Lotus Elise Service Notes page 56

Lotus Service Notes Section TDL
The door beam extension also incorpo-
rates a check flange which abuts against a
rubber strip on the hinge bracket to limit door
opening angle. A spring steel plate fixed to
the front of the hinge bracket is designed to
engage around the profiled edge of the door
beam abutment flange when the door is fully
open, in order to provide a sprung restraint
for the door in this position.
To remove the door assembly, or for
access to the door pivot components, the two
M10 cap head rotor bush retaining screws
should be removed, and the door assembly
withdrawn from the hinge bracket. The rotor
bushes and/or bearings may then be with-
drawn from the hinge bracket. On re-assem-
bly, note that the bearings and bushes are
assembled dry from above and below the up-
per and lower housings respectively, and the
cap head screws tightened to 45 Nm. Insert
the rubber bungs into the bush ends to inhibit
dirt ingress and corrosion.
Rubber
bung
Rotor bush
Plastic bearing
Door beam/,
hinge rotor
Stator bracket
Cap head screw
Hinge bracket
fixings
I fa244l
BN.8 - DOOR SHELL ASSEMBLY
The door shell is mounted on the door beam via three screws through a flange at the front end of the
beam, and by the door latch mounting bracket at the rear end. In order to provide fixing points for the beam,
lock mechanism and other components, the door shell includes various tapping plates and brackets bonded to
the inside of the shell, and also contains the window front guide channel which is captive within the shell after
the inner and outer door mouldings have been bonded together during manufacture.
If a door is to be removed from the car, the preferred method is to release the M10 cap head screws
clamping the upper and lower bushes to the door beam. The beam and door shell assembly may then be
withdrawn from the hinge stator bracket without losing adjustment of the hinge alignment and door shutlines. If
the door shell has to be removed from the beam for repairs or replacement, the beam may be left 'in situ' and
the door shell slid off the beam using the following procedure:
Removal of door shell from beam
The door shell is secured to the beam via three screws through a flange at the front end of the beam,
tapping into nut plates bonded into the door shell, and via two bolts at the rear end of the door to the door beam
extension bracket. Access to the two rear bolts requires that the door glass first be released:
1. Remove the trim panel around the interior release handle: Remove the two screws in the front edge of the
finisher, and unhook the finisher from the handle and door shell.
2. Release the three screws securing the interior release handle, and unclip the control rod from the mecha-
nism.
3. Remove the door trim panel: Unclip the cap from the window winder handle, release the retaining screw
and withdraw the handle. Release the seven fixing screws, and remove the door trim panel.
4. Remove the two M6 and the single M8 screws securing the door beam flange to the front of the door shell.
5. Release the three M6 nuts securing the door glass to the lift channel, and separate the glass from the
channel. Tilt the glass as necessary to allow access to the two M8 bolts fixing the rear end of the door
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