How to make your Elan handle

[Maulden7]

This practice of doubling up on arb's has been is use with race cars going back to the mid 60's in my personal experience, both with sports & saloon cars. So, as an easily reversible experiment, & as I had a spare standard Elan arb laying around, I decided to try it on my own S2 for track use a couple of years ago. Cut the ends off & attached it to the single bar - but using proper & appropriately sized U clamps & bolts (1 by the drop link & 2 as close to the ends as possible on both sides)

I then booked into a track day at Castle Combe (a circuit that I know very well & have lap times to compare with) to check the result, & it was certainly noticeable & effective (this is a road legal car but fitted up with full TTR suspension & used for sprinting, with track day use as well - 175/ 60 Yoko tyres) The lap times were circa 2 seconds faster than I had ever achieved before in perfect conditions - from 1min 28secs.

Body roll was reduced & the car was more stable & faster, especially when quick changes in direction were involved, & through fast corners. I had a mate (who is familiar with the Elan) follow me around & he said that the reduced body roll was very noticeable from behind.

As a result I am leaving the double arb arrangement in place. The only concern I have is the effect on the arb bushes. The standard rubber bushes are ok at the moment, but I have some poly ones in the garage just in case.

For a standard road car I wouldn't bother tbh.

Dave M.