Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I've been over, under, and basically all over my car since I bought it, and yet never noticed something. I started noticing a degradation in handling about a month ago so took a hard look under the car and noticed a noticeable gap around the sway bar bushings. Thinking they were old and worn out I ordered new bushings for the top and bottom of links and end bushings. A week ago I noticed a clunk and saw that one bushing was completely out of the link and split in 2. I figured no time like the present to change them out and had at it. What I found was weird. The bushings at the top of the link, and the end bushings (at shocks) were in okay shape, but showing a little sign of age so I just replaced them, but the bushings around the sway bar after careful examination looked almost new yet broken. After removing them and measuring them I saw that they were actually +2 bushings No wonder there was a gap around them and the bar. Not real apparent when doing just a quick look. Anyway after changing them out my car was transformed. Now I have to learn to drive it again. I'm sure the old bushings although the wrong size still did there job to a degree, and handling never felt bad but never felt crisp either. Now it feels totally different, and it will take a few miles to get used to it.

Good find there and its interesting that they changed to bush size given the Lotus focus on cost, are +2 bars a bigger diameter?

Graeme

Yes the +2 is a larger diameter bar, but the sway bar link accepts the same OD bush. I just went out and checked it against a new +2 bush again, because I also have a larger diameter sway bar I may fit at a later date and they are identical. I'm thinking whoever changed the bushings last just grabbed +2 bushes instead of regular Elan bushes or they didn't have any Elan bushes and figured no one will ever notice. I almost didn't, but glad I did,