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Lotus Elise / Lotus Exige. Manual - part 25

Page 8

Lotus Service Notes

Section DH

Top ball joint plinth ﬁxing bolts:

The bolts securing the top ball joint plinth to the hub carrier were upgraded in March '04 at VIN serial number

1537 (approx.) in order to commonise with motorsport applications. Earlier type 8.8 grade bolts should

be tightened to 45 Nm; Later 10.9 grade bolts to 68 Nm. The bolt grade is stamped around the head of

the bolt. The thread of both bolt types should ﬁrst be treated with Permabond A130 (A912E7033V).

Lubricate the ends of the damper top eye bush with rubber grease.

Tab washers are used for the bolt head of the lower wishbone forward pivot, and on both top wishbone

pivots. In each case, ensure that one end of the tab washer is folded around the chassis edge, and after

torque tightening the ﬁxing, form the other end of the washer against the ﬂats of the bolt head or nut. In

July '05, the thickness of the tab washer was increased from 1.2mm to 1.5mm.

If the lower wishbone front pivot brackets have been removed from the chassis, ensure that a spacer

is ﬁtted on each of the four bolts securing each bracket, in order to allow the required bolt stretch to be

achieved.

Note that on previous Elise models, there have been several variants of the toe-link inboard ball joint. The

correct joint for 2005 model year onwards has a ball pin thread pitch of 1.25mm (vs. 1.5mm). The ﬂats

on the ball pin should be aligned with the channel in the subframe hardened insert. Note that the inboard

joint has a LH thread into the toe-link tube, and the outboard joint a RH thread into the toe-link tube with

a taper shank ball pin to ﬁt into the hub carrier.

Left hand bracket viewed from rear

Chassis

Wishbone pivot

bracket Spacer tubes

d44

This bolt inverted for

parking brake cable

clearance

Hardened insert

Toe-link ball joint

Align ball joint ﬂats

Rear subframe with insert channel

crossmember

d43

Page 9

Lotus Service Notes

Section DH

Do not operate the car without the exhaust silencer heatshielding correctly ﬁtted, and incorporating heat-

shields for the toe-link inboard ball joints.

Press the brake pedal to reposition the pads before driving the car.

If the car suffers a suspension impact sufﬁcient to damage a wheel rim, careful attention should be paid

to all related suspension components. Such forces can cause stretching of the lower ball pin and conse-

quent ﬁxing nut torque loss. As a safety precaution, it is recommended that in all such cases, the lower

ball joint and the two bolts securing the upper ball joint plinth to the hub carrier are renewed, together with

both toe-link ball joints.

The Service Schedule speciﬁes that the security of the front and rear suspension is checked at each service.

For cars used on race tracks, or in similar conditions, suspension components and torque checks should be

carried out between sessions. This operation requires that all the principal suspension pivot bolts are torque

checked, noting the following points:

Where a bolt is tapped into a housing or weldnut, and relies on a thread locking compound for security, be

aware that if the bolt is disturbed, the locking compound must be re-applied. The following procedure should

be adopted for all such ﬁxings:

Check the torque of the ﬁxing.

If the speciﬁed torque is attained without the ﬁxing being disturbed (moving), take no further action.

If the bolt moves, the locking action of the thread adhesive will have been compromised. Remove the

bolt completely, clean off all old adhesive using a wire brush and acetone, and apply new adhesive as

speciﬁed.

Reﬁt the bolt and tighten to the speciﬁed torque.

If for any reason a bolt is found to have become loose, and the car has been operated for any period in

this condition, the bolt should be renewed as a standard precaution and related components carefully

inspected for hole ovality or wear.

At every service interval, the toe-link should be checked for free articulation by using a spanner on the ﬂats

of the link and twisting in both directions. The torque required to articulate the joints should be little more

than may be applied by hand. If any joint is found to be seized or tight (or if any free play is evident), the

joint should be renewed. At each service, the toe-link inboard pivot should be torque checked to allow for

any settling of the ball joint orientation ﬂats into the galvanised subframe groove.

Torque Settings: Nm

Upper and lower wishbone pivot bolts 45

Upper and lower swivel joint ball pins 55

Upper swivel joint plinth to hub carrier - 8.8 grade 45

- 10.9 grade 68

Toe-link outer ball joint to hub carrier 55

Toe-link inner ball joint/wishbone to subframe 60

Toe-link ball joint lock nuts 45

Damper to lower wishbone 45

Damper to chassis 45

Brake caliper to hub carrier - upper M10 45 - 50

- lower M8 26 - 30

Hub bearing unit to hub carrier 90

Rear hub nut 220

DH.4 - REAR WHEEL BEARINGS

The sealed rear wheel bearings are contained in a steel housing secured to the hub carrier with three

'Torx' bolts. The double row, angular contact, ball bearing is retained in the outer housing and also onto the hub

spigot by a shoulder and a peening operation, and is inseperable for service. Note that all four hub assemblies

are common, and incorporate a wheel speed sensor in the bearing unit, with a ﬂying lead terminating in an

electrical connector plug secured by a camber shim plate bracket.

If there is found to be any discernible free play in the hub bearing, or any roughness or tight spots can be

felt, or any signs of lubricant expulsion are evident, the hub assembly should be replaced - there is no provi-

sion for adjustment.

Page 10

Lotus Service Notes

Section DH

Top ball joint plinth

Hub carrier

Hub to carrier ﬁxing bolt

Hub

Split pin

Driveshaft

Castellated nut

Double row ball bearing

d39

To Replace Hub Bearing Assembly

1. With the wheel removed, apply the parking brake, remove the split pin from the nut retaining the driveshaft

in the hub, and release the nut.

2. Release the two ﬁxing bolts, and remove the brake caliper from the hub carrier. Support clear of the brake

disc without straining the ﬂexible hose. Release the single countersunk screw and withdraw the brake

disc from the hub.

3. Disconnect the wheel speed sensor harness from the hub unit.

4. Using a Torx socket, release the three bolts securing the hub bearing unit to the hub carrier, and withdraw

the unit from the hub carrier and driveshaft. If necessary, use a suitable puller tool to press the shaft from

the hub, but on no account allow an extension force to be applied to the driveshaft.

5. Fit the new hub bearing unit in reverse order to disassembly, with the following notes:

- Torque tighten the three Torx bolts securing the hub bearing assembly to the hub carrier to 90 Nm.

- Torque tighten the driveshaft nut to 220 Nm and retain using a new split pin.

- Pump the brake pedal to reposition the pads before driving the car.

Page 11

Lotus Service Notes

Section DH

DH.5 - TRACK USE CHASSIS REAR BRACE KIT - LOTAC05377

The purpose of the kit is to provide a 'double shear' mounting for the inboard ends of the rear toe-links and

spread the load distribution into the chassis over a wider base. New spherical joints are used on the inboard

ends of the toe-links, with a tubular steel crossbrace interconnecting the two pivot bolts and anchoring to the

rear engine steady mounting on the subframe. For cars used on closed circuits, this arrangement provides an

increased tolerance to abuse. It may be retroﬁtted on any Elise 111R/'04 Exige/USA Elise (i.e. Toyota power-

train cars).

The rear toe-links comprise the existing outboard taper shank ball joint and toe-link tube, but the inboard

joint is replaced by a new spherical joint with no integral stud. A bespoke spacer locates in the orientation

groove in the (unchanged) subframe and provides a ﬂat surface against which to clamp the pivot ball of the new

joint. A ﬂange head bolt passes through the ball joint and inboard pivot bush of the lower wishbone in a similar

manner to previously, but also locates a brace against the rear 'overhung' end of the ball joint. The tubular

crossbrace on factory built cars prior to December '05, links the two inboard joints via machined adaptor lugs

and turnbuckle adjusters, and is braced directly to the subframe by a welded bracket secured by the engine

rear steady mounting ﬁxings. On later factory built cars using a brace kit, the crossbrace is a simple tubular

link (B120D0040H) without adjusters or subframe bracket. On these cars, a ﬂat washer A120W4199F is used

beneath the head of the crossbrace bolts.

Kit Contents Part Number Qty

Tubular Crossbrace, adjustable A120D0040H 1

Turnbuckle, crossbrace adjustment A120D0039F 2

Locknut, turnbuckle, M12, RH thread A111W3150F 2

Locknut, turnbuckle, M12, LH thread A111W3149F 2

Flange Nut, brace to subframe, M10 A111W3151F 2

Adaptor Lug A120D0037F 2

Spherical Joint, toe-link inboard A120D0036F 2

Spacer, spherical joint to subframe A120D0035F 2

Pivot Bolt, toe link inboad, M10x120x1.25p A120W2212F 2

Locknut, pivot bolt, M10x1.25p A117W3189F 2

Fitting Instruction LSL489 1

Procedure (adjustable type crossbrace)

1. Remove the rear undertray and diffuser.

2. At both sides, remove the toe-link inboard/lower wishbone rear pivot ﬁxing nut, release the adjacent heat-

shield ﬁxings and withdraw the ball joint.

3. Cut a vertical slot in the ball joint heatshield at each side, to accommodate the crossbrace adaptor lug,

removing only as much material as necessary.

4. Remove the two rearmost setscrews securing the engine mounting steady bracket to the subframe. If

these screws use weldnuts on the subframe, the nuts must be chiselled or ground off.

5. Fit the locknuts onto the turnbuckles, and screw the LH thread of a turnbuckle into each end of the crossbrace

tube. Fit an adaptor lug onto the RH thread of each turnbuckle. Loosely assemble the crossbrace to the

underside of the subframe plinth using the original setscrews and new ﬂange nuts.

6. On each toe-link, measure the distance from the locknut to the centreline of the inboard pivot ball. Remove

the old joint from the link, and replace with a new spherical joint set to the same approximate position.

7. Fit a new spacer into the orientation slot in the subframe before positioning the toe-link ball joint and sliding

the new pivot bolt through the crossbrace adaptor lug (adjusting the turnbuckle as necessary), ball joint,

spacer, subframe and wishone and retain with a new M10x1.25p locknut. Repeat for the opposite side.

Tighten the pivot bolts

only at mid-laden ride height of 130mm to 50 Nm. Re-secure heatshield.

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