnion backwards and towards you while twisting it clockwise. It then does slide off. But that rear bush is difficult. It was in pieces by the time I levered it out (fortunately I had a spare ). Maybe the trick with that is to wiggle the trunnion around whilst trying to pull the bush out?

[bmcecosse]

Indeed - as I pointed out right at the beginning... and I'm amazed you could break a poly bush in to 3 pieces.....or was it a nylon bush?

[myoldjalopy]

Yes, you did sir, but it was Phil who provided the crucial detail of using "some pressure (but not excessive) to push the trunnion (Part No SUS137/8) eye rearwards and at the same time twisting it whilst also making sure that the front trunnion bush (Part No: SUS144) remains on and at the front of the pin but out of the trunnion eye".
Whatever the bush was made of it is now destroyed; it certainly wasn't rubber.