Overhauling the back end

[JonB]

Meanwhile, CV jointed shafts are delayed.

Time for a rest I think!

[alan.barker]

For the exhaust i like the "Mikalor" clips in stainless and they don't crush or damage the pipes.
Alan

[JonB]

I ordered these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330653154359

Should do the job with a bit of jointing paste.

[JonB]

Quick question.

Does anyone know the correct torque setting for the diff torque rod bush nuts? Can't see it in the manual.

[elanner]

From the 2 seater manual:

Nick

[JonB]

Thanks Nick!

Meanwhile... a delivery cometh!

Sue Miller CV Driveshafts

With helpful fitting reminder!

So I will not be battling with doughnuts after all.

Some observations:

• They are much bigger than they look, especially the end pieces. Heavy, too - not sure if heavier than an original shaft + 2 doughnuts.
• The shafts themselves are encased in a plastic sleeve that goes under the CV joint boots.
• The CV joint boots are secured with a tie wrap round the driveshaft; the outer ends are secured by the steel ring that the hex bolts pass through.
• Feels like quality!

[john.p.clegg]

Jon
Looking at photo 1,I can't spot the difference....what is it?, length of studs?

John

Edit
Yes,probably ,thickness of brake disc added?

[JonB]

Yes, the diff studs are longer to accommodate the brake disk.

These are Kelvedon units supplied by Sue Miller. The instructions that came with them don't specify a torque setting for the nuts, so I rang them. The rather helpful chap said that the setting was "tight", very Lotus.

They are supposed to be done up proper tight then checked after a couple of hundred miles. I figure that I will know immediately if they come loose..

[ericbushby]

When mine came recently, I did not want to fit them out of sight under the car.
I really wanted to mount one on a vee block on the side board for a few weeks.
A nice piece of kit.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[prezoom]

Maybe it is just me, but the shafts seem a bit short for a Plus2. Could be the adapters thickness.

[JonB]

About a centimetre at each end. That said, they are retracted.

[The Veg]

Very nice kit indeed! My car has them too but they've been there since fitted by a PO and don't look nearly so shiny and pretty.

[JonB]

The long haul to a reassembled back end begins.

First off, I noticed that the offside outer driveshaft is not original. It actually looks like the new billet item I fitted to the nearside.

It's not obvious from the photo, but this is a different shape to the old one I took off the nearside hub. That bit in the middle is the safety pin I had to cut off in order to fit the CV jointed driveshafts. Anyway, the spider legs have the characteristic square edges that indicate they were milled rather than cast and thus likely to be billet. So, that's good, then!

The diff control rod bushes are done for.

Old diff control rod bushes.

They are replaced and all bolts done up tight with thread lock.

Nearside

Offside

Next up, trial fit of the CV jointed shafts (no, the wishbones are not on yet, but this being a Plus 2, the shafts have enough length for "full droop" to be OK). Hit a bit of a snag - the CV joints have cups on their outer faces and one of them (the one that faces the nearside spider of the diff output shaft) will not fit, because the remains of the shaft "safety pin" are standing a little too proud for me to be able to bolt the thing together. I'm going to have to take it off and grind the pin back some more.... bother!

Off to pick up the wishbones soon.

[JonB]

Right. Picked up the wishbones with new bushes fitted, primed in Hammerite.

Not perfect paint-wise (I will probably spray them later) but the bent one is now straight. So on to the trial fitting of the CV jointed shafts. In my previous post I said one wouldn't fit due to the cap, but I found the cap would just slide inwards with persuasion, so I didn't have to remove it after all.

The angles look a little extreme, but they are not binding. Not tightened up either as I need someone to sit in the car and press the foot pedal to lock the hubs.

[JonB]

Now aggro with the wishbones. As usual, the bushes don't quite line up properly with the mounts (inner or outer), so it's a matter of grunt and swear until it's done. Would have been so much easier on a proper lift! Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

The inner bolts have washers under the nuts only, as I discovered I couldn't wind the nut on all the way with a washer at both ends (they're a bit fat). These bolts were fitted with the nuts closest to the drive shaft, not sure if that is right but does it really matter? The outer bolts have washers at both ends (nice thin ones).