1969 Triumph TR6

FRONT SUSPENSION
RESTORATION PROJECT-

Part three
Sway Bar & Radiator Shield
Refurbish

Page 1 of 15
 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH
SAFE HARBOUR STATEMENT:
This “How I installed it” essay is presented as
general information and has been prepared by a
Triumph TR6 owner with very limited auto mechanic
knowledge. The installation procedures shown in this
document are not professional instructions and are
not intended to be such. The front suspension of a
1969 Triumph TR6 was successfully refurbished with
these amateur procedures and I was not injured
during the process.
The following brief essay documents the procedures
used to complete the refurbishing of the front sway
bar assembly and the radiator shield component.
Therefore these procedures can be used also in the
routine maintenance task of changing out the two
bushings on the front of the sway bar or the vertical
links.
COMPONENTS REMOVED DURING THE REFUR-
BISH PROCESS:
The front sway bar assembly is secured against the
radiator skid plate with two rubber or poly bushings
that are housed inside thin steel covers. The two
bushing covers are held in place with two U-bolts that
fasten inside the radiator skid plate component.
The ends of the sway bar are connected to the front
suspension lower A-Arms with a multi-bushing verti-
cal link and ball joint.
- PART (3)
As mentioned, for the average Triumph owner with
limited or no mechanical skills, such as this author,
rebuilding or refurbishing any portion of the front
suspension on a TR 250 / TR6 is a daunting task.
Refurbishing the radiator skid plate and installing new
bushings for the sway bar generally fall under the
routine maintenance category. Both items are rarely
attempted by a non-mechanic Triumph owner
because of the difficulty in accessing the four small
lock nuts that secure the two U-bolts inside the
radiator skid plate.
Conventional Triumph knowledge instructs us the
radiator, coolant, radiator shroud and top and
bottom radiator hoses must be removed in their
entirety in order to gain access to the four (4) sway
bar lock nuts located inside the radiator skid plate
and to remove the radiator skid plate piece.
.
This essay is written for the Triumph owners who
might live in remote areas with no professional
mechanics available, no other Triumph owners
nearby or folks with limited budgets who cannot
afford the professional mechanics.
This essay is also written for the non-mechanic
Triumph owner who simply wants to enjoy restoring
the car himself or herself and take pride in their work.
Following conventional instructions, changing out the
sway bar bushings and maintaining the radiator skid
plate are difficult and time consuming for the
non-mechanic car owner to undertake. This essay
will present an alternate method that is easily accom-
plished by non-mechanics with basic shop tools.
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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)

Safety First:

SWAY BAR / SKID PLATE REMOVAL:

It is possible to remove the front sway bar and radia-

tor skid plate with all four wheels on the ground. It is
much easier and takes much less time with the front
end of the car up on jack stands. Place chocks at
both rear wheels, pull the emergency brake full on
and place the car in 1st gear.

TOOLS I USED FOR PROJECT:

I replaced the two sway bar bushings, both vertical

links and refurbished the radiator skid plate as the
final item during replacement of the front suspension
of a 1969 TR6.

As seen below, the photos in this essay show

portions of the front suspension removed. The sway
bar bushings replacement and replacement of the
sway bar vertical links can be accomplished without
removing any suspension components. It was more
convenient to take sway bar related photos before I
reinstalled the new suspension pieces.
I always work with two jack stands placed opposite
each other and an emergency hydraulic jack placed
in my immediate work area. I use a fourth redundant
jack when I am actually on my back, working under
the car.

TOOLS I USED TO INSTALL THE SWAY BAR

BUSHINGS AND REFURBISH THE RADIATOR
SKID PLATE:

The removal and refurbishing procedures require the

use of a bench grinder with wire brush wheel attach-
ment, a torque wrench, 1/2” and 9/16” sockets and
open end wrenches. An electric drill with 3/16” drill bit
is also needed. . A tap and die set was used to clean
up the U-bolt threads. The bench grinder with wire
brush wheel was used to remove rust from the radia-
tor skid plate. I also used the bench grinder to
“shave” a 9/16” open end wrench into a slimmer end
With pointy tips, shown with red tips in photos
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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)
As my final item in the complete refurbishing of the
front suspension system, I removed the sway bar,
and radiator skid plate, the two vertical link connec-
tors and the two sway bar bushings and the two
bushing containment structures and both U-bolts. I
replaced the bushings with new and I replaced the
two vertical links with new also.

NEW BUSHINGS
Project Parts Identification:

1. Front bumper attachment to frame arm

2. Radiator skid plate side edge
3. Sway bar - end section
4. Vertical link

VERTICAL LINK ASSEMBLY

The sway bars are connected on either end to the

lower wishbone arms of the suspension. The
connector piece is the vertical link shown above. The
sway bar runs across the radiator skid plate front
surface and is held in place by a pair of bushings and
mounting brackets.

The radiator skid plate is held in place on either end

by two bolts that pass through to the frame. These
two bolts are indicated No. 1 and No. 2 in the photo
directly across. The front bumper attachment has
been removed to show details of skid plate. The
bumper arm does not need to be removed to accom-
plish the project.

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH
OK, the car is safely on jack stands, the project parts
are identified, new replacement parts are on hand
and both front wheels have been removed and set
aside. It’s time to begin taking things apart.
It is human nature to do the easy things first, so lets
begin there. Remove the vertical link assembly (2) on
either side in the wheel wells.
Remove the bottom lock nut and throw it in the trash
bin. I NEVER use lock nuts twice. Bad business.
Remove the lock nut that secures the link assembly
to the A-Arm mounting bracket. This requires the use
of two wrenches to keep the ball joint from rotating.
Throw the entire link assembly and lock nut into the
trash bin. We have two new links to install. Take a
few photos so you remember how things go together.
- PART (3)
Great, one end of the sway bar is no longer
connected to the car. Now move over to the other
wheel well and remove the link assembly on the
opposite end of the sway bar. Thrown that assembly
and lock nut in the trash bin as well. Both ends of the
sway bar are now free of the suspension system.
Now it is time to remove the radiator skid plate.
There is some controversy about this next step. The
conventional Triumph mechanic knowledge base
instructs us to now begin removal of the radiator,
coolant ,the radiator shroud and the lower and upper
radiator hoses.
The rationale for this concept is due to one set of the
radiator attachment bolts “appearing” to have no tool
access with the radiator in place.
Bolt No. 1 is a thru-bolt that attaches the front
bumper support arm to the car’s frame. Bolt No. 2 is
also a thru-bolt that attaches the bumper arm and
passes through and attaches the top corner, side
piece of the radiator skid plate and then out through
the opposite side of the car’s frame. Bolt No. 2 is the
primary attachment fastener for the frame to skid
plate. Bolt No. 3 is somewhat structural but primarily
anti-rotational in design and placement, given the
skid plate is greatly cantilevered..
Bolt No. 3 is the problem child and the reason most
folks believe the radiator must be removed to service
the skid plate. Bolt No. 3 is NOT a through bolt. Bolt
No. 3 terminated inside the frame and has no appar-
ent access from the outside.
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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)

RADIATOR SKID PLATE - SIDE VIEW

As can be seen in the photos to the left and above,

bolt No. 1 holding the radiator skid plate in place can
be easily removed with a 9/16” socket on the outside
and a 9/16” wrench on the inside; constraining the
lock nut from rotating as the bolt is withdrawn.

The 3/8” bolt assembly No. 2 appears to have no tool

access to the bolt head. In the photo above, the lock
nut freely rotates, as does the entire bolt/nut assem-
bly. Once loosened, I could not tighten it again
without access to the bolt head.

The photo below is premature in our removal

process but visually explains how the bolt No. 2
assembly is installed. It is not a thru-frame bolt but
consists of a short 3/8” bolt and lock nut.

VIEW OF FRAME INSIDE- FRONT END:

1. Sway bar outer arm to link assembly

2. Bottom edge of radiator skid plate
3. Lock nut / U-bolt sway bar bushing attachment
4. Front vertical edge of car’s steel frame
5. Bolt No. 1 from top photo
6. Inside edge of car’s steel frame member.

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)
Put your car in a not very bright location- like
inside your garage. Your configuration for Bolt No. 2
could be bolt head on the exterior or lock nut on the
exterior. The configuration is not important.
You need a 9/16" socket for the exterior and the
rather short, modified 9/16" open end wrench for the
interior. You also need a flashlight.

Lie on your side and shine the light into the crack.
You are able to see the interior bolt/nut, yes? If not,
use a paper clip to clear away the crud until you can
see the fastener.

Slide the 9/16” open end wrench into the top opening
of the skid plate and press it against the vertical
side wall with your thumb and middle fingers. Let it
slide downward until you can see the pointed tip of
your wrench just touch the interior bolt/nut, thru the
tiny hole..

SIDE VIEW OF RADIATOR SKID PLATE

Ok, back to removing fastener No. 2 without remov-

ing the radiator. You will need to fabricate a special
tool to remove fastener No. 2. This fastener is a
short 3/8” diameter bolt with a 9/16” wrench bolt head
and lock nut.

The special wrench is a short, 9/16” open end that

has been shaped on a bench grinder to sharp,
tapered points. The thickness of the wrench has
been ground thinner as shown in red in the photo
below.

Use the exterior 9/16" socket and slowly rotate the

exterior bolt/nut until the inside bolt/nut is fully
engaged by the 9/16" open end wrench.

Hold the open end wrench tight and rotate the

fastener off with the socket. Withdraw the bolt with
channel locks, leaving the lock nut inside the frame.
FABRICATE SPECIAL 9/16” WRENCH
If you have bolt head inside, the frame, once the lock
I
nut is removed, use a screwdriver and punch the
In order to remove the skid plate without removing
short bolt inward into the frame interior.
the radiator, both fastener bolts must somehow be
removed.
Install a temporary thru-bolt until you have all four
bolts out. Since both ends of the sway bar are
The tiny crack in the folded edge is the key.
disconnected, loosen both remaining thru-bolts
fastening the front bumper support arm. This will
relieve compression upon the skid plate upper
corner.

Page 7 of 15
 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH
Give a good downward tug and the skid plate
will drop off the frame. It weighs very little
actually. You do not need a jack to support it.
SKID PLATE AND SWAY BAR ASSEMBLY
The photo above shows the forward end of the car
frame where the radiator skid plate was attached.
When you look at the short bolt inside the frame, you
also notice a second drilled holed hole directly
opposite. Therefore, it is possible to install a thru-bolt
fastener which will be much easier to install and to
remove for future maintenance work.
Some concern has been raised that a thru-bolt might
compress and warp the end of the frame. A structural
steel partition wall is located directly behind the bolt.
This will preclude and deformation due to compres-
sion by thru-bolt fasteners.
- PART (3)
The sway bar is secured to the radiator skid plate
by two sets of U-bolts and four lock nuts. Two
rubber bushings are contained with metal mounting
brackets held in place by the U-bolts.
SKID PLATE SHOWING U-BOLT
AND BUSHING BRACKET
My initial sway bar project was a simple switch out of
the two rubber bushings and replacement of the two
vertical links. Once I had the skid plate off the car a
quick inspection indicated the skid plate was in poor
condition and required either replacement or a
thorough refurbishing. I chose to go the refurbish
route.
Both U-bolt assemblies must first be removed in
order to separate the sway bar from the skid plate.
The two U-bolts are located at either end of the skid
plate. Remove the four (4) lock nuts and washers and
toss them in the trash bin. Now, pull the sway bar
away from the skid plate.
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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)

SWAY BAR REMOVED FROM SKID PLATE

BUSHING & MOUNTING BRACKET PIECES

The deteriorated bushing can be seen in the bottom

portion of the photo above. Throw it in the trash bin
along with the two lock nuts and deformed washers.

Retain the mounting bracket and U-bolt. Clean the

U-bolt threads with the proper die and the wire wheel
brush to clean metal. Clean up the mounting bracket
with the wire wheel brush also. Repeat opposite end.

BUSHING BRACKET - CLOSE UP

It is apparent the bushing in the photo above is dry

and cracked. Through years of use, the bushing is no
longer in continuous contact with the sway bar. The
bushing and mounting bracket at the opposite end of
the sway bar were identical to this one.

The sway bar steel is mildly rusted and requires

attention.

The U-bolt is probably stuck or pinched onto the

bushing mounting bracket. A few gentle taps with a
small hammer will loosen it up. Once you have it
loosened up, grip the U-bolt with channel locks and
pull it off the assemble. Do NOT toss it in the trash
bin. It will be cleaned up and reused.
I coated the bushing mounting bracket and U-bolt
with Rustoleum primer, two coats of color and a clear
coat. I put red grease on the bolt threads to inhibit
rust until the part was installed.

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)

SKID PLATE WITH PRIMER COAT.

RUSTED SKID PLATE BOTTOM

I began the refurbish of the radiator skid plate by

stripping off the remaining black paint to expose
clean metal and rust areas. I used small brass wire
brushes to remove the paint from the corners.

I coated the entire skid plate with a rust remover

product and let it “burn for a while. I then gave it a
clear water bath and set it in the sun to dry.
I installed an 8” wire brush wheel on my bench
grinder. I used the wire brush to remove the
converted rust and bring everything back to shiny,
bare metal. Then I gave the skid plate a good wipe
with xyxol in a well ventilated, outdoor area.
I completed the skid plate refurbish with two coats of
car color red and a final top coat of clear
polyurethane.
All that remains now is to get rid of the rust coating on
the sway bar and then reinstall the refurbished sway
bar and radiator skid plate assembly.

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)

INSTALL RADIATOR SKID PLATE

Sit in front of the car with the refurbished radiator

skid plate in your lap. Have two 3” lengths of 3/8”
steel dowel or 3/8” by 3” bolts - one on either side of
BEFORE/AFTER SWAY BAR CLEANING
the car front.
Refurbishing the sway bar itself was very straight
Lift the skid plate and slide it between the frame
forward. I ran the sway bar through the wire brush
member and the bumper support arm as shown
wheel on my bench grinder until all the paint and rust
above. The bumper arm bolt in the lower left corner
was removed. The before and after cleaning was
must be loosened just a tad.
dramatic.
As you slide the skid plate into position, look for the
I liked the color of the raw bar metal and therefore I
bottom fastener hole to line up with the frame hole.
did not coat the sway bar with the traditional black
Push the dowel or bolt clear through to the other side
paint. Instead, I laid down three coats of semi-gloss
of the frame. Repeat this procedure for the opposite
clear polyurethane.
end of the skid plate.

Once the skid plate is temporarily held in place,

install the 3/8” thru-bolt into the remaining hole in the
bumper support arm, through the upper hole of the
skid plate and out the other side of the frame. Do this
on both ends of the skid plate. Do NOT install lock
nuts.

Remove the temporary steel dowel or bolt from the

bottom hole in the skid plate and install the correct
3/8” bolt through the frame and out the other side. Do
this for both ends of the skid plate.

The radiator skid plate is now “dry fit” into permanent

position.

VERTICAL LINK PAINTED CAR RED

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)
Well OK! I got the radiator skid plate to rotate
downward a few inches. The more important issue
was could I get my hands and tightening tools inside
so I could install the bushing’s U-bolts and four lock
nuts?

DRILL HOLE FOR PIVOT PIN

The primary reason conventional has us remove the

radiator to install new sway bar bushings is because
the two bushingss U-bolt threads and four lock nuts SUCCESS - ACCESS GAINED !!
are located inside the skid plate and cannot be
accessed with the skid plate in final position.

I decided to experiment a little and see if I could get

the skid plate to pivot downward just enough to get
my hands and a wrench or socket inside to tighten
the four lock nuts.

It appeared to me, I could make the skid plate pivot

by drilling a small hole in the bottom corner and
through into the frame and installing a temporary pin.
This is shown in the photo above.

Once I had installed 3/16” pin on both ends of the

skid plate, I removed the four 3/8” thru-bolts and
rotated the skid plate downward . The top edge will
only move a few inches before the bottom edge
catches the frame. But a few inches is all you need to
gain access to the skid plate interior.
Great news for me. Contrary to conventional wisdom,
I am now able to change out the sway bar bushings,
remove the radiator skid plate and remove the sway
bar completely; without first having to remove the
radiator and hoses. It also saves me the mess of
coolant fluid running all over the place. In my specific
case it also saved me two days of my labor.

The 1st major failure on my TR6 was a blown up

radiator the second day I owned the car. Because I
am a non-mechanic car owner, it took me two full
days to change out the radiator. My new concept has
the skid plate off in about 20 minutes.

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 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH
Place the two sway bar bushings in a pot of boiling
water. This makes them soften and easier to work
with. Add flavoring as per your personal preference.
SWAY BAR VERTICAL LINKS
Install the two sway bar vertical links onto the
lower A-Arms brackets but do not tighten the
lock nuts . Leave as much wiggle room as possi-
ble. Install the twin bushings and four metal
retainer cups onto the lower end of each vertical
link as shown above. Again, do not tighten lock
nuts.
- PART (3)
INSTALL SWAY BAR
Installing the sway bar requires a little finesse.
Remove the loose lock nut, bottom retainer cup,
bushing and the metal retainer cup on top of the
lower bushing. Hold the remaining bushing and two
retainer cups in one hand so they don’t fall off the
steel pin.
The sway bar is in it’s approximate position under the
front of the car, also as seen in photo above. Lift the
end of the sway bar with your free hand and maneu-
ver it onto the lower end of the vertical link. ( this is
why we installed the vertical link without tightening
the nuts.
Use the sway bar end to hold the upper bushing and
two metal retainer cups in place. Now, let go of the
upper bushing set and place replace the lower
bushing set. The metal retainer cups on either
surface of the sway bar flat tab ends are flanged to fit
inside the hole in the sway bar. Do your best to align
these retaining cups into the holes.
Now tighten the bottom lock nut just enough to hold
everything in place. The sway bar and one vertical
link should look like the photo above.
All the vertical link fasteners are still loose fit. Leave
then that way for the time being. The other end of the
sway bar is a bit more difficult to fit and the loose fit
helps maneuver it into position.
REPEAT INSTALL FOR 2nd SWAY BAR END
Page 13 of 15
 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH
Well now- the two new sway bar bushings have
boiled for almost one hour and should be done
by now. They should be real easy to slide over
the flattened ends of the sway bar with a little
grease.
It seemed to me after ten minutes of wasted
effort and much cussing, that ten pounds of
bricks just were not going to fit into a metal box
sized for five brick and grease just made it
worse.
I know I’m gonna get some harsh words from the
Triumph gurus for this next step. But they are
mechanics and I’m not. I slit the bushing length-
wise and fitted it to the bar with the slit against
the radiator skid plate.
- PART (3)
Here’s my slit bushing sitting inside metal
containment, mounting bracket. The blus line
indicates my slit in the bushing.
Push both threaded end of the U-bolt through the
matching holes in the radiator skid plate and hold
the mounting bracket in place with one hand.
Reach inside the skid with your free hand and
spin a lock nut onto each of the U-bolt threads.
Finger tighten. Install second set of bushings
and mounting bracket. Torque lock nuts to #3 or
#4 in the same manner wheel lug nuts are tight-
ened. Little by little on each nut.
Page 14 of 15
 FRONT SUSPENSION REFURBISH - PART (3)
The car is still up in the air, sitting on jack stands.
The suspension system is not yet loaded. But some
things do need to be torque down at this point.

The vertical link connection to the lower A-Arm

bracket needs to tightened to it’s final Bentley Blue
Book requirement of 30# to 38#. Move back and
forth between the vertical links and slowly draw the
links into final position.

(1) You must use an open end wrench to keep the

vertical link from rotating as the torque wrench tight-
ens to the lock nut.

(2) Tighten the front bumper support arm fasteners

to 24# to 30#

(3) Do not tighten the lock nuts at the bottom of the

vertical links at this time.

OK, almost there. Tighten the two lock nuts at the

bottom of the vertical links (3 above photo) 11# to
16# torque .

Put your torque wrench on fasteners 1 and 2 in the

photo above to verify their torque after the system is
under load.

Lower the car off the bricks and the sway bar system
has now been rebuild without removing the radiator.

LOWER CAR ONTO BRICKS
Now, almost completed with this project. The final
tighten the sway bar requires the front suspension
system by under compressive load.
Place two bricks or similar strong, low height materi-
als under each front wheel. As shown above. Now
lower the car off the jack stands until the full weight
of the front of the car rests upon the bricks.
Some professional mechanics will protest this
modified procedure. I ran this concept past three
professional mechanics for their professional
opinions before I proceeded with the install.
This modified sway bar installation procedure is safe,
accomplished the desired results, takes less time
than removing the radiator procedure and does not
require draining the coolant.
And best of all- This procedure can be performed by
non-mechanic Triumph owners just like me.

Respectfully submitted,

DTBanks 30 Sept 2007

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