WAS:Front end refurb NOW:Suspension rebuild, rad and gearbox

[Corranga]

Firstly, thanks for all the help / answers in the inevitable barrage of questions I'll ask

Ok, so yesterday I spend around 4 hours removing the front clam for the first time. I am now well acquainted with my Dremmel, and need to restock on cutting discs!


2-tone paint job....



Today, I started by lowering the car and moving it back to the side in the garage so my 944 can fit! I needed it in the middle in the first place as you need the doors fully open to remove the clam of course.

Then, I removed more bits, I'm tackling the radiator and front suspension (in theory anyway!)

I thought I'd start with the easy looking screws at the front of the crash structure.

1 angle grinder later

I moved on to the 3 at the back after cutting some cable ties and getting the loom out of the way.

I'm starting to think that the Dremmel should live in the Lotus!

After undoing the 4 bolts on the top (well, 3 of the 4, then some more Dremme action) and the rad hoses, and getting most of the water in a basin the radiator is out!

Oh, here is my efforts in the "rate my tow post" category!!

Hard to believe that thing was used to tow my car from Dundee to Edinburgh 6 or so years ago

[Corranga]

Issue number 1...

I have this fantastic electrical bodge. I knew about the live running out from under the relay, and into the fuse, I didn't know about the original bodge with the 2 spade connectors which was hidden underneath the fuse box, and has corroded away!







Happy to take any suggestions on fixing this, car electrics isn't my forte!!

[Corranga]

So, I moved on to the suspension, starting with the drivers side as I've got more space to sit around!

First, I removed the 8mm nyloc nut that holds nothing on (supposed to be a P-clip for the brake pipe, but I think it's been gone for a few years!)
Well, to be honest, first I went around all the bolts with a can of plus gas!

The caliper came next, which revealed my brake pads are down to a couple of mm on the inner side, but nice and meaty on the outside
I just sat them up on the crash structure where the rad should be to keep them out of the way, but had originally planned to just cable tie them somewhere out of the way.

Next the dampers, the photo doesn't show it very well, but this rust bracket is also rather bent towards the rear of the car


Next, I loosened the 4 bolts on the wishbone. I didn't want them to fall out, but also didn't want
I was dreading the rear-lower one as you need to be inside the car, in the footwell and outside the car at the same time.
Turned out to be really easy, with a cunningly balanced 17mm ring spanner, and a couple of extension bars so I could do it from up by the seat.

I next popped off the track rod end, and removed the ARB toe link.

I couldn't get the top ball joint nut out, and also couldn't figure out how to undo the bottom one, so decided to just remove it all as 1 assembly, and stick the hub in my vice and work on it at a sensible height (this might be a bad idea!!)



I managed to get all 4 wishbone bolts out and...

Issue number 2.
I'm probably being an idiot here. The 4 wishbone bushes are undone and slid out.
Everything else that seems to connect them to the car is undone, but they aren't coming out. Do I just need to apply a little force, or am I missing something?


..anyway, garage tidied and tucked up for the night.

[woody]

Where to start... Those brackets are that shape, but bit normally as rusty.

Get in & wrastle the wishbones out. It'll be more difficult with everything together. As for the ball joints not budging, make sure you're using the tool the right way around, Nizzy (honest) made that mistake once. They mice easily when everything is right. I always use a smear of oil on the rubber boot of the new ones when they're going in.

You need to remove the 4 lower plinth bikes before removing the lower ball joint. Bin the track rod ends, I always fit new. Check the rack gaiters & replace if damaged at all... Also check the rack for play & ditto. Check the arb mounts, they're probably shot. For £13, may as well for new drop links too.

Once the wishbones are out and everything apart, use your vice & sockets to remove the bushes. Assume/hope you're fitting OEM spec replacements?

The brake pads; they all do that ser. Should be checked & is visible without removing the calliper. In also concerned at the missing p clip; who's been looking after the car, I'd be asking questions if that's been missing a while. Which begs the question, what brake lines are fitted and what state are they in?

It was my tow post that sheared recently that Dom posted about. Good move replacing.

Please post any issues as you have been, good effort tracking this but stay safe. Bricks above look interesting (know it's only the suspension weight).

[Corranga]

Thanks Woody, all comments greatly appreciated!

Where to start...

That's what I thought!!

I ordered stainless brackets and a pot of Duralac from Eliseparts as I didn't like the look of them at all. Hopefully that won't be the case with the wishbones as I'm not sure I can stretch to another set of those

I've been looking at the SELOC page for removing bushes with 2 sockets, looks straight forward enough.

I'm opting for the Elise Shop nylon self lubricating ones as replacements:
http://www.elise-shop.com/nylon-self-lu ... -p-60.html

The brake pipes are Goodrich braided I think (Eliseparts anyway) fitted by me a few years back and are in good condition, no cuts in the plastic sleeve and no unusual bends /folds etc. They do have rusty marks around them where the P clip obviously sat at one point, not sure when the clips disappeared but I'll get some ordered, along with a few other fixings. They seem to sit naturally clear of everything through all steering angles - I checked this when I first noticed them missing last year and thought nothing of it..

Haha, yes, the bricks are only holding the suspension weight since the damper is out. The car is more secure! The jack is sitting 5mm below the sill so no weight is on it, the weight of the car is all on the pair of axle stands, and they have ice hockey pucks on top to protect the car. Car is in gear, handbrake is on, and bricks are chocking the rears too. The front wheels are sitting below the sills as an absolutely just in case measure! I absolutely hate putting the car on axle stands so am extra paranoid and with good reason I think!

[thesurfbus]

Just received a box of bits from Elise Shop on Friday, and I am about to start a suspension build on my S1 too.
I looked at those Elise Shop bushes, but wasn't sure how easy it would be to ream the bushes to fit the wishbones.
Whereabouts are you getting your Wishbones blasted and coated?

[Corranga]

Whereabouts are you getting your Wishbones blasted and coated?

Haven't figured that out yet

My plan (at the moment anyway) is:
Vinegar dip.
POR15 marine clean.
POR15 metal ready.
Zinc Phosphate coating (still have to find somewhere local that does this, I guess they might repeat the acid dip stage first too, not sure..).
Quick edit: POR15 Metal Ready does the Zinc Phosphate coating, I need to go back and check my notes as I was sure there was a plating step..
POR15 paint.
Possibly a top coat in a non POR15 colour, but not sure I'm that committed !

From what I understand, this should be more durable than powder coating. My POR15 is black (you can make out my ARB in some photos which was wire brush, then POR15 system, Marine Clean, Metal Ready, then POR15 paint).

[Mikie711]

If it were me I would stick with original rubber bushes especially from a long term point of view.

Both Elise Shop and Elise Parts sell removal/re-fit tools that are inexpensive and easier to use than the 2 socket method. Would lend you mine but tools are away in storage and wont be back till we have moved house in March.

[woody]

I used these bushes last year:
http://www.seriouslylotus.com/suspensio ... e-bush-kit

As far as I remember, you're not a tracker? I can't honestly see the requirement for those Nylon bushes, they look like a lot of future hassle to me.

As for the P clips, ensure there is no gap between the brake hose & P clip. The standard P clips should not be fitted with braided lines; having a gap like that is not how they work.

As for the brackets, out of interest, what's the alu area below them like? Have seen this corroded on a car I viewed years ago.

P.S. Above was posted last at night via phone, hence the litany of uncorrected typos.

[Shug]

Aye - may seem like woody is being a bit paranoid on the P clip thing, but once a braided line has a tiny bit of fraying, it's very compromised - and the only way to ensure it doesn't touch anything to fray is to have it securely located in rubber lined P clips in which it can't move. I used the original P clips, but with chunks of bicycle inner tube layered inside to make them very snug, IIRC.

[mwmackenzie]

I once had a braded brakeline burst on braking for the hairpin at Knock hill, not a nice feeling when your foot hits the floor Pretty sure it was around the clip area

[Corranga]

The P Clips on there were lined with rubber and a tight fit, I may well have changed them when I fitted the braided pipes, I really can't remember.
Would nylon P Clips, with a rubber liner be too weak?

I'll clean up the pipes and give them a proper close inspection too.

The choice of bushes was cost based, the OE ones being rather expensive. I somehow managed to miss those Seriously Lotus ones
Parts are ordered already, I guess I'll have to have a think about it. What are the main downsides of my choice?
I'd actually like to get more track days in, I really miss the experience, but following my accident, and then putting the money into having the car painted I always felt a bit too nervous.
I often think about buying a track car (mx5 or something else RWD) to go right back to the start and learn properly, but then think the Elise is probably the perfect car for it anyway and do nothing

I haven't had a change to clean the chassis / alu below the brackets up, but there was a lot of white dust which will of course be corrosion. Once the wishbones are out, I'll give everything a good clean and take some close ups.
This photo shows it best for now (not great)

The Bilstein kit was fitted by SLS. I'd have presumed that Duralac would have been used..

[woody]

The P Clips on there were lined with rubber and a tight fit, I may well have changed them when I fitted the braided pipes, I really can't remember.
Would nylon P Clips, with a rubber liner be too weak?

They'd be weaker than the steel ones and they're not there now?

I'll clean up the pipes and give them a proper close inspection too.

Easy job to change when the clam is off. Typing of which, how's the car's horn (this is the type to replace it) and have you inspected the front cross over brake line? The brake line corrodes at the plastic clips which chafe the coating (was a P clip guru in a former life) and I'd argue aren't really ideal for the job.

The choice of bushes was cost based, the OE ones being rather expensive. I somehow managed to miss those Seriously Lotus ones
Parts are ordered already, I guess I'll have to have a think about it. What are the main downsides of my choice?

I'd be tempted to send them back. While I have no direct experience of those particular bushes, the OEM type are well proven. I'd be concerned they'll cost you more in money & time in the long run.

[Corranga]

I was thinking nylon P clips as the steel ones will obviously corrode again.

I did think about the horn actually, though it does currently make a noise, when prompted.

The cross over brake pipe is corroded as it's bent and I think must have been in contact with the the chassis at some point so that is also on my list.

I was also thinking about some black sign-writers vinyl to cover windscreen de lamination (only visible on the black bit at the bottom), though I guess getting the right shape will be a nightmare..

[Corranga]

Some progress last night, though I can't spend too much time on the car through the week.

The front drivers wishbones are out, managed to get the 4 bolts out of the bottom and the 19mm nyloc on the top ball joint. The 2 hex bolts on the top are starting to round though so that smaller piece is still attached to the hub for now.

Top wishbone was the worst condition (and fits in my basin..) so is soaking in vinegar as a trial. The bottom wishbone actually looks pretty good in comparison.

I'd be tempted to send them back. While I have no direct experience of those particular bushes, the OEM type are well proven. I'd be concerned they'll cost you more in money & time in the long run.

Did some more reading, and asked a few who have used both for their opinions, then emailed Yvo, cancelled the self lube ones and ordered a Seriously Lotus set, longevity and lack of maintenance being the key factors. Thanks again for your advice