Re: [Amc-list] New toy ...I need a TSM

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Sounds like the PO realized it was more project than he was capable of handling and wisely cut his losses and passed it on. 

I cut my AMC teeth on 61-63 Americans and have worked on the front suspension more times than I'd liked. So I'm a lot more familiar with it than Tom -- it's not that hard to me, and I like the utter simplicity of the design. It was one of the first front suspensions that I ever really worked on though, so I had no deep preconceptions to deal with. I'd helped my older brother change lower ball joints in his 63 Ford, and could tell the Rambler was a lot different, but that was about it! Tom's worked on everything else a lot more, and I can't stress that the old Rambler suspension is a LOT different than anything made after 63 enough. Get over the different part and appreciate the simplicity, and it's not all that difficult. Another thing -- Tom is a lot more meticulous than I am. He states that getting the upper trunnion centered just right was a pain -- I never thought so. I've totally rebuilt 3-4 of the things and just assemble the upper arms, slide the trunnion between the o
 uter ends, stick the thick o-rings (that serve as seals) between trunnion and arms, then run the pin in. Once the first side is started in it's a done deal -- the other side is where it ends up. So you get the first side started with the trunnion close to center and go. All the joints ride on threads, so the trunnion actually moves a little forward and back (but no more than half a turn, usually less) as the suspension cycles. The trunnion doesn't have to be perfectly centered, just close. Unless you're meticulous.... I'm sure the assembly line workers weren't, Tom is! ;>   (note: that's definitely NOT a fault Tom!!)

Note that the lower control arms are the same on all 58-62 Ramblers even though the parts book numbers are different for big cars and Americans. The inner bushings are different though, so get the right bushings for the car you have. Factory replacement arms came with the bushing, hence the different part numbers. The upper arms are different on Americans and big cars due to the different design of the trunnions. 

As a note of interest, 1950-63 upper trunnions should interchange, but I can't say 100%. The 50-55 Nash Rambler upper trunnion is a different design than the 58-63, but appears to have the same offset. The 58-63 uses a one piece casting for the upper trunnion body and spring seat, a cost/assembly-time saving feature, whereas the 50-55 design has a separate spring seat and trunnion body. You'd have to swap the entire 50-55 assembly for the 58-63. The 50-55 trunnion still uses a threaded cross pin, and it can get stuck as easily as the later casting. 

The threaded cross pin isn't really needed in the trunnion to hold it together, though the threads do restrict fore and aft movement. The trunnion could be drilled and a bronze bushing inserted, and the threaded pin replaced with a smooth bolt with a lock nut (nylon insert type) or castellated nut and cotter pin on the end. Washers would have to replace the o-rings with attention paid to getting the correct thickness to center the trunnion. There's no fore and aft stress on the upper trunnion, it basically just keeps the wheel upright. The threaded pin makes centering a lot quicker and easier. I'm sure it was threaded to make assembly quicker and easier for the average assembly worker.



===============
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 10:09:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: WILLIAM SERCKIE <realtorbill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

   The wheel began to collapse on the tow dolly, but I was able to successfully remove the car   and limp it to my garage very slowly and cautiously.  The collapse actually occured while
   I was pushing the car  backwards into the garage by hand.  There was very minor front fender lip damage, which should tap out with a rubber mallet.  
   
  Tom Jennings stated that this entire front end job is a real pain...any thoughts on it being different than any other front end overhaul ?  Out of all of the Ramblers that I have ever owned, I have never had to perform any sort of front end repair with the exception of an idler arm on my 1970 Rebel, back in 1979.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


_______________________________________________
Amc-list mailing list
Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list