Driveshaft Assembly Replacement - Lotus Evora Service Notes

Lotus Service Notes
Clicking noises, torque reversal 'clonks', or shudder and vibration when accelerating are all possible
symptoms of worn C.V. joints. It should not be possible to discern any free play in a joint by manual manipula-
tion, but care must be taken not to confuse this with transmission backlash, which may be considerable. any
symptoms that could be due to worn driveshaft joint assemblies, should be investigated and rectified without
delay, since safety considerations are always of paramount importance.
The inboard C.V. joint is equipped with a male splined spigot shaft which engages with the female splines
of the differential output sun gear, with the LH shaft retained by a round section spring circlip on its end, and the
RH shaft retained by the extension shaft support bearing. Each of the two transmission output oil seals runs
on a machined shoulder on the C.V. joint spigot shaft, onto which is pressed a dust shield. The stub shaft of
each outboard joint is splined into the wheel hub, and retained by a nut on the threaded end of the shaft.

Driveshaft Assembly Replacement

Removing a driveshaft assembly from the transmission will result in some loss of transmission lubricant. It
may be preferred to drain off some oil via the transmission drain plug beforehand. at no time during this process
should an extension force be applied to the shaft assembly, as the plunging inner joint could be damaged.
1. Hub Nut: With the parking brake and footbrake firmly applied, remove the wheel centre cap and release
the driveshaft hub nut (RH thread at both sides).
2. Road Wheel: Remove the appropriate road wheel and the engine bay undertray.
3. Hub Carrier: To allow the withdrawal of the driveshaft from the hub, release from the hub carrier the lower
wishbone, toe-link, and anti-roll bar drop link. If necessary, release the brake hose 'P' clip and the wheel
speed sensor harness to allow the hub carrier to be swung upwards to release the driveshaft.
4. Lubricant: Remove transmission drain plug and drain off approx. 1 litre of oil into a clean container for
re-use.
5. LH Driveshaft: The left hand driveshaft inboard joint is retained in the transmission by a round section
circlip. The joint may be removed by applying a shock pull to the C.V. joint body using a slide hammer
with a forked end.
CAUTION: any attempt to withdraw the inboard joint by pulling on the driveshaft is likely to damage the
joint and require its replacement. apply pressure only to the outer body of the joint.
RH Driveshaft: The right hand driveshaft assembly incorporates a bearing for the extension shaft and it
is this which retains the shaft in the transmission. Remove the two bolts securing the bearing housing to
the engine, and withdraw the complete shaft assembly.
When withdrawing either driveshaft from the transmission, take care not to damage the output oil seal.
6. Re-assembly: Before re-fitting a driveshaft, first renew the round section circlip on the end of the left hand
inboard joint spigot shaft, and lubricate the circlip with grease. also, check the condition of the transmis-
sion output seal, and renew if necessary. Lubricate the lip of the seal with transmission oil, and grease
the corresponding shoulder on the driveshaft (C.V. joint) to reduce the danger of damaging the seal on
assembly.
7. Driveshaft: Carefully insert the driveshaft into the transmission, with, on the left hand shaft, the two ends
of the circlip positioned lowermost, and rotate the shaft if necessary to engage the splines. Press the
inboard joint outer until a click indicates the engagement of the retaining circlip, if necessary tapping the
joint outer body using a brass drift and hammer. Pull on the joint body to confirm its security. On the right
hand shaft, fit the bolts securing the extension shaft bearing to the engine mounted bracket, and torque
to 64 Nm.
8. Suspension: Fit the outer end of the shaft into the hub, and re-assemble the suspension links.
Torque settings: Lower wishbone to hub carrier; 135 Nm. Toe-link to hub carrier; 135 Nm. aRB drop link;
38 Nm.
9. Hub Nut: Fit the hub nut and road wheel, apply the parking and footbrake, and tighten the hub nut to 300
Nm.
Section FL
Page 7