MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Lower trunion bolt won't come out

I'm disassembling the front suspension in order to replace A arm bushings, etc. The passenger side came apart OK but on the drivers side, the pivot bolt on the bottom trunion doesn't want to come out. The nut came off fine and the whole bolt turns, it just doesn't want to come out.

I'm wondering if it's likely that the bolt is rusted solid inside the steel tube? If so, what are my choices in getting it apart?

I've got a jack under the spring pan. Could I unbolt the A arm from the spring pan, remove the crown nut from the inner pivot arm, and then pull the A arm out/off with the bolt and (likely) the steel spacer tube still attached? Would I be asking for trouble trying to remove the A arm from the sping pan with the coil spring (and the other A arm) still in there?
Andy Bounsall

The A arm will come off with the bolt attached - no problem (still got one in my inventory!), but why would you want to leave the spring in place? Remove the top trunnion bolt and release the jack, the hub will just pivot on the lower bolt and you can remove the spring. Rest the hub on a suitable height object while you remove the arm/lower bolt.

Neil
Neil McGurk

Yes, it would be kind of dangerous to take the arm off with the spring compressed by a jack. After I unbolted the arm from the pan, I could pull the bolt and distance tube out of the trunion. I cut the bolt off of the arm with a cutoff wheel.

Jeff Schultz

Place floor jack under coil spring and lift. Place jack stand under frame and sit. Lift suspension slightly off the rubber bumper. Remove top trunnion bolt. Lower jack. Push down outer end of a-arm and lift out coil spring. Remove nut from lower trunnion bolt. Disassemble a-arm bracket from that side of spring pan. Trunnion with bushing may slide off of steel tube at that time.

Remove other side bracket from inner pivot and detach from spring pan. Take spring pan and trunnion assembly (or steel tube with frozen bolt) to work bench. Cut off bolt head to remove bracket from trunnion. Knock steel tube out of bushing if necessary. Use BFH to knock bolt out of steel tube (if you think the tube is worth saving.
Barney Gaylord

Had the same problem with the upper bolt. It took 3 tons of hydraulic pressure to push it and the bushing out of the trunion.

Good luck with the BFH, but don't be surprized if you have to get it to a hydraulic press.

Don Carlberg
Don Carlberg

OK, thanks for the replies everyone. I'll give it a go.
Andy Bounsall

Ah, success! As per your excellent advise I removed the top trunion bolt, then lowered the jack to unload the coil spring. Unfortunately, the steering arm connection prevented the swivel pin and hub ass'y from being able to drop down far enough to remove the coil spring. However, with the spring no longer compressed I was able the unbolt the pan from both A arms and drop the pan and coil spring out the bottom. At that point, I reconnected top trunion to hold the swivel pin and hub. Then I was able to remove the both A arms. As expected, the problem bolt came out fused to the steel tube. Thanks again for your help.
Andy Bounsall

This thread was discussed between 19/01/2008 and 20/01/2008

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now