Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi All. So I've read every post about how to re-install rear suspension--springs, shock, Lotocone, etc--and the two suggested methods just don't work: No room to get any store-bought spring compressors onto the springs once they get squished up into the body, and also just jacking up the rear suspension assembly seems to raise the body off the jack stands even with 360 pounds of concrete sacks and another 150 pounds of person in the passenger seat. that method reaches some point of jacking at which the top of the shock stops going through the Lotocone and it just begins to compress.

Is there any way out of this other than making my own very small profile spring compressor? Someone suggested using small ratchet straps (I know I know) but I don't think that even those could fit behind the spring. These stock springs are so soft I can't imagine it should be this hard! FYI, it's a 67 S3.

Thanks for any advice. Best, Jeff

Hi, Jeff. If you wish, give me a call: 510-232-7764 CA time. Have done a dozen or so over time. Easier and more fun to chat the old fashioned analog way. Cheers. Mike, near Berkeley, across from San Francisco. PS: was back for the All British Field Meet in Palintine two years ago.

I've done it by compressing the spring off the car and using large tie wraps to keep it compressed while installing

You certainly have to use spring compressors that will fit both the spring and fit in the space, and even then my SC will only fit in one particular orientation.

I fit the lotocone to the chassis, then compress the spring as far as my SC will go, placing strips of cloth under the SC arms so as not to mark the finish on the springs. I then feed a wire coat hanger, pulled out straight, through the hole in the top of the damper and feed that through the hole in the lotocone. If I am working on my own, I will jack underneath the housing to raise the unit as far as it will go, then get hold of the wire with a pair of pliers and pull the damper rod up through the hole. Remove the wire and fit the castellated nut.

If I have a helper to hand, I omit the jack under the housing, and just lift the assembly manually, whilst the helper pulls the wire and damper rod up. Job done.

Leslie

Hi Jeff,
I use a small cheapo Chinese pair of compressors from ebay. About £16.00. They do the job OK with some care when fitting. The screws were a little too long and touching the body when compressed so I made some tubular spacers to go under the hex end which shortened their effective length. They seemed strong and well made and I have used them a few times with no real difficulty.
Best of luck
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

Thanks all. I have tried exactly what Leslie described. I think I will have to try some high quality 1 inch ratchet straps on the bench, once the spring has been compressed. Releasing the ratchet straps might be a lot of fun? I will get the trolley jack under all of this to at least limit the spring return kick.

One other question: how much of this all do you like to pre-assemble? I have the A-arm attached to the strut assembly, and obviously the brake disc. I have the outer rotoflex on the hub attached, but I took off the stub axle to try and get a little more room. Might re-attach that because it wasn't the problem.

thanks again, Jeff

These are the SP I use. Very simple, no frills. Do the job and fit in the confined space of the rear wheel well. Personally I would never use straps, I like my head where it is, between my shoulders.

When I am replacing a rear damper, all I have undone is the inner donut and the 4 bolts holding the A frame loose. The outer drive shaft is in place and not touched. The rear of the car is jacked up and on blocks. I swing out the strut assembly, past the wheel arch, and then place the compressed spring on the perch with the damper rod retracted. Then move the whole assembly inside the wheel arch. Place the rubber dirt shield in place and spring retaining cup on top of the spring, having pulled the damper rod out. I then feed the coat hanger wire through the hole in the top of the rod and feed that through the lotocone, then pull up with all my might. Much easier if you have a helper.

Re the spring compressors, I do not try to compress all the coils. For a start, the treaded rods are not long enough, and if you compressed all the coils, you could not remove it at the top. I compress about 7 or 8 coils, that works for me.

And in the words of Richard Hawkins, I hope that helps.

Leslie

thanks Leslie. It might just be that the difference is your spring compressors are just a little less bulky than mine and so they can fit in. But a related question--you take the A-arm off, is that to get a better (straighter) angle on the shock rod insertion into the Lotocone, right? Thx, Jeff

No Jeff, I do not remove the A frame, I just losen off all 4 bolts holding the A frame leaving the nylocks on the bolts. I replace them anyway once they have been slackened once. With the bolts loose, you can then push the A frame down at the ali carrier end, but still attached to the ali carrier, so that you can remove the spring once it has been compressed, and the same for reinstalling.

Leslie

understood. thanks.

Dear All,
I just wanted to post the end result, that after borrowing a set of small spring compressors I was able to follow Leslie's method--which is to compress 6 or 7 coils in the middle, then use the jack to push everything up, and also pull up through a coat hanger. It's not hard...IF you have a spring compressor with small enough hooks so that the fiberglass tunnel walls can be cleared as you push and pull. I now own a pair of really robust too-large spring compressors, if anyone wants them! Thanks all for the help. Jeff

It's a long time since I did anything myself to the rear suspension, though I think I may have to get the dampers free sometime in the near future as I have a suspicion that the rubber buffer 'springs' are not there. (left out by a garage that did some work on the car about 20 years ago?). I haven't yet found a convenient moment to jack-up & crawl under the arches to look for the rubber springs presence.


My spring compressors are much like those in the photo above and I don't recall any particular difficulty in using them in the rear wheel spaces. I did find it wise to remove the rear window of my S3 Coupe as I imagined it might take some effort to undo the top nuts and 'flyback' of a long spanner might smash the rear window.

Just to finish this off, make sure you have all the steel washers in place on the ali carrier Jeff, otherwise the carrier will be damaged and the suspension not operate correctly.

I have been working my way through a snaging list on a car I bought a while ago and found one washer missing on the ali carrier / A frame assembly, meaning one of the nylocks was acting on the aluminium carrier...........ahhhh. The reason the washer had been left out was because the wrong length bolt had been used and there was then no room for the washer. As you know, that assembly should use one long bolt and one short bolt, but two short bolts had been used.

Its a simple fix once you have jacked and supported the car, then relaxed the suspension, as there is then no tension on the bolts, and they come out very easily.

Pleased you got the job done successfully Jeff, keep it up.

Leslie