Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I now need to ourchase tyres for my 26r rebuild which is coming to an end, as its running in historic class in Australia the allowed tyres are dunlop CR65 M section, Avon and Goodyear and Hoosier Vintage TD.

Id appreciate recommendations remake, size and set up as ive not driven car since purchasing it. It has dunlop cr65 550 all round with very soft period spring set up.

Thanks Vaughan

If I was doing it I would have a look at what people are using in your group and pick the favorite. Set it up at around the original 26R spring rates and then adjust based on your own preference.

cheers
Rohan

Hi Rohan, none running in Oz and the racing in europe is very competitive so hope to get some feedback, ive had some set up data from TTR years ago which i will use if no more up to date suggestions. This is way stiffer than original notes i have.
Sadly As the car is 3rd last built it arrived in Oz early 66 it is group O but will see if i can get appeoval for M where at least comparable period cars and speed potential v's racing can am cars!
V

TT likes his cars very stiff and very much stiffer than me. His settings will be a real handful in the wet. I personally would start softer and work up to his if you like it harder.

In group S on Yoko's ( 165 /60 x 13 A032R or A048R) I have stayed softer than TT at around 150 front and 120 rears with the rear rubber springs spaced down about 20mm to give a stiffer progressive rate in roll and with a 7/8 inch roll bar at front and no rear roll bar. I find this good for both wet and dry. Harder rates I found to much of a handful in the wet given my driving capabilties.

cheers
Rohan

Thanks Rohan, i will check the set up we've gone with, ive the rates noted at the shed. im surprised at such low rates with modern r spec radials, i ended up running progressively higher rates in my Sb Alfa and times and tyre wear dropped.

Why only 165's, with your s4 id have expected 175 would have fited.

V

Sorry I meant to type 175 / 60 x 13.

I have found the Elan is a light car and does not need high rates to work compared to some other cars and i trade of a little in the dry to get safe handling in the wet without chanigng set up. But in the end its very much personal preference. The Dave Bean recommended rates are close to what i like and softer than the TT rates. Both are successful racers and suppliers - both are right for their personal preference.

I think the DB rates are bottom end for track and TT top end and select in that range for your personal preference

cheers
Rohan

Many people in my club with smaller cars i.e; MGBs, sprights and Turners are on Hoosier A70 or 185/60. I've run Avon ACB9 5.0 & 6.0 x 22 and enjoyed them both. They're bias plys and give alot of feedback rather than breaking away without warning like a slick or some radials can. I'm going to try the Hoosiers next because they're slightly taller and may juuust help with gearing at the few tracks I run.

Ronan,
Are you running an open diff? I've got spring rates of 180 front, 120 rear and with a stock sway bar and open diff, experience ALOT of wheel spin in sharp or off camber turns. I've always heard not to run a rear bar unless you've got a LSD so I'm hoping a 7/8 or 1" front bar will flatten things out.

Thanks,
Mike

I run a narrow bodied car at original weight (640kg) . I use Yoko 175/60 A048 tyres. 7/8" anti roll bar. Springs are 300lb front and 200 rear. I've tried harder ones but that makes the car a bit skittish. One of the reasons I run quite hard settings is because I too have to run an open diff - controlling roll is quite important particularly on left handers (RH drive car).

I also run fairly stiff dampers - lots of bump damping, very little rebound especially at the rear.

If you have a lighter 26R with wider track, LSD and Dunlop M section tyres I would think you could go quite a lot softer.

Rohan is right though, with these settings it is not very forgiving if you get it wrong, but the competition is quite strong if I want to take on the bigger engined cars!

Paul

upnorthelan wrote:

Ronan,
Are you running an open diff? I've got spring rates of 180 front, 120 rear and with a stock sway bar and open diff, experience ALOT of wheel spin in sharp or off camber turns. I've always heard not to run a rear bar unless you've got a LSD so I'm hoping a 7/8 or 1" front bar will flatten things out.

Thanks,
Mike

I run a quaiffe LSD and that took away the rear in side wheel spin problems i also used to experience. A stiffer front bar would help you somewhat here i think. I have never thought a rear bar helps much but i was well beaten by a guy last year in a similar spec Elan to mine in terms of weight and hp and tyres but he runs a rear bar so maybe it does. It was on his home track that i had never run on before so maybe it was just he knew his way around better as i am a slow track learner

cheers
Rohan

Appreciate the input, I'll start with 225 front and 150 rears as I've set available as well as 275 front and 175 rears so I can trial both options over coming months, with 7/8 front and stock rear antiroll bars, yet to decide between the 525 CR65's or 550 as I'm keen to enjoy the 4 wheel drifts that the Dunlops ensure!

I'm assembling a road/track day S1 and the recommendations with Yoko's will certainly be applied as its a narrow body car, no rear bar, has 7/8 front and Quaife LSD, will use either the Toyo, Khumo or Yokohama's in 175/60x13. I suspect this config could easily take higher rate springs if track only to get best out of it.

Cheers

V

- can only share what I've been using ; 5.25 M section, with 250 lbs. front, 170 rear . No rear antiroll bar, but 7/8 front. This works great in the dry, but is a handfull in the wet...... The 550 tyre is L-section, I believe , with a little more open thread for the wet. I have also used a stock antirollbar front in the wet, and ofcourse it reduces the tendency to understeer a bit ......But again, the caracter of the track descides.....

Dag

No one I know ever had anything good to say about the Goodyear blue streaks. for what its worth the last set up I ran on a track was AVON ACB 10's in 7.0X13X22 . Springs 275lbs/175lbs F/R 1 inch front bar. no rear bar. I have a car set up with the 225/150lbs and 7/8" bar but no track time with it - works ok on the street though.

Thanks, I'm leaning to Dunlops at moment and definitely take your wet weather comments on board, thinking we may try softer rear springs with the std 26R rear bar, which would then allow rear bar to to be dropped off in wet, with front easy to swap out shocks/springs and antiroll if looking like a wet meeting and use front antiroll bar of to std Elan.

cheers

V

I used to use CR65s, Vayghan, but 450Ms all around, which is what Tony Thompson recommended. Good luck.

Andy