I Need Advice on Upgrading Suspension on My 1967 Lotus Elan

[Ulyana]

Hello

I have been having a great time driving my 1967 Lotus Elan for the last couple of months; and I am thrilled to have it in my possession. While I am considering upgrading the suspension to improve both ride comfort and cornering performance for everyday use and occasional track outings; the handling is exactly as I had imagined. I seek advice from individuals with experience in upgrading suspensions for classic cars.

I am aware that technology has advanced significantly since then; my Elan still has the original suspension system. I am searching for suggestions for contemporary suspension systems or parts that will offer a decent trade off between longevity; comfort; and handling without sacrificing the vehicle's legendary driving experience.

Which suspension changes would you suggest to maintain performance on track days while improving the ride quality on the street?

Have you had success with any particular brands or kits on your Elan, particularly in terms of better driving dynamics and simplicity of installation?

Has anyone used coilovers or contemporary adjustable dampers on their Elan? If yes, what impact did they have on performance and ride height?

Should I think about replacing the steering rack and bushings together with other suspension parts?


Any advice or ideas you guys might have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you ahead of time!

I m interested in hearing your opinions.

[Andy8421]

Welcome.

Have a look here:

https://www.tonythompsonracing.co.uk/workshop-services/modifying-your-elan/

If you are considering using your car on a track, I would have replacing the existing rotoflex couplings with a CV alternative high on my list for safety reasons.

Good luck.

Andy.

[661]

I'm sure you realise that a street car with upgrades is not a race car.
Chasing 'upgrades' can ruin a street car, and give you a few extra seconds round the track. Not worth it in my view.
Having said that, and having the luxury of both, I have changed a few things on my road Elan.
All the shocks and springs are TTR fast road. I like them.
Still soft enough.
The front ARB is the same.
The bushes I changed to polybushes. This is a popcorn subject, but I prefer them.
The ride height is slightly lower at the front.
All front upper and rear lower wishbones are adjustable.
In all honesty, the first spends, if needed at all, should be good rubber and brake pads.( and geo if adjustable)

[greg40green]

Don't do it you'll ruin the ride quality .
I run a 'full' TTR suspension modified Elan S4 FHC including TTR chassis , I'm glad to get out of it after an hour on Lancashire's pot holed roads.
As a road car its not good , as a track day car it would be great.

I speak from experience of owning several Elans and spending a fortune on modifying several.
Best handling Elan I owned was a totally standard S3 Pre air flow FHC ( where are you now) , .not far behind that was a totally standard S4 DHC S4 Elan
Standard is best, don't be taken in by the modifying bug and ruin your car.
The trouble now is trying to locate standard front dampers , original rear inserts and good wish bone and 'A' frame bushes.

[mark030358]

Hi all,
Can I ask a stupid question here.....

The original front springs were 75lbs/inch and the rears were 67lbs/inch. Would it not possible to get get and fit 2.25" I.D. springs of the same rates with the same required free/compressed lengths for adjustable platform dampers?

Thanks in advance

Mark

[2cams70]

That’s like defacing the Mona Lisa. Chapman & Co. were artists when it came to designing and tuning suspension systems.

[rgh0]

Modern tyres have signficantly more grip than the cross plys the Elan suspension was orginally designed for. Personally I would start with a stiffer roll bar to reduce the roll in corners which comes with this additional grip. This will not affect the ride to any signficant degree. Beyond that stiffer springs of around 50% higher spring rate could be tried but a loss of ride comfort will be a trade off for better handling if your planning track days

By the way the term "fitting coilovers" is not really applicable to an Elan. This term comes from modifying American traditional suspensions which used separate coil springs and shocks at the front and leaf springs and shocks at the rear. Coilovers replace these with combined shock and coil spring units all round. The Elan already has these and I am surprised any Elan owner does not know this !!

The generic nature of the post from a first time poster suggests an AI bot to me but we will see if we get a reply

[2cams70]

Personally I generally find cars with a bit more body roll more gentle and controllable in their transitions to under or oversteer. Have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time in both the Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20N. Both good handling cars. 120N has a little more grip and less body roll but not so nice and friendly when traction is lost. Both ride like billycarts.

The traditional French car has a lot of body roll but very comfortable riding long travel suspension whilst still retaining good balanced handling and grip. Probably a similar style of thinking to Chapman.