Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi There

I want to put the suspension on my plus 2 back together. It just so happens that I have 4 whole sets of suspension components, and want to check which bits are straight and which are not. At the moment the rears are all built up (discs are off). Is it best to take them apart or can I check them as they are? Can a machine shop check them if I do take them apart?

Suggestions please. I am in Beckenham, Kent, UK. I am not adverse to sending them off somewhere if it is to someone who can be trusted to do them properly and at a reasonable price!

Is it good enough to spin them with a dial guage just missing the drive pegs, and then with an electric drill to listen for the bearings (maybe that is just silly!). What is the maximum run out allowed?

Many thanks

Berni

Berni

If i'm not wrong that is what they tell you to do in the manual (Dial guage that is)
john

Hi

The manual. Good point. I have a loose leaf copy of one. Must get a proper version and use it a bit more. You know how it is though, there are plenty of ways and means that are not in the manual!

Berni

One of the big problems I have encoutered with untrueness (is this a word?) on the rear assembly is the with the mounting of the rear discs.
Can be checked with dial gauge when disc is in place
It seems the only way to get it truly right is to take the rear outer axle out (horrible job), slap it in a lathe and get the mounting points trued with respect to the shaft..
Definately worth doin before you reassemble
Cheers
Tim

Hi Tim

The last time I did rear discs I filed away at the halfshaft bolt holes gently until the disc bolted up true. Probably the wrong thing to do!

Berni

Actually was probably as good as the truing up I had done (by one of the specialists). Somehow ended up making a previously fine drive shaft into rubbish (I can only think their machinist put the shaft in the lathe wrong). They replaced it with a new shaft at little extra cost. Gave them the second shaft and exactly the same happened..
Just proves my feelings about giving anything to anyone else to work on!
However in principle the idea is fine
Tim

Hi

I just measured the run out on one pair of hubs, and they are 0.4mm and 0.9mm, which sounds like too much. I will get a chance to measure some others later in the week. I will get these two off and measure the shafts. I do have two rear suspension assemblies that came off of a really low mileage car. It will be interesting testing those.

It seems to me that most of these hubs hav been pretty bashed about by now, and using the wrong sort of hub puller (which most people do I guess) tends to bend them a bit.

I am not looking forward to finding out how much run out there is on my wheels!

Berni