Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I now have a set of 2 spacers for my +2, and will get around to fitting then this winter.

Do they just sit on top of the rear suspension strut (with the lip down), or are they fixed in place somehow to stop them bouncing up and down and rubbing on the shock absorber rod?

Dave Chapman.

For me, i have fitted the lip down on top of the strut nut as you say. When taken off a car i have found them with the lip tapped in a bit to crimp it around the nut. This acts to centre it and prevent moving up and down. I think they are relient upon sitting on the old type nut with th C spanner type flange. Won't work on those hex type alloy top nuts.
I have use Rohan advice about the two nylon stock turned type ones, so no worries about movement.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

I have large hex nuts that screw into the strut tubes, and they form a flat surface which looks good for receiving the ali spacers. I will probably bend the lips slightly to lock the spacers in place, but be able to pull them off in future with a tug.

Dave.

I don't have a Plus2 so I only ask out of curiosity, but from the original posting I understood that the exhaust wa grounding and somehow these spacers raised the back of the car. Now it seem that fit on the damper strut and reduce the suspension travel.

Is that the purpose?

Ian

Yes Ian, that's as I understand it. The rubber spring at the top of the strut damper rod is supposed to contact the top of the spacer under peak suspension load. With the spacer it just does it earlier so reduces suspension travel.

The Brooklands book on the Elan and +2 describes these spacers as an optional fitment for owners going over rough ground. I find that if there is a dip or hump in the road of the right size and length then my car will ground its exhaust with two up if the bump is taken at speed, say 60mph. The exhaust is about 5 inches off the ground.

My rear springs are standard and the ride height looks OK.

Dave.

Do you have a picture or reference to what this spacer looks like? Would it be like what I have
pictured here?

My spacers look like this - the top and bottom view of one spacer. When I fit them I will have to do something to the lip to stop them bouncing about on top of the struts.

Dave Chapman.

david.g.chapman wrote:My spacers look like this - the top and bottom view of one spacer. When I fit them I will have to do something to the lip to stop them bouncing about on top of the struts.

Dave Chapman.

Mine are the same from my 73 Plus2 and the lips were peened over to clamp the top of the original flat style strut tube nut

cheers
Rohan

Same as fitted to my 70 +2S (fed). They are fixed in place with three, equally spaced, center punch dimples. The nice thing about using the dimple method (original) is that they can be drilled out using a small bit and dimpled in three other places many times if needed in the future.

Thanks to all - I think I will go for the dimple approach.

Funnily enough, there are some plus 2 suspension parts on ebay at the moment that shows a spacer still attached to the top strut nut

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ELAN-P ... SwsTJcpLCk

Dave.