Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Dose any one Know if spax have sorted the front shocker problems yet?

What problem is that?
I fitted Spax front adjustable shocks last winter and they are fine...

I think a few have snapped
Alan

Yes I did hear of that in the past but out of the thousands of shock absorbers that Spax produce without breakages I am not convinced that it was the fault of the particular Spax Elan/+2 shock absorber. Something else going on I think...

Alan.

That,s what happened to mine they were fitted when I brought the car 5 years ago I have done about 4000 miles on them they looked pretty new at that time so I did not replace them during my rebuild.

I was lucky on my +2 i found some NOS Koni and no problem.
Alan

Where did it fail? sway bar stud, lower bush eylet, etc? I have them on mine but not many miles on them. I would like to know where to look for the possible problem.

The failure was at the top of the shaft just were it passes through the chassis.

There are photos on lotus élan net of similar failures on older threads.

It was in 2009 that it was on lotus élan net.

I had both fronts snap on my +2 in 2003 - probably my old posts. Both went within a couple of thousand miles of each other. I did pursue with SPAX, about it, as they are based locally. Long story short, they denied any liability, but my suspicion is that it was a batch of faulty machining. They both failed at the same spot which suggested metal fatigue at a sharp edge. The units were supplied & fitted by PM in Bromsgrove, and failed after around 10k miles IIRC. SPAX took my car into their workshop to see if there was any reason they could see for the failures, but couldn't see anything. They fitted new units FOC, with new springs. I have changed the dampers, but the springs are still on the car 80k miles later - don't know what they are off, but they suit the car. I tried TT units but the springs didn't suit me and went back. Maybe the roads around here are particularly rough - anyone who has driven on the side roads around Silverstone will know what I mean.

Incidentally a few years later a SPAX rear unit failed in my Spyder Twin wishbone setup. This was a different story and there was some discussion...

Jeremy

I have just been speaking to the Spax factory the date code on my shocks indicates that they were produced in 2004.There was a problem with build quality at that time but the company has since been taken over and they have reassured me that all the issues from that time have been addressed.So I will be fitting Spax.