New Trunnion Upgrade

[71RS/SS396]

We've seen the early stages of bearing failure with the popular trunnion bearing upgrades with any mildly aggressive cams. I seen the bearings start to deteriorate in as little as 4,000 miles so I've been looking for alternatives.
Straub Technologies has announced a bushing solution that I think has promise as a better solution for durability. I just sent a set of rockers to CHE Precision prior to finding the ones from Straub. I will use the CHE bushings in my wife's car and ordered a set from Straub for mine so we can compare the 2 to see if there's any difference. CHE charges $420 for the bushings and the installation and will not sell you the bushings to install yourself. Straub will sell you the shafts and bushings at the cost of $159. http://www.straubtechnologies.com/ls...trunnion-kits/

[DJW32]

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

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Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

[Bonehead]

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

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Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

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Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

- - - Updated - - -

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

[71RS/SS396]

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

- - - Updated - - -

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

I think they may be coming from multiple sources. CHE Precision makes bronze valve guides, lifter bushings, rod bushings.....etc so I think they may be making their own. I doubt Straub is making his own but don't know the source. I'll be one of the first ones to get the ones from Straub so I'll try to update this thread with some pics and thoughts on them.

Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

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Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

Do you have any facts that support these are made off shore? Unless you press the beariings out you won't be able to see it until the bearing actually totally fails. It doesn't matter what brand of the needle bearing style you buy, they all use the same bearing which is where the problem lies imho. I've had the different companies shafts rockwell tested, some are harder than others but that doesn't seem to matter, the needles start to fail and chew up the shaft.
If you're mostly street driving your car it will likely take some time for this to happen, but if your car gets the snot beat out of it most of it's life like mine you will see the problem quicker.

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Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

- - - Updated - - -

Tim,

This is the third company that I have seen with the same trunion upgrade. Do you know who is actually manufacturing these?

I think they may be coming from multiple sources. CHE Precision makes bronze valve guides, lifter bushings, rod bushings.....etc so I think they may be making their own. I doubt Straub is making his own but don't know the source. I'll be one of the first ones to get the ones from Straub so I'll try to update this thread with some pics and thoughts on them.

Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

- - - Updated - - -



Yup. Seems to be the new popular off shore product. There will always be a failure of a product, but I'm not seeing evidence of mass failures of the name brand trunion upgrade kits. If its happening, no one seems to be talking about it.

Do you have any facts that support these are made off shore? Unless you press the beariings out you won't be able to see it until the bearing actually totally fails. It doesn't matter what brand of the needle bearing style you buy, they all use the same bearing which is where the problem lies imho. I've had the different companies shafts rockwell tested, some are harder than others but that doesn't seem to matter, the needles start to fail and chew up the shaft.
If you're mostly street driving your car it will likely take some time for this to happen, but if your car gets the snot beat out of it most of it's life like mine you will see the problem quicker.

[rallystyle]

let us know how it turns out. what is your thoughts on them vs a full roller rocker setup? do you think the cam lift or springs are causing this to happen?
thanks

[71RS/SS396]

let us know how it turns out. what is your thoughts on them vs a full roller rocker setup? do you think the cam lift or springs are causing this to happen?
thanks

Any performance cam is going to add stress to the valvetrain parts due to the faster valve action and higher springs rates, that's just life with them. We typically use something in the .620 ish lift range in a 427.
I know the spring set-up is not the issue they're set-up properly. The shaft/full roller stuff adds weight to the valvetrain and shouldn't be necessary with the spring rates we use. The shaft rocker systems also don't play well with LS7 heads, the machining required to mount them makes the casting so thin near the ports that they typically will crack, that's the only reason I haven't gone to a solid lifter in mine, I don't want to go to an aftermarket head. I run a stud girdle on mine and haven't had any other issues other than the fulcrum bearing starting to fail.

[gray86hach]

Straub is the manufacture of these. 100% usa parts. I have a set here they are nice.

Tim

[71RS/SS396]

Straub is the manufacture of these. 100% usa parts. I have a set here they are nice.

Tim

Cool, I should see mine any day now. I should also see the CHE ones within the next week so I'm going to compare the 2.

[71RS/SS396]

This rocker trunion shaft had 4,500 miles on it

[Corey R.]

I am trying to understand what is good or bad in the above photo. Is it a Straub or some other shaft? Are the silver portions areas of concern? What is it that we are looking at?

[DJW32]

Tim,
Have you talked with Kurt urban about these? I'm curious what he thinks.

[71RS/SS396]

I am trying to understand what is good or bad in the above photo. Is it a Straub or some other shaft? Are the silver portions areas of concern? What is it that we are looking at?

Corey, the shaft is failing and the needle bearing outer race basically looks the same. This is from the popular needle bearing trunion upgrade NOT the Straub bushing style upgrade.

Here's a different pic

[71RS/SS396]

Tim,
Have you talked with Kurt urban about these? I'm curious what he thinks.

Yes I have, he thinks it will be more durable but will likely sacrifice a small amount of power since you have more surface area with the bushing it will have more friction. Without testing them on a dyno or a spintron we're not really sure how much loss there will be... I would rather have the durability myself, I'll just push the skinny pedal down a little more if need be.

[71RS/SS396]

For anyone that cares and is still following this thread. I received the Straub trunion upgrade kit, the shafts are REM finished and have oil groves machined in them, the shafts also appear to be harder based on a simple test we did using a spring loaded center punch.

[LonnieJ]

Thanks for updating Very strongly considering these!

[1BADBET]

What bolts were you using?

[71RS/SS396]

What bolts were you using?

12.9 shcs, we typically use our own stud girdle as well.

[1BADBET]

Stud girdle?? Can you post a pic of your valvetrain set up, im curious to see what it looks like.

Thanks

[71RS/SS396]

Stud girdle?? Can you post a pic of your valvetrain set up, im curious to see what it looks like.

Thanks

This is my wife's engine but the same exact set-up I have.

[1BADBET]

the trunions look galled or worn under where the the bolt goes through, is that correct or is it just the picture maybe?