Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I have searched on the forum but cannot find a direct answer to this

Is it OK to run with one of each, issue 16 and 18 uprights on my 1967 S3/4 Elan?
I am aware of the inner bearing width difference between the two.
I have brand new TTR solid billet shafts and hubs to fit but, the replacement upright, following the failure of the hub nut thread and susequent wheel loss, is an issue 18. The one I already have on the car is a 16.

The TTR shafts come with a spacer to use to align the bearing circlip with the groove on the issue 16 and will fit without the spacer on the issue 18.....i think

I would welcome any thoughts on this

Thanks
Martin

Don't know if I can definitively answer if its okay or not, but I did exactly that for about a dozen years with my current S1 (which had one Issue 18 and one with no markings at all as received) before I found a second hand Issue 18 housing.

Fundamental dimensions are the same (as an assembled unit), so I don't think the car really cares.

TTR shaft has the circlip groove position that accommodates a wide bearing fitted in an issue 18 hub, the spacers supplied allows the shaft to be fitted in an issue 16 hub that has a narrow bearing.
So you fit a wide bearing to the shaft for the issue 18 hub but need the spacer when you use the shaft with issue 16 hub. You can’t fit a narrow bearing in an issue 18 hub.
I don’t think it’s generally known but the actual running races of both wide and narrow bearings are the same, size and number of balls is identical. Extra width comes from improved sealing on the inside face, introduced by Ford to stop the oil in their live axle reaching the brake drum.
FWIW

It seems to me that there should be no reason not to run one of each hub carrier/upright on a car. If the inner bearing is in fact the same size in all respects other than the seal then, the loads on each side should be the same?

As Bitsobrits has already done it successfully for 12 years without any problems looks like it is a safe thing to do. I will keep my eye out for either another issue 16 or 18 carrier/upright to match it up for the sake of symmetry.but at the moment I just want to get back on the road.

Thanks as usual for the valuable comments

Martin

Hi Martin,
you decided not to get the the damaged Strut welded then.
I have a freind near Yvetot Normandie who knows elans very well and might be able to help if you like.
Send me a Private Message and i can give you his contact details.
Amicalement
Alan

Thanks Alan PM sent

If you don’t already have a new wide bearing, if possible buy a known quality bearing. You will also need the thin gauge dust shield that was an addition, fitted on the spider side, with the wide bearing.
On most wide bearing available there is a shoulder on one side of the inner race this faces the centre of the hub when fitted.

@ Craven

Thanks for that very valuable info.

Martin

How do you tell the difference between the issue 16 and 18? Mine look slightly different from each other. One has what looks like a brake line clip welded to the upright and the other looks like a small bolt. I would take a picture, but I dropped them off at the shop to have the hubs pulled (I exhausted my abilities in separating them)

Inner Bearing width
Alan

JLescenski wrote:How do you tell the difference between the issue 16 and 18? Mine look slightly different from each other. One has what looks like a brake line clip welded to the upright and the other looks like a small bolt. I would take a picture, but I dropped them off at the shop to have the hubs pulled (I exhausted my abilities in separating them)

The numbers are on the casting (at least for the Issue 18 casting from memory ) in addition to the inner bearing outer race seat width difference

The one with a bolt in the shock tube is probably an early issue 16 as these did not originally have an insert shock but the tube formed the body of the shock and the small bolt was the oil fill point.

I would suspect the brake line clip one may be Issue 18 as that is what is on my S4 Elan and their is none on the spare Issue 16 casting I have had kicking around under my bench for 40 years, just the bolt in the tube!

cheers
Rohan