Rear Wishbone/Anti Roll Bar Help Required

[basher]

Yesterday we re-assembled the rear suspension and wishbones after refurbing and replacing many of the parts and ran into a problem. As a result of what we have done, the drivers side of the anti-roll bar is now rubbing on the wishbone directly underneath where the anti-roll meets the drop link.
This is not the case on the passenger side and there is clearance between that wishbone and the bar.

What we have done as a result of the refurb, is to replace both wishbones- the drivers side is a newer galvanised one, the passenger side is an older non galvanised one which has been repaired and treated. We have also bought new top links- replacing the old u-channel ones for the new tubular ones- still set at the same length.
Can you not mix old and new type wishbones? It was my understanding that this was the standard replacement that Lotus offered?

Any help gratefully receieved...

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Is the rear suspension fully loaded or is it still sitting off the ground in full droop? If in droop, set the car back down on the groundremembering you should not have the inner pivots for the lower wishbone or any of the upper pivots tightened until the car's suspension is in the "driven attitude". The pivots need to be tightened at proper attitude so the bushings are not loaded too soon and then on deflection are forced to deform.

You can do this by jacking the car up and supporting the front by the jack points but then CAREFULLY supporting the rear at the lower outer pivot/suspension hub. CAREFULLYJack the rear until the car is level and then CAREFULLY slip underneath and tighten all of the pivot bolts. Then check for the interference you are describing. Much easier done on a lift.

Hopefully, once the suspension is in road position, the interference will be gone.

If not, check to see if you assembled something back to front on one side..

[epipete]

Does this suggest/confirm that the rear wish ones are the same for SE/S1 (the only difference being the material from which they are made)?

[basher]

Thanks both.
John, as you described we were very careful about waiting until the car was in it's normal road position before tightening everything up- we did follow the manual in that respect.
Upon asking around and looking at the workshop manual, it seems that the later models had a different design for the back lower wishbone mount- you get either a 5 degree old style or a 2.5 degree new type. The old is a straight mount, the new kicks up higher.
I believe I've got an old style wish on the passenger side and a new on the drivers, and that isn't going to work. I was under the impression the only difference was the galvanising.

SJ still do wishbones- I will have to check part numbers or phone them to determine what they have.
There's no mention on the website of any differences...

[epipete]

Sorry Basher, but you've confused me!

You state that the mount has changed but then allude that it is the wishbone has altered, are these two separate parts or that the mount is a part of the wishbone that interfaces with the chassis?

I thought it was the former and have been considering changing my old steel SEs for new aluminium S1s, if the former is correct then this is still possible, but if the latter then not.

Thoroughly baffled

Pete

[basher]

Sorry,

I may be totally wrong in all this and hopefully someone will say I'm a complete idiot and there is a quick and easy fix..
But as I see it, according to the service manual later cars had a different mounting for the rear wishbone at the back of the car. If this is moved, from one position to another, then the wishbone has to be different in some way if the anti roll stays constant. This would explain my problem- maybe you need one or the other, but don't mix them.
They are seperate parts, the mount at the back atached to the chassis and the wishbone itself.

I'm looking for guidance myself....

[madbilly]

I'm sure the manual says that cars with the original anti-lift angle if fitted with later wishbones need to be fitted with an adaptor kit, which is presumably to give sufficient clearance and avoid the rubbing you describe. I don't know if the adaptor kit is available anymore but is something I will need to find out at some point for my own car which has the early anti-lift angle.

I'm sure that the LEC work on rear wishbones will have considered how to mount later wishbones to earlier cars so it's worth searching the forum to find out - I just haven't done it yet as it's not urgent for me.

There may also be something on WikiLEC, but if there isn't and you find out the answer please can you put it on there!

[RayD]

Was there any reference to two types of wishbones during the stainless group buy?

Michael.jpg

Ray

[Brit-Car-Nut]

When I was looking for replacement wishbones for my SE FED, I checked all of the different part numbers and they all supercede to the latest number. The first wishbones came painted without bushings, then they were replaced by wishbones with bushings installed and then they were replaced with galvanized wishbones with bushings installed.

I do not beleive the actual wishbone design changed and Lotus assured me that they were all interchangeable.

I would consider removing the side with the problem and reinstall the bad wishbone an see if the issue clears. I would also check to see if the 2 designs are the same by laying one over the other to see if anything is different.

I am out of town right now but when I get home in a few days, I can check my NEW but OLD ones (came without bushes) with the original ones from my SE. The original ones are a bit twisted but that shouldn't be a problem as they are not bent as in pushed back or crushed, just twisted from a high hit with a lot of force.

How about a few pictures detailing the problem and a view of the corner as assembled?

[dapinky]

I replaced my 'early' ones with some from the stainless group buy with no problems (red car). The blue car has the later S2 galvanised ones fitted.

At the first ever aftersales sale i bought a pair of very early (by part number) wishbones - both right-hand side. They were checked and found to be dimentionally identical to the later ones. When i did the stainless thing, these went to anothe LEC member who had one mofified to fit the other side of the car (simply flipping it over and mounting the bracket on the other face) AFAIK there was never a problem.

As such, I can only assume it may be due to a missmatched pair being fitted, and perhaps moreso, missmatched bushes

I know it's a lot of hassle, but maybe swap them over from nearside to offside (I know the brackets will be underneath not on top!) just to see if the outer end is in a dimentionally different place?

[basher]

I have checked the Service Manual and, as stated by Ray, it clearly states that if you have different mounting points for the rear wish then the following parts will be different
wishbone, stiffening strut, top link outboard pivot fixings.
It also mentions a kit for conversion A100D0093S which does come up once on this site, and on Google, but not SJ.

I'll take another look at it tomorrow and maybe get some photos

[basher]

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=5534&hilit=a100d0093s

just found this.

[basher]

Spent my afternoon removing the new wishbone and checking it against the old.
The good news is that there is no difference- I put one on top of the other and there is no problem there- see the photo.
You will see why I needed to change the wishbone, I was driving on this not so long ago. Shockingly, the previous owner had masked how bad the problem was by filling the various holes with filler...
This left me as the potential issue being with the anti-roll bar. This was completely removed, checked to try and see if it had been bent in any way while it was sent away to be blasted. If there was a problem it seems to be quite small and difficult to detect.

We then put everything carefully back together and again waited until the car had settled before tightening up and this time, the antiroll cleared the wishbone.The clearance is less on the drivers side then the passenger, but its a really small difference and its Ok. I can't really point to what we did differently apart from ensuring that it was very well bolted down and seated at both ends and in some ways I don't care -it works and the car is back together!!

Thanks for the help.

[Specky]

this thread may help as well.

TTFN

[Steve A]

Shockingly, the previous owner had masked how bad the problem was by filling the various holes with filler...

I think I'd have to show him how to fill a hole with the rusty wish bone

[dapinky]

Shockingly, the previous owner had masked how bad the problem was by filling the various holes with filler...

I think I'd have to show him how to fill a hole with the rusty wish bone

When I first got the red car i had a similar issue - but at least the professional repairist had used fibreglass and then painted it all black - nice enough job to get it through an MOT , which is a bit of a worry really

[inkitin]

Shockingly, the previous owner had masked how bad the problem was by filling the various holes with filler...

I think I'd have to show him how to fill a hole with the rusty wish bone

When I first got the red car i had a similar issue - but at least the professional repairist had used fibreglass and then painted it all black - nice enough job to get it through an MOT , which is a bit of a worry really

Absolutely unbelievable that anybody would do that!!

[Rose Royce]

I received the stainless steel wishbones, and now looking at installation. Is this a DIY job in my own garage or do I have to go to a professional? If it can be done "at home", the car needs to be on stands for the install. The only time we jacked up the car was to change the wheels...if I am to tackle the wishbones, I will need to use the stands to support the car...where do I place them for secure support while working on replacing the wishbones?
Any guidance would be appreciated.

[tweetdriver63]

Is there still a source for the stainless wishbones? I'd like to get some since I have some rust to deal with on mine and I now have the financial resources to replace them.

[Rusty Wishbone]

I have mine supported beneath the sill jacking points. This is in the present tense because I am also overhauling the rear suspension. My wishbones are solid because they were replaced a few years ago, but the top link and springs have plenty of surface rust. So I am replacing them and the dampers. Even more important, the mountings for the wishbones have quite a bit of surface rust, so I am wire brushing them back and painting with POR15 before reassembly.