Lotus Elise S1 Service Notes page 85

Lotus Service Notes
Section CG
2. Remove the two bolts securing the brake caliper to the hub carrier, release the flexible hose from the top
wishbone, and support the caliper aside without straining the brake hose. Remove the brake disc.
3. Remove the nut securing the track rod end into the steering arm, and use a ball joint splitter to separate
the rod end from the arm.
4. Remove the nut securing the top swivel joint to the steering arm, and use a ball joint splitter to separate
the joint from the arm. Remove the two M10 fixing bolts and remove the steering arm from the hub
carrier, taking care not to misplace the camber adjustment shim plates.
5. Remove the four M10 setscrews securing the lower swivel joint plinth to the hub carrier, and withdraw the
hub carrier and hub assembly.
6. If necessary, remove the nut securing the lower swivel joint to the plinth, and use a ball joint splitter to
separate the forged steel plinth from the joint.
7. Remove the bolts securing the spring/damper unit to the lower wishbone and chassis anchor bracket, and
withdraw the unit, noting the spacer washers fitted at the top end.
8. Disconnect the anti-roll bar drop link from the lower wishbone, and remove the lower wishbone front pivot
bolt. Withdraw the anti-roll bar with its mounting blocks.
9. Remove the lower wishbone rear pivot bolt from within the footwell, and withdraw the wishbone.
10. Before removing the two pivot bolts for the top wishbone, take careful note of the distribution of castor
adjustment washers. Move the steering rack to full lock to provide clearance for the withdrawal of the
wishbone rear pivot bolt. Withdraw the wishbone.
11. The wishbone pivot bushes comprise a rubber bush bonded to a steel inner sleeve and a flanged plastic
outer sleeve. The bushes may be pressed out of the wishbone eyes, and new bushes fitted using suitable
press tool dollies. Smear the outer surface of the new bush with IPC 'P-80' rubber lubricant emulsion
(A082C6042V) to ease fitment, and assemble as follows:
Top wishbone - insert from the outside of both pivot eyes (from front of front eye, and rear of rear eye).
Lower wishbone - insert from the inside of both pivot eyes (from rear of front eye, and front of rear eye).
Note that the top wishbone rear bush was originally common with all other front wishbone pivot bushes,
but was changed during '98 to a non-interleaved bush identified by a blue paint mark.
12. Top and bottom sWivel joints are identical, and may be replaced if necessary using a suitable press.
13. The road spring may be removed from the damper using a suitable spring compressor to allow the spring
collar retaining circlip to be released from its damper body groove. Note that the springs were changed
in June '98 from parallel (black) to barrel shaped (graphite) for improved spring stability. For parallel
springs, the lowermost spring abutment circlip groove is used (highest ride height), whereas the barrel
shaped springs use the top groove. See also sub-section DE.7.
14. Re-assemble the suspension in reverse order to disassembly with the following notes:
- Take care to assemble each pivot bolt with the correct washers/snubbers/spacers as shown in the
diagrams.
- On the early type anti-roll bar mountings, ensure that each mounting block is fitted with a flanged steel
sleeve from the rear end, before inserting the lower wishbone pivot bolt.
- Smear the shank of each pivot bolt with PBC grease.
- Apply Permabond A131 (A912E7034) to the threads of any bolts tapping into an alloy extrusion.
- Note that the lower swivel joint plinth is handed, but can only be fitted to the hub carrier in its correct
hand and orientation. Tighten the ball pin into the plinth before fitting the plinth to the hub carrier.
- Coat the joint faces of the hub carrier with the lower swivel joint plinth and with the steering arm, with
Duralac MSDS anti-corrosive jointing compound (A111C6017), and assemble whilst the compound is still
tacky.
1998 / 02
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