Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello all,

My recently purchased Plus 2 had four steel wheels but I noticed the RF offset was different than the other three. It was further outboard than the other three if that makes sense.

I ordered a used wheel from RD Ent and today I had the really old rubber (date code was only three digits so older than year 2000) swapped over to the new wheel and now have old rubber on FOUR matching steel wheels. BTW, the car isn’t a runner yet so tires are on my list for soon.

I get the odd wheel home and am looking for a stamping to identify the wheel, but it only appears to have a manufacturer stamp. I measured the inside as a 5.5 width. I can’t find a J stamp or anything. It’s in pretty good shape so I want to list it here and sell it, but I don’t know what I have.

Any help or tips would be appreciated.

Mike N
Omaha

I didn’t think another offset was made?
Do you have elan hubs on the 3, and +2 on the further offset?

h20hamelan wrote:I didn’t think another offset was made?
Do you have elan hubs on the 3, and +2 on the further offset?

Based on all the other “modifications” I’ve discovered, that would be a possibility. I’ll have to figure out how to identify hubs now I guess.

However, this wheel, as looking at it from the outside when mounted on the hub/car still looks different. The knockoff nut is further/deeper inward than the other three which makes me think offset.

This car is the gift that just keeps on giving.

Mike

You should be able to get a straight edge across the tyre, and measure points. The other thing would be to look at gap between fender (wheel arch) and tyre.
Always good to have an extra spare wheel anyway

h20hamelan wrote:You should be able to get a straight edge across the tyre, and measure points. The other thing would be to look at gap between fender (wheel arch) and tyre.
Always good to have an extra spare wheel anyway

The wheel is with me and the car is in my storage unit. I’ll measure as you describe tomorrow. It’s one of those things I didn’t think to do because I thought I’d be able to pull that wheel out of the trunk as soon as I got it home and see a stamping. When I didn’t see a stamp then I knew I didn’t have all the facts to present. Sorry for posting without all the needed details.

Measuring this wheel in question from the pegs outer surface to outer rim edge is 2.5 inches.

Photo would help lots...

I hope this helps.

I don’t know the difference between offset between the +2 and elan
I would guess part of it is outer, and part is in. But thats only 1/4”.

What’s the width of your rim?

h20hamelan wrote:I don’t know the difference between offset between the +2 and elan
I would guess part of it is outer, and part is in. But thats only 1/4”.

What’s the width of your rim?

Measuring from bead to bead it is 5.5 inches as is the regular plus 2 as I’m told. Outside edges is 6 1/4 inch. But the inside bead measure is the correct way to determine width.

I will surely go to my storage unit and measure that offset of the four I assume to be correct. Then I’ll be able to report the difference, or have a crow pie to eat.

Actually I’m not REALLY measuring offset correctly, but I’ll at least know the outer distance from rim edge to mounting surface.

Up front, I should have measured the wheel in question against the four (that I now have) matching steel wheels. I was hoping for the collective knowledge to have a quick answer. Sorry for wasting time for all.

Final measurements:

I’m measuring from the outer wheel rim edge to the outer surface of the wheel at the drive peg location.

Four alike wheels measure 1 5/8 inch.
Unknown wheel measures 2 1/2 inch.

This pushes the wheel outwards an additional 1 inch approximately. It did extend the installed tire which was a 165/60 beyond the wheel arch or close enough to make it noticeable by eye as compared to the other three.

What does the wheel belong to? If we figure it out, I’ll list it for sale on this forum.

Thanks again.

Is there any evidence of the wheel center being removed and either 'flipped' or moved axially towards the outside of the car?

It may simply be a modified standard rim.

Isn't the extra width in the Plus 2 rim in the flat just in from the outer rim bead? This one has the narrow width there that looks like Elan but not Plus 2. And then the center web looks pushed in to make that offset. John

baileyman wrote:Isn't the extra width in the Plus 2 rim in the flat just in from the outer rim bead? This one has the narrow width there that looks like Elan but not Plus 2. And then the center web looks pushed in to make that offset. John

I don’t know anything about non plus 2 Elans as I’m just learning as much as I can about Plus 2’s but when I ordered my replacement from RD Ent Ray, and understand he’s just going by the information I was giving, speculated an Elan wheel.

If in fact that is what it is, it’s available to anyone interested.

Elan wheels were all 4.5" wide, only the +2 was 5.5". I have a set of stock type +2 wheels and would be happy to give you measurements if that would help. You want to take measurements from the mating surface of the wheel (where it fits against the hub) as that is a consistent reference point. Measure from there to the bead seating part of the rim, not to the edge of the rim itself as that can vary somewhat from rim to rim. Also measure from the mating surface through the center to outer surface of the center 'cone' to ensure the wheel center has not been somewhat 'collapsed' from massive over tightening.

This replacement wheel looks to have the rim welded to the center. All the Elan and +2 wheels I've ever seen are riveted. I have a couple of 4-1/2 Elan wheels that I've started to remove the damaged rims so that I can salvage the centers which look good. I've been told that there are wheel repair shops which will replace defective rims.

Roger