Suspension bush options - old style, damper programme ?

[sailorbob 264]

Early wishbone with parallel bore = single bush

Later wishbone with twin taper bore = two conical bushes

[Mightymetro 275]

I’ll wait for them to come back from blasting and then I can double check  Will keep,you updated 

[cweeden 172]

Have you bought the Lotac springs and dampers yet?

-Chris

[Mightymetro 275]

All on the shopping list but having to buy stuff in stages at the moment.  Bushes first 

[cweeden 172]

I'm warming up to a suspension refresh but worried the Lotac ones that people have fitted seem to ride too high. Personally I wouldn't go down that route unless I'd seen one or two in person to verify.

I have my eyes on the Nitron 40mm kit below since it will give you more control over the final ride height and its ~£800 cheaper than the Lotac kit. 

https://www.thelotusforums.com/shop/home/772-nitron-40mm-esprit-suspension.html

Having not seen or tested either of these myself I can't really attest to how they compare but I have read good things about the Nitrons and read (and seen pics) about the high ride height of the Lotac and wouldn't want to risk it. 

If you had already bought them I would have kept quiet.

cheers

-Chris

[Mightymetro 275]

I know exactly where your coming from

a couple of concerns regarding the nitrons were a couple of fitment issues I read about and the fact that there is just so much adjustment.  I had coilovers on my last trackcar and they were amazing on track......but not great on the road.  It does look much better value though than the Lotac kit if you want fiddle with set up.  I’m just getting a bit lazy.

[Mightymetro 275]

So checked the wishbones and I have the later conical type wishbones but on an older chassis.  It is believed to be an ex lotus development car so could be the reason why 

[Chillidoggy 4,344]

On ‎20‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 20:10, cweeden said:

I'm warming up to a suspension refresh but worried the Lotac ones that people have fitted seem to ride too high. Personally I wouldn't go down that route unless I'd seen one or two in person to verify.

I have my eyes on the Nitron 40mm kit below since it will give you more control over the final ride height and its ~£800 cheaper than the Lotac kit. 

https://www.thelotusforums.com/shop/home/772-nitron-40mm-esprit-suspension.html

Having not seen or tested either of these myself I can't really attest to how they compare but I have read good things about the Nitrons and read (and seen pics) about the high ride height of the Lotac and wouldn't want to risk it. 

If you had already bought them I would have kept quiet.

cheers

-Chris

@Trevsked

 

[Trevsked 769]

You’d be wise to go with the Nitron’s, I feel the LOTAC suspension is a poor under developed refresh of the original. Ride and handling on my Sport 350 was excellent with the advantage of ride height adjustment too.

 

Trevor.

[cweeden 172]

@Trevsked did you have any fitting issues that @Mightymetro is concerned about?

@Mightymetro I admit there might be more to fiddle with but once done, it's done (if you don't want to fiddle any more) plus £800 buys you a reasonable amount of professional help to that end.

(and it has nothing to do with the fact I'd like to hear another opinion on the Nitrons from another fellow Esprit owner - no offence @Trevsked  )

cheers

-Chris

 

[Mightymetro 275]

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom on how to get the arb bush circlips our.  I’ve got one but the other seems to be solid in the bottom arm and I can’t seem to persuade it out 

[Barrykearley 6,865]

Fire - and loads of swearing and hammer use

[Mightymetro 275]

Snapped one side of the circlip, hoping the other side will be gentle and get the rest out.

 

my other question is........am I fighting a loosing battle with these top and bottom arms and would I be better getting new?  I can’t see these bushes coming out without distorting the arms ? 

[CHANGES 1,191]

40 minutes ago, Mightymetro said:

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom on how to get the arb bush circlips our.  I’ve got one but the other seems to be solid in the bottom arm and I can’t seem to persuade it out 

If you have got the one c clip out , press the bush out from the side of the remaining  c clip.   The remaining c clip will come out relatively easy after that. 

30 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

Fire - and loads of swearing and hammer use

Or Barry's method.... !!!!   OH and if you use this method, don't forget the fire extinguisher , plasters , and respirator, for the toxic fumes.  !!!

1 minute ago, Mightymetro said:

my other question is........am I fighting a loosing battle with these top and bottom arms and would I be better getting new?  I can’t see these bushes coming out without distorting the arms ? 

They are no worse than most..  just get them pressed out , follow procedure,  NOT brute force...     

[Mightymetro 275]

Damn, circlip snapped both sides, 180 degrees of the circlip was loose but the other half is solid in the arm, I can’t see any other way of getting it out except spark eroding and I’m sure it’s not worth the cost to have this done.  I’ll try and press the bush out and see if this frees it off.  I’ve used that much fire there isn’t much of the bush left 

When pushing the ball joints, so you use a socket over the shaft and push them through the bottom ?

[Trevsked 769]

@changes fitted mine so he will be able to answer as to whether there were issues with the Nitron’s.

 

Trevor.

[Barrykearley 6,865]

2 hours ago, Mightymetro said:

 pushing the ball joints, so you use a socket over the shaft and push them through the bottom ?

I stick a big socket under the bottom side of the ball joint - and press the ball joint apart - then push out the rest.

2 hours ago, CHANGES said:

Or Barry's method.... !!!!   OH and if you use this method, don't forget the fire extinguisher , plasters , and respirator, for the toxic fumes.  !!!

I can confirm they absolutely stink - and burn for ages - don’t do it in the kitchen 

Just burn it out and then it’s hammer and appropriate chisel use. Unless you like spending money at SJ that is - I’m sure they have them

[Mightymetro 275]

Front suspension now all ready to get the bushes and ball joints out and I’ve got one of the rears off.  Can’t get the hub nut off as the brakes aren’t connected and my impact gun just says no.  Will have another go tomorrow.  Have started cutting through the bushes on the ally upright and then I can start fettling the bolt out without hopefully damaging the upright.  Managed to get a day off work tomorrow so will try and get the other side off which would mean all the suspension is off the car and I can start getting it back together 

[Barrykearley 6,865]

absolutely do not put a hammer anywhere near those rear hubs.

swear words to an absolute minimum - kid gloves on. I use the cut either side of the lower link method and drop that out. Then use nuts, sockets and washers to draw out the pieces. Doesn’t take long to be fair - DO NOT USE A HAMMER.....

[Mightymetro 275]

No hammer was used in the making of that picture

 

I was going to use Steve’s method of drilling the bolt out and then cutting the sleeve just to ensure no cracking of the upright when extracting the bolt.  

[Steve V8 1,310]

7 hours ago, Mightymetro said:

am I fighting a loosing battle with these top and bottom arms

No keep at it, they look worse than they are, top arm bushes should press out easily. 

I also had trouble with the ARB circlips at first. Perseverance, penetrating fluid, wire brushes and good quality picks will eventually release them, then threaded bar, nuts and suitably sized sockets to draw out the bushes as you'll find the leading wishbone arm hampers the use of a press.

The lower balljoints needed far more pressure than my small bench press could supply, a local hgv garage popped them out at around 11 tonnes. 

They'll then clean up like new with a blaster, i opted for powder coat but zinc is just as good. The new bushes will be far easier to insert than they were remove.

[Steve V8 1,310]

4 hours ago, Mightymetro said:

I was going to use Steve’s method of drilling the bolt out and then cutting the sleeve

Drastic measures if all else fails...

As Barry said cut either side of the lower link and remove it, the stud is now halved as is its resistance. You can use heat cycles, penetrating fluid, unf nuts to lock and attempt to turn the stud out (keeping within a reasonable torque of course), or washers and spacers to draw it out, you may be lucky...Just leave that hammer in the drawer

[Barrykearley 6,865]

Using the cut half method - I’ve not had one fail to come out yet. Takes some pressure on the spammers on the palms of your hands - puts no stress on the casting though

[Mightymetro 275]

Do,you try and get the stud out of the split collar and leave the collar in the upright, or remove the stud, remove the collar and then replace the collar with a new one?

[Barrykearley 6,865]

Pull the stud out first - then pull the sleeve out.

when you reassemble on the car it’s absolutely critical that collar is free to move and pinch upto the snubber washers. If it’s not - then you risk fracturing that hub