Rear suspension service advice
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 2:13 pm
These lock-down days are great! I have so many jobs that await delivery from ebay of various bits 'n bobs that I just roll onto the next one! The car is now in a serious pile of pieces!
Today, rear suspension. A few surprises - one side has a brand new hub and both brake calipers are new. Then I notice a huge gash on the inside of a wheel, so much of a one that I am surprised it still holds air. Obviously something big happened, and I need a new wheel. But the upside is that the brakes are new and the handbrake easily passes MoT.
I seek some advice please:
1. There are what seems to be factory pressed panels under the wishbones and, on one side, a cover affair over the discs. Did Lotus go to this trouble? I shall ditch them as they are unsightly and get in the way - unless someone tells me there is any technical merit that has escaped me...
2. Shocks look original! So maybe a birthday present of new ones - Paul Matty offers a choice: Protech, Koni (£300??), Gaz or Spax. Are there any suggestions for comfortable road use please?
3. I may as well service the bushes and bearings (althyough I expect one is new). Again, any suggestions from experience - off the shelf ones a la Paul Matty, or Superflex?
4. I have a Spyder chassis - do I assume that it uses the original Lotus wishbones and that I do not have to specify anything special regarding bushes and bearings?
5. Were springs ever a problem? After 47 years, do I continue with them or replace? The car sits pretty square.
One side has a newish doughnut and the other is reliant on two of the three bolts! I do not know if this is a contention, but are the drive shaft replacement really necessary for comfortable road use? Am I going to be ok with new Rotaflexes?
Again thanks for any snippets
Hal
Today, rear suspension. A few surprises - one side has a brand new hub and both brake calipers are new. Then I notice a huge gash on the inside of a wheel, so much of a one that I am surprised it still holds air. Obviously something big happened, and I need a new wheel. But the upside is that the brakes are new and the handbrake easily passes MoT.
I seek some advice please:
1. There are what seems to be factory pressed panels under the wishbones and, on one side, a cover affair over the discs. Did Lotus go to this trouble? I shall ditch them as they are unsightly and get in the way - unless someone tells me there is any technical merit that has escaped me...
2. Shocks look original! So maybe a birthday present of new ones - Paul Matty offers a choice: Protech, Koni (£300??), Gaz or Spax. Are there any suggestions for comfortable road use please?
3. I may as well service the bushes and bearings (althyough I expect one is new). Again, any suggestions from experience - off the shelf ones a la Paul Matty, or Superflex?
4. I have a Spyder chassis - do I assume that it uses the original Lotus wishbones and that I do not have to specify anything special regarding bushes and bearings?
5. Were springs ever a problem? After 47 years, do I continue with them or replace? The car sits pretty square.
One side has a newish doughnut and the other is reliant on two of the three bolts! I do not know if this is a contention, but are the drive shaft replacement really necessary for comfortable road use? Am I going to be ok with new Rotaflexes?
Again thanks for any snippets
Hal