Scottish Elises

Still heavily into ‘planning’ what’s needed for my elise. It’s done about 80000 miles and though it has new springs/dampers about 8000 miles ago, I cannot see in the history any evidence of any other parts for the suspension (ball joints/bushes). It is ‘reassuringly clonky’ in action, though I have yet to jack it up and wobble wheels etc. The first step though will be to have it all checked out when it goes for a ‘big service’ next month.

But I am toying with the idea of DIYing a suspension refresh - part cost, part fun, and I do have some garage space I could use.

Has anyone up here done it themselves, and are there reliable/cost effective places to get suspension parts blasted/coated + passivated near Edinburgh? Or better to head over to Glasgow where people do actual engineering stuff instead of banking and comedy?

I have done it a couple of times and have the coating done at a place in Newhouse. I blasted them myself.

I have just completed a suspension refresh on my S3 220, I used Starlight in Bonnyrigg to blast the suspension (£50), and painted them with Epoxy Mastic.

I’m in the middle of doing mine, it’s ready for bushes and ball joints.
Had everything vapour blasted by a company in Paisley, then painted with cold galvanise and wishbones got epoxy mastic top coat. For the rest of the parts top coated in a stone chip protection. Has come out pretty well considering.

I approached Glasgow chromers for zinc passivate after blasting but they wanted £50 per wishbone, I got the feeling they didn’t want the business.

In the past I have used Merlin Electro Plating Ltd in Newhouse, beside Eurocentral. They have charged £100 which I have taken to be the minimum order.
I have a spare set here waiting to be plated and Clarkey also has a set to be done. Happy to discuss a bulk job if others also need.
I know Dom needs too, but he's too busy driving his to get it done.
If the ball joints and bushes are good, I'd leave them in as nothing in the process will harm them.

Stephen

We do coatings

From the sales bumf "Hyspec Engineering have offered their customer base a varied range of services and coatings which include Xylan, molybdenum disulphide, zinc phosphate, shot blasting, aluminium oxide blasting, and glass bead blasting. We also apply epoxy and phenolic paint systems to Norsok M- 501 systems 1& 7."

I will have a word with Kevin tomorrow down at our coating place and get some more details/figures

BiggestNizzy wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 5:41 pm

We do coatings

From the sales bumf "Hyspec Engineering have offered their customer base a varied range of services and coatings which include Xylan, molybdenum disulphide, zinc phosphate, shot blasting, aluminium oxide blasting, and glass bead blasting. We also apply epoxy and phenolic paint systems to Norsok M- 501 systems 1& 7."

I will have a word with Kevin tomorrow down at our coating place and get some more details/figures

Sounds promising!

I think blasting following by zinc plating and then chromate passivation (“yellow”/“gold” or “olive” - I think olive looks cool) is considered best route. And then some kind of clear coating (often POR 15) over the top of that. Of course the last step easy to do at home.

I think mine will take a bit of work! although hey, at least one nut looks ok.


short stanzas

Stephen wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 12:06 pm

In the past I have used Merlin Electro Plating Ltd in Newhouse, beside Eurocentral. They have charged £100 which I have taken to be the minimum order.
I have a spare set here waiting to be plated and Clarkey also has a set to be done. Happy to discuss a bulk job if others also need.
I know Dom needs too, but he's too busy driving his to get it done.
If the ball joints and bushes are good, I'd leave them in as nothing in the process will harm them.

Stephen

Stephen this would also be good, I think if I do go down this route it would likely be late July/August time though. (Have to get some basic servicing done and attend to a few other bits first I think).

D_Mike wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 6:36 pm

I think blasting following by zinc plating and then chromate passivation (“yellow”/“gold” or “olive” - I think olive looks cool) is considered best route. And then some kind of clear coating (often POR 15) over the top of that. Of course the last step easy to do at home.

Like I said it's not my area, but a lot of the oil and gas stuff gets Xylan coated or Zinc phosphate and epoxy of some description. I will reply back once the coating guy gets back to me.

You might even get to pick the colour (mainly green red or yellow)

Graeme

D_Mike wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 6:36 pm

I think blasting following by zinc plating and then chromate passivation (“yellow”/“gold” or “olive” - I think olive looks cool) is considered best route. And then some kind of clear coating (often POR 15) over the top of that. Of course the last step easy to do at home.

I think mine will take a bit of work! although hey, at least one nut looks ok.


short stanzas

That's what I Have done in the past, Gold passivate then clear POR15

BiggestNizzy wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 8:45 pm

D_Mike wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 6:36 pm

I think blasting following by zinc plating and then chromate passivation (“yellow”/“gold” or “olive” - I think olive looks cool) is considered best route. And then some kind of clear coating (often POR 15) over the top of that. Of course the last step easy to do at home.

Like I said it's not my area, but a lot of the oil and gas stuff gets Xylan coated or Zinc phosphate and epoxy of some description. I will reply back once the coating guy gets back to me.

You might even get to pick the colour (mainly green red or yellow)

Graeme

Xylan does sound/look very good actually!

https://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php ... pid7304861

PTFE or similar based stuff so hydrophobic.

Ok, it's not the cheapest thing in the world and a lot of this has to do with the cost of running the oven for 2 cures.

Scope

1. blast parts
2. Zinc Phosphate
3. Xylan 4090
4. Xylan 1052

£547.75

If more people want this done the costs of curing in the oven could be split.

Graeme

Interesting Graeme, thanks. So pricey but possible worthwhile given the decent product and maybe doing it en masse. Is that just for wishbones/uprights or for bolts, nuts etc too?

1070 might be better than 1052? Anticorrosion properties seem more important than the extra lubrication of 1052?

D_Mike wrote: ↑

Tue May 24, 2022 9:41 am

Interesting Graeme, thanks. So pricey but possible worthwhile given the decent product and maybe doing it en masse. Is that just for wishbones/uprights or for bolts, nuts etc too?

1070 might be better than 1052? Anticorrosion properties seem more important than the extra lubrication of 1052?

Sure but its an extra £15

I am sure I can persuade the coating guys to do all the fixings at the same time.

Yeah it’s pretty straightforward to DIY. I used Deox-C to remove rust and then the metal etch that comes as part of POR-15. Fast forward a few years and a few thousand miles and it is still completely intact, without any sign of degradation. Some photos on Instagram if you’ve interested, under Colgy_C8.

One of the lotus specialists also offers a refurb service (type116/HPE/Performance Autocare?), so you could always post them down there and let them take care of the blasting/coating.