Front suspension torque settings

[James k]

Hi,

I'm attempting to change my front suspension tomorrow with new kingpins, trunnions, track rod ends and dampers. I can't find any torque settings anywhere. Does anyone know where I can find them?

Thanks,
James

[taupe]

From a quick search of forum

Re: Torque setting
It's in the Minor Manual.......
Page 19 of the printed book, aka page General Data 13 Torque Wrench Settings.

T

[philthehill]

taupe
Can you please give a bit more detail re those torque settings. I have looked at Wksp man Pt No: AKD530 14th edition and there are very few torque settings for the front suspension.

[taupe]

Phil

I just did a quick search and pasted it.... those are the main torque figures in the manual...

I generally tighten the suspension items by 'feel'...Im sure you do too?

With suspension and steering I generally tighten between 'good and tight' and 'very tight' but not 'thread stripping tight' (otherwise known as 'ridiculously tight' eg cylinder head nuts)

I attach an MGB torque data sheet from the WWW be careful using these for the Morris minor as the set ups are not identical (also MGB bolts are probably bigger and hence higher torque) but can help inform ...

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/mgb ... ttings.pdf

The general torque guidance at the end re fastener size is maybe more usefull ...especially for people less confident in tightening by feel alone.

T

[philthehill]

taupe
Many thanks for the reply.

The BL Morris Marina workshop manual for example Pt No: AKM4580 gives most of the torque settings for the front suspension which is near identical to the Minor front suspension except for the classic Mini type top swivel joint.

[alanworland]

I've never found/looked for torque settings and only ever used common sense?
When I got the Morris many moons ago I found one of the wheelnut studs was stretched unbelievably - the pitch between adjacent threads were about 4 times greater! Incredible, must have been at giving way.
I saved it as a reminder of not doing the nuts up too tight, unfortunately I can't find it now.
An engineer's sight for sore eyes.

Alan

[taupe]

I've never found/looked for torque settings and only ever used common sense?

Alan

Yes thats true and me too in general...but would you tighten the crankshaft nut for example to 70 lb/ft without knowing this was specified?

T

[James k]

Hi,

I found the torque settings in the Workshop manual but there aren't any for the front suspension.

I've now replaced the suspension (kingpins, trunnions, dampers, track rod ends and poly bushes) on both sides. I just did everything up tight and fitted all the required lock washers and split pins. I did 'very tight' but not 'stepping on the spanner' tight so hopefully that's okay. It took about four hours per side and there was a lot of play in all of the old parts, the offside shock was knocking and had virtually no resistance. Most came apart reasonably easily except for the near side steering arm which I had to replace.

I'm slightly terrified that I didn't get all the swarf out of the trunnions and that it's going to fail again soon. I washed them out with white spirit and then blasted them with brake cleaner so hopefully that got it all!

Thanks,
James

[philthehill]

The main reason for having a torque setting is that on a production line every Tom, Dick and Jill can tighten the fastening to the same torque every time.
The second world war hastened the adoption of the torque wrench and torque settings as not all production operatives were skilled enough to set the tightness of fastenings to the same torque every time.
Before the torque wrench spanners were made of a specific length so that with normal use/force/effort the fastening would be tightened to the required torque. The head nut spanner of the Morris side valve engine is a spanner that springs to mind.

[simmitc]

James, sorry as you've already done the work, but it is important the final tightening is carried out with the suspension under normal load, that is with the weight of the car on the wheels on level ground. I'm sure that yo.u will have done that if following the manual, but worth noting.

[philthehill]

If you have lubricated the bushes with either red grease for rubber bushes or silicon / GP grease for poly bushes there is no need to slacken any bolts to settle the suspension. The suspension will settle itself.
Only the top swivel bushes and the eye bolt bushes are effected by lack a of lubrication and if not lubricated do need to be settled before tightening the fastenings.
All other bolts / fastenings are not effected by a lack of settling the suspension as they are either lubricated or have articulation between the item being bolted / secured and the suspension.
So at most you will have two nuts to slacken i.e. the eye bolt pin front nut and the top swivel nut which with the large washer retains the bushes. Bounce the suspension a few times before retightening the nuts and locking the top swivel nut in place.

[James k]

Hi,

I did not see anything in the manual (I have the blue Leyland Workshop manual) about tightening with the wheels on the ground. I tightened the bolts with a jack under the suspension arm and I did grease the bushes.

[philthehill]

Jobs done then

[James k]

Until some missed swarf wrecks the thread and the lower trunnion drops out!

Hopefully I got it all!

[philthehill]

If there is or was swarf in the threads you will have felt its presence when you assembled the swivel.
Personally I have yet to find swarf in a trunnion and I have at least 10 NOS items on the spares shelf and they are all swarf free.
Just use and enjoy.
Phil

[James k]

There was definitely swarf in them but I cleaned them out so hopefully there's none left. If there was a bit in there, would it likely stay localised or make its way through the threads?

There was some resistance putting one of the bottom trunnions on as the start of the second set of threads was slightly compressed on the kingpin. I ran it back and forth a few times and then it went on and rotated back and forth.

[philthehill]

From your description I am certain all will be well.
Putting new trunnions on old swivel threads will always be a problem in that the threads through wear will have slightly different profiles especially those threads on the swivel.

[kevin s]

For torques a good rule of thumb is as much effort as you can comfortably put on a combination spanner, you can also look up the standard torques for each size of fastner like the one below.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sourc ... ewCWT3rZmP

[James k]

Thanks for the reassurance, Phil. It's off to ESM on Monday to have the back refitted and some brake work done so no doubt they'll spot if I've done anything disastrous!

Bodywork and brakes are the only things I haven't done myself yet, now that I've managed suspension. I rebuilt the engine a few years ago so I'm slowly ticking off the various tasks. It's always nerve wracking doing something for the first time though. Maybe I'll be brave enough to try brakes one day. The high stakes on a single circuit system have kept me away so far!

Thanks for the tips regarding feeling torque. Since I've not worked in any engineering jobs, as I gather a lot of people here have, I don't have much of a feel for torquing without a torque wrench.