Rear Suspension Overhaul

[SENC]

CVDS arrived from elantrikbits today and look really good.

elantrikbits CVDS

Diff is out and got the pinion seal replaced, put a POR15 coat on the housing and will top coat in the next few days with red oxide as it seems it was originally painted. Struts are rebuilt and should be on their way back from TrueChoice in the next day or so.

Started cleaning up my wishbones and have found one slightly bent. Debating whether to replace them rather than attempt to straighten. The Spyder version has had some positive comments. Other thoughts or recommendations from the experts?

[AHM]

The strut tube should have some oil in it to help cool the strut - there are several discussions on this.

Poly bushes work differently to rubber bushes - the tube in the middle rotates in the bush rather than proving resistance and Poly bushes transmit more road noise.

[miked]

Poly bushes work differently to rubber bushes - the tube in the middle rotates in the bush rather than proving resistance and Poly bushes transmit more road noise.

Not trying to be argumentative but how can you substantiate the noise transmission when all the "off the shelf" bushes ( i know about) are of the soft blue compound. Technically this would have be compared but not my experience having run blue Autobush, TTR and Sue Miller types. In Ceejays postings he has turned and run the red urethane which i believe he specifys a value of hardness. I have seen all those kits for classic fords etc were they are very hard. I can imagine that these may be different. Having said that i built an S4 with all sperical and rose joints. Even spherical top lotocone mounts. The car drover great on poor UK roads after being told that it would smash my teeth out. Having got my ride height correct and the damper setting optimised i was well happy with it.

Mike

Mike

[SENC]

Does anyone have experience with the powerflex rear wishbone bushes? SJS sells them in GB and RD Enterprises in the US.

Both inners and outers are 1 side tophats.

The larger inners come without the sleeve inserted, and the sleeve seems slightly shorter than the bush, which is 'corrugated" on the end opposite the top hat - and has channels on the outside of the bush. This has me wondering whether these are intended to rotate in the bone rather than around the sleeves. Presumably they are inserted front to back, so the top hat is forward?

The smaller outers come preassembled and spin on their sleeves - which I plan to pop out and grease before re-inserting after the bush is in the bone. Should the tophats face outwards rather than sandwich between the bone and the strut housing?

Neither set came with thrust washers, but I assume I should use some, at least on the outers.

Open to any guidance.

[steveh]

I found poly bushes are ok, but check if they have scroll grooves to retain the silicone grease , some brands have plain bores that in a short space of time run dry then abrade with the stainless sleeve , quickly wearing out .

The ones i have fitted to the +2 rear i counterbored on the lathe to accept thrust washers either side of the strut , think they were Superflex but i can check later .

[SENC]

Have learned that the SJS bushes are made by powerflex to SJS specs, so am awaiting a response from SJS with install instructions. Will post for the benefit of others when they get back to me.

Spent the morning cleaning grime off of the underside of the car and dry "stuff" from as far as I could reach in the tunnel. Amazing how much our little cars collect - including a couple rags some PO must have lost and even a small bird and nest (both clearly many years old).

Adding lightness by removing non-original additions

Also dryfitted my diff and brace bar, no problems getting them in. Putting a final coat of paint on the housing this weekend and adding new neoprene to surround the new frustacones. Hope to have everything arranged to start going back together in a couple weeks.

[SENC]

Rear struts are back, spyder adjustable rear bones here and spent the morning cleaning and organizing bits to make sure everything is ready for reassembly. Hopefully road-ready in a few weeks!

[Bigbaldybloke]

Wow, nice garage, wish I had that much space. Not going for adjustable rear ride height I see. Any particular reason?

[SENC]

It is good space, but temporary until I can fund and build a shop out back. I'm lucky my bride is letting me use her garage, but I am looking forward to a shop with a proper bench or two.

This run-through is focused on finding and fixing problems with no real plans of upgrades/updates unless part of a fix (like the adjustable wishbones). I'll be making a list of potential upgrades for an anticipated body-off rebuild in a few years, and will evaluate my rebuilt struts and original springs between now and then.

[jbeach]

Henry,

Your shop space is much cleaner than mine - very nice.

I noticed you have Brian Buckland's book on the right and what looks like a copy of the Lotus Workshop Manual on the left. What is the book in the middle? I'm clearly missing an important reference resource!

Best,

-John

[richardcox_lotus]

The one in the middle looks to me to be the abbreviated version of the workshop manual produced by Brooklands.

#iamsherlockholmesindusguise

[SENC]

Sherlock solved the mystery. Nowhere near as complete as the other resources, it is still useful and its conciseness can be an advantage. Among other things I find it an easy place to get torque ranges for fixtures without lots of hunting.

[SENC]

Coming together. Took nearly a full day yesterday to get the driver's side done, but learned some valuable lessons that made the right side much quicker today. Dropped down on its wheels to tighten up all the nuts and bolts, will pick it back up next weekend to reinstall the brake calipers.

Very impressed with the fit of the CVDS from elantrikbits, as well as its function even at full droop. SJS poly bushes installed with little effort or surprise, looking forward to seeing how they ride, hopefully in a few short weeks!

CVDS from below

CVDS

CVDS full droop

[jbeach]

Looks quite nice!

I?m only a half-step ahead of you. This weekend, I installed my rebuilt calipers (safety wired the bolts!) and connected the brake lines. I?m ready to add brake fluid and bleed the entire system. Hope to get that accomplished some evening this week.

I know with metalastic bushings, it?s uniformly recommended to tighten everything up only after the car is at normal ride height. Does the same apply to poly bushings? Because they do not work on the same principle, it seems to me waiting to tighten suspension components in normal ride height would be unnecessary with poly. Thoughts? Opinions?

-John

[Bigbaldybloke]

I?ve not fitted poly bushes, but agree that there is no reason not to fully tighten them at any suspension position.
I?m curious as to why rear calipers are wire locked and not the front ones?