Search rear bearing housing + hubshaft

[rideaway]

Hello everyone,

After 2 years of work on my Lotus Elan S4, thanks to the sound advice of forum members, I still have some work to do this winter to get the car back on the road next spring.
As my budget has been exceeded for a long time, I am looking for second-hand parts in order to reduce my overdraft and regularise my relationship with my wife.

I am looking for :
- aluminium bearing housing LH + RH with usable bearing seats. The condition of the shock absorber tubes doesn't matter, I want to transform them with an adjustable spring platform.
- hubshaft rear LH +RH
The parts in my possession have been repaired in an unprofessional manner and represent a safety hazard.
The seller should be able to send the parts by post to Switzerland.
I'm open to discussion about steel Spyder bearing housing.

Best Regards
Stéphane

[JonB]

Series 4 so you need Type 18 hub carriers. Expensive, as I am sure you know. I wouldn’t fit the Spyder ones, not original, likely heavier but not too expensive to be fair.

I’d be patient if I were you. Someone is bound to have a set for sale… cough cough…

Regarding “hubshafts”, I assume you mean the rear driveshafts. I recommend you forget about rubber jointed doughnuts and get a set of CV jointed shafts, new, then fit and forget. Tony Thompson sell them, they’re about £520 + tax.

If you mean the outer stub axles that the rear hubs are attached to, again I’d recommend TTR billet shafts, I’ve used them and they are quality.

[danielmo]

SJ Sportscars has new ones. I don’t think the price is too bad either.

Here’s a link to the LH one.

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and- ... 6D0005.htm

I believe they have all the other parts you require as well. Always had good service and fast shipping from them.

[JonB]

That’s a good price from SJS.

[greg40green]

PM sent

quote="rideaway"]Hello everyone,

After 2 years of work on my Lotus Elan S4, thanks to the sound advice of forum members, I still have some work to do this winter to get the car back on the road next spring.
As my budget has been exceeded for a long time, I am looking for second-hand parts in order to reduce my overdraft and regularise my relationship with my wife.

I am looking for :
- aluminium bearing housing LH + RH with usable bearing seats. The condition of the shock absorber tubes doesn't matter, I want to transform them with an adjustable spring platform.
- hubshaft rear LH +RH
The parts in my possession have been repaired in an unprofessional manner and represent a safety hazard.
The seller should be able to send the parts by post to Switzerland.
I'm open to discussion about steel Spyder bearing housing.

Best Regards
Stéphane[/quote]

[rideaway]

Series 4 so you need Type 18 hub carriers. Expensive, as I am sure you know. I wouldn’t fit the Spyder ones, not original, likely heavier but not too expensive to be fair.

Originality is not an issue for me after I realised that the car was anything but original. https://lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=51430&p=374502#p374502

SJ Sportscars has new ones. I don’t think the price is too bad either.

Here’s a link to the LH one.

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and- ... 6D0005.htm

I believe they have all the other parts you require as well. Always had good service and fast shipping from them.

I mainly order from them and I'm very satisfied with the service and the prices are generally competitive.
If I can't find second-hand parts, this is the option I'd probably choose.

Have any of you ever repaired a bearing support? Mine probably had a disc/ring fixing bolt loosen and mill the hub down to the circlip groove. The PO put a spacer fixed with 3 M4 screws to hold the circlip.
Is it possible to reload with solder and re-machine the bearing seat and circlip groove?

The bearing surfaces are a bit loose, but with Loctite 638 it seems to do the job.

Best Regards
Stéphane

[tonyabacus]

Stephane
I would take your hubs to a good machine shop and ask about recovering/rebuilding/maching them, its surprising sometimes the skills of such people. At least you will find out if you need to scrap them or what alternatives may exist.
A couple of pictures posted on here may help understand the issues you have, we have some talented engineers read our forums, who may also have a solution once they can see what is needed.
Tony

[promotor]

Hello everyone,

After 2 years of work on my Lotus Elan S4, thanks to the sound advice of forum members, I still have some work to do this winter to get the car back on the road next spring.
As my budget has been exceeded for a long time, I am looking for second-hand parts in order to reduce my overdraft and regularise my relationship with my wife.

I am looking for :
- aluminium bearing housing LH + RH with usable bearing seats. The condition of the shock absorber tubes doesn't matter, I want to transform them with an adjustable spring platform.
- hubshaft rear LH +RH
The parts in my possession have been repaired in an unprofessional manner and represent a safety hazard.
The seller should be able to send the parts by post to Switzerland.
I'm open to discussion about steel Spyder bearing housing.

Best Regards
Stéphane

Hi Stéphane,

Please check your PM's - I'm sending you the details of someone who may be able to supply you with a pair of struts.

Regards.
Al

[MACCA.GLM]

Hi stephan

It is possible to reclaim the bearing housing by either boring out and fitting a bush then reboring to the correct interference for the bearing and re cutting the circlip groove. If there is not enough material in the hub to do this or is badly worn aluminium can be welded TIG and remachined to standard. I would not be Soldering and as far as I know it will not take to alluminium plus its too soft for a bearing fit.

Don't know about Switzerland but there are companies here that can do that specialist work and would be a fraction of the cost of new housings.Regarding output shafts TT has been mentioned and they sell solid billet shafts which are tough as old boots.

Regards

G

[rideaway]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your replies.

My preferred solution would have been to find used parts and keep the struts complete with the original platforms and springs. And in my spare time, to try and repair the really damaged casing. The other side only has loose bearings.
For the moment, everything is still on the car, photos are not possible to see the damage.
I like the idea of making a steel sleeve and inserting it into the aluminium, rather than welding and re-machining the aluminium. It's a repair I can probably do on my own. The price charged by a workshop in Switzerland would exceed the price of the new part. For my work, I regularly use the services of mechanical workshops for things I can't do with my own tools, and I know the prices.
Has anyone done it successfully before?
If any of you with engineering skills have an idea of what dimensions to use, as there isn't much excess material, I'd welcome advice.

Best Regards
Stéphane

[MACCA.GLM]

Hi Stephan

I understand your problem and would be a good idea to get some decent second hand housings and get the others repaired, by taking this route I may be able to help.There is a really good Mc shop and reclaimer that is near where I live in the UK they have done numerous repairs for me over 40 years of Mc tool repairing at a very reasonable price.

you may be thinking it’s too far for me to get there well here’s the offer.I think you live in Ollon Near Montreux .I have a place in Crans Montana and visit 5/6 times a year.I pass your place on the motorway. I could meet you at a service station on my way down or back home and have a look at the part in question

if it can be done I can take it home and get a price from the repairer. You can then say yes or no with no obligation. I will then meet you and pass it back on my next visit.

I will be coming to ski in Jan and returning in March

If it’s of interest let me know we can keep in touch by email

Regards

G

[rideaway]

you may be thinking it’s too far for me to get there well here’s the offer.I think you live in Ollon Near Montreux .I have a place in Crans Montana and visit 5/6 times a year.I pass your place on the motorway. I could meet you at a service station on my way down or back home and have a look at the part in question

That's very generous of you!
I live near Ollon, exactly in Gryon (Villars - Gryon - Diablerets ski resort) in the mountains above Bex, but the car is parked in my workshop in Bex, 2 minutes from the motorway exit.
First I'm going to dismantle the part and see if it's potentially repairable, if I can do it myself or perhaps have it machined by someone better equipped than me. If I need to do it I'll be sure to get in touch with you.
Several members of this forum come to ski in the Alpes Vaudoises - Valais region, so if you feel like it I've always got some beers in the fridge!
Or organise a ski day for Lotus Elan drivers.

Regards
Stéphane

[MACCA.GLM]

Stephan

I have the magic pass which includes villars Ollon and is around 1 1/4 hrs from Crans.Never skied there so it is of interest.

A ski for lotus owners sounds a great idea if we can all meet at a certain time.I will let you know when and how long I will be over.

Cheers for now

G