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Prothane Trunnion Bushing on 1968 AMX

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madams View Drop Down
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    Posted: Aug/25/2017 at 12:11pm
Anyone have any experience installing the Prothane Trunnion bushings?  With the bushing fully seated, it sticks out the bottom of the trunnion around 1/8 inch.  I can just trim it off without much trouble.  The instructions also show a "Sleeve" SLV-61055 that goes on top of the bushing with dimensions 0.700 OD x 0.510 ID x 0.150 Thick.  Is the sleeve supposed to replace the original washer?  It seems like if I put in the sleeve and then the original washer, it will place the entire load on the sleeve.  With the 1/8 inch hanging out plus the 1/8 inch sleeve, there will be around a 1/4 inch crush load on the bushing which doesn't sound like it will turn at all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rebel Machine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/25/2017 at 2:51pm
Do you have the bearing that goes between the trunnion and steering knuckle?

-Steve-

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote madams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/25/2017 at 6:04pm
yes sir - I had a chance to do a trial assembly with the thrust bearing and the upper sleeve seems to fit like it should without the nylon washer included - the shoulder of the Spindle plus the thickness of the sleeve aligns pretty flat with the top of the bushing (slightly lower but may come flush once everything is torqued up and all the slack is taken up).  It looks like the bushing sticks out the bottom around the same thickness as the Nylon Washer.  If I leave out the Nylon washer, everything seems to line up well.

I have everything assembled from the bottom up as follows: Spindle; Thick O-Ring (1/8); thrust bearing; Thin O-Ring (3/32); Nylon-Washer; Trunnion (with Prothane bushing installed); Prothane-Sleeve; Stock Washer; Lock Washer; Nut; Dust Seal. 

The Thrust-Bearing, O-Rings, and Nylon Washer, came from Kennedy, but the Nylon Washer seems too big (I assume it is supposed to fit flush in the recess of the bearing and compress/seal with the upper O-Ring.  The OD of the Nylon Washer is around 1.075" rather than the 1" suggested by another thread (11/16" ID x 1" OD X 1/16").  My mics are not great (nor my measuring skills :)) but I would say well within 0.010.  Nylon Washer: (I dont have a good way to measure ID, but much larger then the Spindle shaft and the ID of the Prothane bushing x 1.075 OD x 0.097 thick).  Prothane extension measures (ID -same as the spindle shaft x 1" OD x 0.061 ~ 1/16")

I am pretty well convinced that the bushing extending past the bottom of the trunnion is supposed to take the place of the Nylon Washer as the measured specs of the bushing that sticks out matches the specs indicated by the other thread better than the Nylon Washer I received.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/27/2017 at 4:36pm
Just snug up that top bolt, don't torque it down to the TSM specs. Most use loc-tite on it, and/or stake the nut. The original rubber bushing worked like a control arm bushing. The rubber would twist some, not just turn in the housing. The Prothane bushing must turn in the housing. If you torque it down it won't, regardless of spacers used. There should be some steering resistance, but not a lot, so just snug the nut. 
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Greyhounds_AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/05/2017 at 12:45pm
Frank, originally the bushing was fixed to the knuckle and it rotated with the knuckle as you turned the steering wheel. So it rotated in the bore of the trunnion. The original Clevebloc bushings had recesses in their OD to hold silicone grease and were molded over a metal sleeve with cap toward the top that allowed them to be tightened down on the knuckle stud. The entire trunnion was hard chrome plated to give that bore durability and a smoother surface.

The aftermarket bushings don't work that way. They assume your trunnion bore is shot and not usable as a sliding surface anymore, so the bushing is fixed in the trunnion and the knuckle stud now has to rotate inside the bushing. 

It's a lot less surface area, but a more durable material so hopefully that makes up for it. The important thing to keep in mind when rebuilding these it that you have to prevent water and dirt from entering the bushing area. That's hard to do when the trunnion is a funnel that takes everything splashed into the wheelwell and collects it and dumps it into the bushing. That plastic cap needs to be sealed in place with RTV and the drain hole needs to be clear.
1968 AMX 390 w/T5
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/06/2017 at 7:19am
Thanks for the clarification! I haven't had to replace a 64-69 upper trunnion before, just the older ones. Simplest (and best) explanation I've heard yet!
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote madams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/23/2017 at 1:11pm
I had the same problem that the length was too long on the Prothane bushings.  It is a simple matter to trial fit everything and trim them down until you get a firm but rotate-able assembly with the nut tightened to the correct torque.  The spacers included in the kit must be used or you will torque the nut down to the point the trunion will not rotate at all.
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