wheel spinners and nuts

[bob_rich]

Hi Folks

My +2S December 1973 model has Alloy wheels that I think are the original style ( picture attached) They use the large hexagonal nuts to hold the wheels on. I have a set of 3 pointed spinners and while they seem to fit I am told the angle of the taper that seats into the wheel is different for alloy or steel wheels.

Has anyone got info on the correct shape of the nuts /spinners for correct seating with the alloy wheels?

thanks in advance for any info or help

Bob

[ricarbo]

I seem to remember attending a Club Lotus meeting at which the late Graham Arnold warned that the spinners had different angles and were not interchangeable, but I have no personal knowledge of the details. Surely it's not too difficult to measure the two sets of spinners you have?
I believe the octagonal or hexagonal nuts were introduced as a safety measure. The eared spinners are a bit reminiscent of Boadicea's chariot.
regards
Richard

[rfurzer]

My 1973 plus two could be your twin - same colour and wheels. Here in Australia we didn't change to the wussy federal specs and so have the Bodicea spinners on those same wheels (as well as the Italian polar bear killing carburettors).

The steel wheels and alloys I believe are different, but if your eared spinners are for the alloys then they should work.

Russ

[oldchieft]

if you can't tell by looking then use engineers blue to check the seating and fit of matting parts

Jon the Chief

[elj221c]

Discussed here at length although I don't remember what the conclusion was!

lotus-suspension-f42/alloy-wheel-collar-needed-t25785.html

[bob_rich]

Thanks for the info. It does look as though my wheels are typical for the car and year.

I'm not sure that the wheel nuts that came with the car are correct.

I have done a number of checks with a profile gauge and it seems to me that the nuts that came on the car despite being marked for alloy wheels only do not contact the wheel hub correctly.

I've taken some more pictures and taken profiles of the nuts , spinners and the wheel hub and details are in the attached note. The car came with the nuts and I drove it for a round a year B 4 I started the rebuild.

I feel that despite being marked for alloy wheels the nuts do not seem correct and would welcome comments from others on what I have found, and whether I need to chnage anything--Car will be used for road use only not tracked or raced.

looking forward to some ideas and comments

cheers

Bob

[rgh0]

My 73 Plus 2s 130 /5 has the orginal Lotus alloys with three eared spinners. They have the same flat profile on the spinners and the rounded profile on the steel insert in the alloys. My spinners are not marked with the "alloy wheels only". They have the same narrow contact band. The insert in the wheel is slightly flattened at this contact point

I believe the design and resultant narrow band of contact is intentional as it enables the spinner and wheel insert to match better to each other as torque is applied to the wheel spinner

cheers
Rohan