Removing side impact frames

PostPost by: patrics » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:23 pm

Hi
Have used search for this but no joy

Do the side impact frames come out towards the rear or front or?

Thanks
Steve
patrics
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 593
Joined: 21 Sep 2003

PostPost by: SimonH » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:09 pm

Mine came out the bottom and then I swept them up :lol: :wink:

I think they are supposed to come out easier rearwards but you need to remove the strut. My Spyder ones went in nicely like that.
User avatar
SimonH
Third Gear
Third Gear
 
Posts: 295
Joined: 15 Sep 2004

PostPost by: KevJ+2 » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:59 pm

Mine came out and went in (spyder) without removing hubs or struts (rear), maybe I got lucky :D
KevJ+2
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 795
Joined: 23 Aug 2013

PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:54 am

The Spyder ones should go in and out with the rear struts in place, but the original Lotus items do require the struts to be removed.

Are they side impact bars? At only a few inches off the ground I don't think they would stop much in the way of a side impact, unless the car hitting you had a snow plough on the front. I believe they are just there to strengthen up the shell a little, which is very floppy without them!
Mark
User avatar
Elanintheforest
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2938
Joined: 04 Oct 2005

PostPost by: pharriso » Sat Oct 01, 2016 9:18 am

Usually referred to as "Sill members"; If you do a search using that term you will find a lot of info...
Phil Harrison
1972 Elan Sprint 0260K
User avatar
pharriso
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 3596
Joined: 15 Sep 2010

PostPost by: ianthomson72 » Sat Oct 01, 2016 10:00 am

They also provide the seat belt mounting point.

Regards
ianthomson72
First Gear
First Gear
 
Posts: 32
Joined: 27 Feb 2011

PostPost by: Quart Meg Miles » Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:14 pm

ianthomson72 wrote:They also provide the seat belt mounting point.

Regards

Really? I thought those were on the spaceframe around the door aperture like the two seater.

We are talking +2s, and mine fell out the bottom OF THE CAR, unlike Simon's which must have required medical attention.
Meg

26/4088 1965 S1½ Old and scruffy but in perfect working order; the car too.
________________Put your money where your mouse is, click on "Support LotusElan.net" below.
User avatar
Quart Meg Miles
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1274
Joined: 03 Oct 2012

PostPost by: patrics » Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:44 am

Gents,
Thanks for replies
search "sill members" definitely works better
Mine look in very good condition so out through the bottom isn't going to happen!


Regards
Steve
patrics
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 593
Joined: 21 Sep 2003

PostPost by: CBUEB1771 » Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:08 am

Quart Meg Miles wrote:Really? I thought those were on the spaceframe around the door aperture like the two seater.


The +2 does not have the lattice structure which is bonded into Elan shells.
Russ Newton
Elan +2S (1971)
Elite S2 (1962)
User avatar
CBUEB1771
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1684
Joined: 09 Nov 2006

PostPost by: Quart Meg Miles » Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:54 pm

CBUEB1771 wrote:
Quart Meg Miles wrote:Really? I thought those were on the spaceframe around the door aperture like the two seater.


The +2 does not have the lattice structure which is bonded into Elan shells.

Thanks Russ,

My ignorance, but it must be why I never had to touch it on my S130, everything else went wrong! As the sill members were oxide what was my seat belt held on by? :shock:
Meg

26/4088 1965 S1½ Old and scruffy but in perfect working order; the car too.
________________Put your money where your mouse is, click on "Support LotusElan.net" below.
User avatar
Quart Meg Miles
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1274
Joined: 03 Oct 2012

PostPost by: Bud English » Tue Oct 04, 2016 1:01 am

Fiberglass, rust and a prayer.
"My my, hey hey... It's better to burn out than it is to rust."
Ah, life on the edge. :lol:
Bud
1970 +2S Fed 0053N
"Winnemucca - says it all really!!"
Bud English
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1081
Joined: 05 Nov 2011

PostPost by: Sea Ranch » Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:20 am

Steve, you can take them OUT either front or rear. Just use your sawzall, or a hacksaw, and cut them off, chunk at a time as you pull them out. No problem.

Which way to get new ones back IN is a different question. If you're working toward a new paint job/respray, then I would suggest:
- out and back in from the rear
- jack car and remove one rear wheel. Keep other wheels on ground
- put jack under rear suspension and lift rear hub/compress suspension
- now your hub is mostly out of the path of the sill as it comes out/goes back in.
- the final bit of clearance comes from flexing the fiberglass outer sill out to allow the sill member to go into place on a bit of an angle.

Honestly, mine were not a problem doing it this way. However, if the paint on my car was really good, I might worry about gel coat cracks when flexing the outer sill panel.

One final tip/reminder: Keep the doors closed, keep the car level, with normal "weight" on all four corners. The rear hub on the side you're working on should be jacked enough to approximate normal ride height. This is so the body is not twisted during the process. Work on one side at a time. Completely install the new member before moving over to other side.

Regards,

Randy
User avatar
Sea Ranch
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1141
Joined: 07 Mar 2011

PostPost by: patrics » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:06 am

Randy,
Thanks for that,
Mine look perfect so don't want to saw them.
I'm thinking of building a track car and obviously the plus2 is very heavy in comparison to the 2 seater so looking at options to reduce weight.
It will need a roll cage so that will also have to replace the side frames - haven't started yet just looking at it

Regards
Steve
patrics
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 593
Joined: 21 Sep 2003

PostPost by: jimj » Tue Oct 11, 2016 1:33 pm

If removing your "side impact frames" improves your lap time I will eat my sandwich.
Jim
jimj
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1119
Joined: 25 Feb 2008

PostPost by: Matt Elan » Wed Oct 12, 2016 2:05 pm

On both my Plus 2's most of the sill members fell out of the sills when I opened up the bottom joint; the rest came out with the vacuum cleaner.......
Matthew Vale - Classic Motoring Author
1968 Plus 2 - Somewhat cosmetically and mechanically modified
1969 Plus 2S - Currently undergoing nut and bolt restoration
Visit me on matthewvale.com
User avatar
Matt Elan
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 651
Joined: 27 Oct 2011
Next

Total Online:

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests