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Triumph TR6 - Diff Mounts

Well, the euphoria of Joel's "more than a car" thread has quickly worn off, and I'm back in the real world. I am now in the process of replacing the differential (no small feat by one's self) and I am stymied. The rear mounts I bought from TRF have a metal bushing inside them which is far too small in diameter to fit over the rear mounting pins. My question; is that bushing supposed to be there? First, I know the old mounts I removed didn't have one because I had to painstakingly remove the old rubber that had bonded to the pins. Second, the metal bushing sort of defeats the purpose of the rubber mounts, since you cannot compress it when you tighten things down. What's the deal?

Thanks,
Jim
Jim Vandenberg

Hi Jim

Old mounts did have a bushing and they are just rusted to the pins. Thats why the new one won't go on.

Now you have to get them off? If you don't have heat IE oxy/acet put a pair of vice grips on the old sleeves and try to bang them around side to side with a hammer may break them loose? Otherwise grind off on one side top to bottom carefully till it breaks loose. Watch the studs thread put a couple of nuts on them to protect

The diff has a sort of cage that the bush fits to. Thats what holds it rather than a compression fit.

Bill



Bill Brayford

Jim,
While you have the diff off take the opportunity
to box in the diff pins.
I'm pretty sure moss sells these 4 plates that need to be welded in so that there is actually a box of steel around to two front pins. The rear arch can be boxed
in by welding a strip 16 gauge metal to the bottom
of the arch channel. These two modifications will give
alot of strength and help prevent the pin cracking that our cars are known for.
Christopher Trace

Thanks guys. Bill, I hadn't thought about the old bushings actually becoming one with the rear pins, but now that you say it, it does make sense. I'm sure that's going to be a lot of fun getting them off! Chris, have done all that you suggested already, except for the arch channel reinforcement, which is a great idea. I had a classic case of a cracked front right diff mount. I continue to be amazed that the design engineers were satisfied with that wole diff mount setup for the full production run of these cars through '76 without making any improvements. It really is flimsy, at best.

Thanks Again,
Jim
Jim Vandenberg

Jim
Am curious. Did you buy original style rubber mounts or "new" poly bushes? Poly is better.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick,

I bought the original style, probably a year or so back. Don't recall where, but I read an interesting paper at the time which addressed the performance differences of hard rubber v. poly, and the conclusion was that in the front there was a significant improvement but in the rear (diff mounts and trailing arm bushings) there was not enough of an improvement to justify the additional cost. Given the fact that I was already up to about $2500 worth the parts on a single order to TRF, I decided on the originals. I kind of wish I had gone the poly route now, since everything else on the vehicle is poly except the TA bushings. Once I get it back on the road and begin looking for performance improvements, I'll probably look seriously at replacing them. Right now, I just want to drive her again.

Jim
Jim Vandenberg

Hi Guys:

That's my next (first) Winter project & it is daunting to say the least. Christopher, I didn't see any reinforcing plates in the Moss catalog. Could it be TRF?? Sounds like a pretty good plan to firm it all up as the stock setup is really flimsy.How does that arch channel reinforcement look? Any diagram available or is it just obvious when you get everything apart. I was concerned about altering the ride height by fooling around back there. Although I had the TR4A 12 years I did not have any of those troubles like I have in the TR6; probably 'cause the TR4 only had about 70,000 miles on it when it quit. Newfoundland is hard on cars due to the tons of salt they put on our roads but the diff stayed intact in the TR4. Everything else rotted though! Thought I'd throw this one in for a bit of trivia; wnet to see an old guy who restored LBC's for many years and who restored my TR4 for something to do. I sold two complete TR4A's plus a van load of parts for $400.00 in 1984. This guy made one good car out of the two & sold it to a local dentist. I visited the old guy last month & bought some mag wheels (for an MGB)to sell or swap for TR parts. He syas he might have another item that I'd be interested in. Goes over to a dark corner and comes back with a TR4 dash. It's my original dash from my '67 TR4A. I know, 'cause I glued a TR6 shift pattern up top between the top two gauges & it was still there. I got the dash for $10.00 with the four small gauges & ashtray still attached. All I need is a tach & speedo & it'll be complete. I still have the original TR4 steering wheel so I'm refinishing the dash & making a big wall plaque (work of art?) for my rec room with wheel, dash, gauges & the TR4A IRS trunk emblems attached. I think it'll be nice (& different). Regards,

Bob
'76 White TR6
Bob Evans

Bob,
yes it is the Roadster Factory that sells them.
But come to think of it I made my own a very simple
shape. Once you see the open bottom of the rear arch
channel it will be obvious what needs to be done.

Jim,
I use the Poly bushes for the diff mount, they are great, they just need to be geased up before mounting to prevent squeeking.
Christopher Trace

Chris,

Does the anti-squeaking treatment aapply to all diff mounts? I thought about greasing the pins before replacing the diff, then for some reason didn't. Is it worth going back under (as much of a pain as it is) before I get any further and giving them a shot of grease?

Jim
Jim Vandenberg

Hi Jim

Any metal to metal contact bolts etc. do yourself a favor and buy a can of Anti-Sieze. Comes with a brush inside use on all nuts bolt pins etc. Works great and prevents 2 parts becoming one?

Rubber parts silicone grease only. Any petrolium based will rot most rubber.

My opinion of the harder mounts and bushings. If you have beefed up the steel and want stiffer go for it. If you have not rebuilt the frame don't.

Since we are on average elderly and none of us run our cars hard???? Yah right! May be old but I'm not dead yet. The harder bushing change the torque slap from a rubber mallet to a sledge hammer on those mounts. Think about it?

Yep its flimsey all right. You should see mine from the top. Nightmare on Elm St in keeping with the day.
Bill

Bill Brayford

This thread was discussed between 30/10/2004 and 01/11/2004

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