Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
elan-driveshafts-001

Elan Driveshaft Conversion

By Greg Bray

After 40 years of Elan ownership and being happy with the standard doughnut driveshafts, I began to think in the last year or two it would be nice not to have to worry about coupling failure. Not so much about the failure, because if you check for cracks often enough, you’ll be OK, but it was about the pain of having to change them every seven years or so.

So I looked at all the different modern style C.V. joint shafts available, and ordered mine from Elantrikbits. They were about the most expensive, but with my Elan, as my good wife would say, ‘money no object’.

Another possible failure point is the hub shafts, which can break between wheel flange and outer bearing therefore letting go of the wheel. So I bought two Tony Thompson Racing outer shafts which won’t break. The most common failure used to be the early diff output shafts, but most have been replaced now. I fitted my Elan with Sprint ones with mount stiffening bracket many years ago.

Back to my new drive shafts, my Koni shock absorber stroke was now too long for the C.V. joints. So I dismantled them and machined up two spacers 1¼” long and put one each side to limit that stroke, so she’s OK now.

The top Lotocone mounts need to be changed whenever you have reason to remove the rear suspension legs.

Diff mounts are another thing that slowly collapse and lower the diff onto the chassis.

Also with new outer shafts or wheel drive flanges you must lap-in the flange to the shaft to ensure a good mounting fit.

This was just a little job I fitted in over Christmas for myself. It’s early days yet, but I haven’t felt any adverse effect of the rear loss of roll bar effect, but I don’t actually drive the car the same as I did when I was only in my 20’s.

S3 for sale Hans Device Compulsory

Related Posts

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

plus2-banner

Articles, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Technical

Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane

amos-banner

Articles, Homepage, Lotus Cars, Technical

My Elan Story

Random images

IMG_6243 IMG_4891 9-John-Clive-Mal-Chris-Vyvyan-Penny 22-Clive-entering-the-eastern-loop 21-Shane-coming-out-from-under-the-bridge 5-Down-came-the-rain MG_6540 plenty-of-attention MG_8849 P1020851 Singer-Ext IMG_8981 breakfast IMG_4860 IMG_6665 image_099 IMG_4201 IMG_5028 IMG_6625 IMG_7412 Leyburn 2016 dj&jf Phil Hart 2012 Lotus Elise - 2 Mal Kelson 1997 Lotus Elise - 2 Elisa-and-Cris-Johansen-and-his-Honda-powered-Elise-S1-G-Stevens the-lads Group-8.4-Geoff-Noble-Elise-Honda-SC-0 IMG_0479-2 IMG_20210905_232635_977 icc-results Dick img_1583 vintage-bsa A contemplative Dick dtc-21 10. Vintage vehicle 1 Daryl and his Cat concours-12 concours-7 Martin-approaching-the-straight Garage-at-the-Lotus-Hilton IMG_5095 122_2262_IMG main-1 Mar-main-106 Mar-main-83 Mar-main-6 Mar-main-1 Daryl-and-Moira-heading-back-to-Canungra Garry's-Elise MG_4292 2006_08_27_Gympie_Skid_Pan0048 P1060071 F1000022 Period_MG_Transporter Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch 20131005_174031 Group_Shot IMG_3648 31_MG_2697 DSC_1551 14_IMG_9582 PICT7288 PICT7261 20090822_081 John_Barram_main_straight 2009_Maccleans_Bridge_015 2008_06_22_12_05_11_0196 P9190061c2 IMG_8527 IMG_8545 IMG_7970 IMG_7979 IMG_6324 Club_Lotus_Dec_08_007 _MG_9526 as Smart Object-1 vyv-photo-2 DSC_0287 Red-hot-tyres-on-the-Green-Machine Jason-Dick alex-cows-on the-road Rob Stevens This-pic-by-Steve IMG_6150 Michael-and-Sion-ready-for-their-next-run Dryer steve-02 The Green Hornet silver-elise-and-plus2 img_2031 morgan-3-wheelers 20181111_144442 Jason Pat-Ross-and-Jen Hi There bsa-2 McLaren IMAG5948 IMAG5961

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios