Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi Woody,

Great pics thanks, can we have one showing the outer bottom wishbone where it attaches to the hub? it looks to be too high, the normal geometry has the attachment very low just clearing the inside of the wheel, this alone would probably give you some strange handling problems.

The suspension looks like it’s almost on full droop, so either the body weight is very light or the rear springs are too long. I think even cv’s will bind if this is the expected normal ride height.

Iain

Thank you Iain
So this could be a set up problem I will take some more photos

More photos

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Hi some more photos - when the weight is off the suspension, the spring is coming completely out of the top seat ,when weight is on the bottom wishbone The wishbone does not sit completely straight. drive shaft and hub photo you can see it’s been well done, but hub nut does not go on very far, so will have to machine hub face? Maybe the top suspension seat has been altered ? Thanks

...and what size wheels?

So the springs are wrong
They are doing something with camber or castor at the top mount that we don't know
The half shafts don't work

DO we know what bearings are in the rear hub, or how they are setup or retained?

My worry is that you will fix one thing only to discover potentially fatal issues further down

Wheels are 15in tyres 195 x 50 but will need new tyres wheels need spacers to clear suspension strut
Hubs are bmw bearings are std elan It think hubs are ok but hub nut will not go on enough to put a locking pin but think a I can machine hub face

We used to do BMW transplants into the Triumph Stag rear end and the BMW used CV jointed shafts with a deep disc over the hub but these would hit the Chapman strut I think. May have some CV shafts laying around they came in 86mm or 94mm pcd but it may be cheaper to go back to Elan hubs then speak to someone like Dave Mac propshaft a Coventry about some special CV shafts. You will need to do a lot of measuring of driveshaft angle and in/out movement. The shafts you have are like triumph shafts.
Ian

Thanks for all your help - really appreciated.I think the only way forward is to use elan hubs and start from scratch, I am going to put all that on hold at the moment and push on with the body, I always knew the car was going to be a bit of a hybrid and not an original car but with all the work that had been done on the chassis and diff / hubs etc thought it would give me a good base to start with. the plan was to keep the car very minimalist because all the interior is missing. I do have a decent engine for the car although sadly not a twin cam, but its around 150hp - one from my seven days. I have been a big fan of Lotus for many years, the seven being my absolute favourite but as I struggle to even get in one these days the elan is the next best car but it’s all new territory for me. everything is so much more complicated, not nice and simple like a seven, having said that Caterham has made the seven more complicated now or maybe I am just too old. D thanks again

Sounds like a plan, Good luck with it Woody, you’re a braver man than I

Thanks Iain I think my hart bought this not my head