Spyder Chassis - Newbie Question

[TroonSprint]

Please be gentle with me, I've never had an Elan before and now I have a Sprint all in pieces to assemble. So, there is this Spyder chassis and it has eyelets at the front (2 of) and rear (1 only) of the main backbone. What is their purpose? What goes through them? See my photos for clarification - a picture paints a thousand words, as they say.

Mike

[Higs]

The one on the bottom rear and the bottom left side (as viewed in the picture) is the handbrake cable (the one at the front should be threaded). I assume that the other is for handbrake cable on LHD cars - but I might be wrong on that.

Richard

[TroonSprint]

None of the three eyelets (holes) are threaded - I've just been out to the garage to check.

Mike

[PeterK]

The lower ones are for the handbrake as Richard said - one for RHD and the other for LHD.
The handbrake cable incorporates a threaded adjuster, with a nut to do the adjustment - the spigots / holes are not supposed to be threaded on the Spyder chassis.
Peter

[512BB]

Troony,

Front view, for the handbrake cable in its sheath to pass, the thin part, left and right hand, it is not threaded there, its just to guide it. And the rear shot, again the thin part of the handbrake cable, and maybe they just did not put one on the left hand side.

You could always send the pics to Spyder to ask them.

Leslie

[TroonSprint]

Troony - I've never been called that before I've lived in Troon for nearly 33 years but am actually a Londoner - the folk up here have nearly got used to me.

Thanks for your answers. The car has not been on the road since 1977, and has been dismantled all that time. I bought it recently when the owner (who took it to bits in 1977) finally realised he would never build it up. The chassis has never been used but is actually about 30 years old. I guess since the car is RHD they didn't bother with a LH eyelet at the rear end of the backbone. At least I know what goes there now. I'm sure to have a million things to ask as the build progresses. Having bought a completely stripped down car, it's quite a puzzle as to how it all fits together. I hope I've got it all!

Mike

[PeterK]

IIRC, the handbrake actuating linkage is only on the right hand side of the car - hence only one spigot/hole at the rear. Cable to handbrake needs to be on the drivers side, so two options at the front.
Peter

[512BB]

Troonsprint wrote: I've lived in Troon for nearly 33 years but am actually a Londoner

We have something in common then Mike, I have lived in Troon for 33 years also

And: the folk up here have nearly got used to me.

The folk down here WILL NEVER get used to me! Does that surprise anyone?


Leslie

[stugilmour]

IIRC, the handbrake actuating linkage is only on the right hand side of the car - hence only one spigot/hole at the rear. Cable to handbrake needs to be on the drivers side, so two options at the front.
Peter

Yes, that is the set-up on my LHD car.

Do your best to refurbish and adjust the handbrake mechanism now and check cable length. Here are a few threads that provide a bunch of info that I found helpful, particularly the last one regarding all the bits in the rods, tree, and caliper arms...

lotus-suspension-f42/hand-brake-tree-t20972.html

lotus-suspension-f42/handbrake-cable-adjustment-pics-please-t26424.html

lotus-suspension-f42/elan-parking-brakes-can-they-made-work-t25716.html?hilit=handbrake

HTH