Once the heat issue was addressed, it was time to mount the new adjustable trailing arm brackets from Good Parts. These brackets control the rear camber and are a big improvment over the stock non-adjustable brackets.
I forgot to take pixs of just the brackets mounted to the frame, so we have to settle for photos that include the trailing arm!
The rear trailing arms were cleaned and painted last fall and have been waiting to be re-installed. New rubber plugs from TRF were ordered to close up the casting holes, and new Nylatron bushings were ordered from Good Parts. Nylatron is self -lubricating, moly impregnated bushing that doesn't compress under load like rubber or polyurethane, improving handling / steering response. Some folks point out that a car equipped with Nylatron bushing rides harder because of this lack of compression...hey, this is a sports car, it's supposed to ride a little rough ! Below are two of the Nylatron bushings and the stainless steel sleeve provided in Richard's kit.
When Triumph was manufacturing these parts, it was far from a exact science, so the new bushings are made slightly oversized to accommodate the variances in trailing arms. It's up to the installer to hone the T/A mounting holes for the correct fit.
Another complaint I heard about Nylatron bushings was that they would squeak. On one of the 6-Pack threads, a pre-lubricant made by Energy Suspensions was noted for it's ability to eliminate this problem. I had to order it from a local hot rod shop, and it's really sticky, but I'm hoping this will stop any unwanted noises.
Honing the mounting holes in the T/A for the bushing to fit is a very tedious process. You want the bushings to be a tight fit, but not so tight that the stainless steel sleeve can't be pushed in by hand. Well, I ended up with two of my bushings being too tight for the sleeve, and there isn't a way to remove the Nylatron bushings once both are installed without destroying them. Now what ?!
It seems I'm not the only guy to have battled with the Nylatron bushings. Bob M. (BM80), from the 6-Pack, also had problems, but he was smart enough to come up with a fix. Bob figured out that a 23/32 adjustable hand reamer from MSC Industrial Supply can be used to shave the inside of the Nylatron bushings enough to allow the correct fit for the .751 sized sleeve. Bob even checked with Richard Good to confirm this wouldn't be a problem. Thanks Bob !!
This is a hand reamer, but even so, be very careful how much material you take out. I was amazed that the little bit I removed allowed my sleeves to fit perfectly.
With shipping and tax, the reamer ended up costing me $42.00, so if any of you 6-Pack folks find yourself in need of one, send me a PM and I'll loan mine out, your only cost will be shipping it back to me.
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