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Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Two Things


transglobal

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Hi all,

 

Any help with these two issues would be much appreciated.

 

1) Over the past few months the steering wheel in my s1 has gradually moved "off centre" in the straight ahead position. Going straight on the wheel is ever so slightly turned to the left. Only a tiny bit mind but enough for me to notice. The car is running well and not pulling or wandering left or right when I let the wheel go. I've not kirbbed it or bumped it. Is it common for the alignment to go on S1's or have I got something different?

 

2) Some months ago I had a spring come off the accelerator pedal which in some way attaches to the bulkhead but I am at a loss to see where it fits. One of you very kindly took some photos of yours but even with that I'm lost as to where the fit takes place. What does it do as I can see no difference as to how the car runs without it.

 

Thanks and regards

Stuart.

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My steering wheel is one "notch" off centre, but that is juts me being a tit when I fitted it. I don't see how it can move, as it's on a splined hub. Sounds like it's more to do with steering components, rather than the steering wheel/hub. (Steering rack etc)..

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Hi all,

 

Any help with these two issues would be much appreciated.

 

1) Over the past few months the steering wheel in my s1 has gradually moved "off centre" in the straight ahead position. Going straight on the wheel is ever so slightly turned to the left. Only a tiny bit mind but enough for me to notice. The car is running well and not pulling or wandering left or right when I let the wheel go. I've not kirbbed it or bumped it. Is it common for the alignment to go on S1's or have I got something different?

 

2) Some months ago I had a spring come off the accelerator pedal which in some way attaches to the bulkhead but I am at a loss to see where it fits. One of you very kindly took some photos of yours but even with that I'm lost as to where the fit takes place. What does it do as I can see no difference as to how the car runs without it.

 

Thanks and regards

Stuart.

i have the same problem with my steering wheel...last month i took it to horizon for a geo and they picked up on it and told me it was steering rack... thay quoted me about 200 squid fitted..which seems cheap to me as ive seen on eliseparts.com and hangar111 that they are around the 3 to 400squid mark(+vat) without fitting..so maybe i miss heard..probabably did as i a bit mutt and jeff lol

 

but if mike can do it for 200 i be booking it in pronto..

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Cheers lads,

 

What causes a rack to go? Is it just wear and tear?

 

Think I'll try getting the alignment done first then take it from there.

 

Any other points please fire away.

 

Stuart.

Check yout ARB bushes aren't duffered too, kills the S1.

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Just got back from Horizon minus a whole list of Elise related niggles, but the off-centre steering wheel is still there :D

 

They just fitted new rack gators and did a quick geo, but the wheel's still a few degrees (maybe 4-5, tops - only just noticable) off to one side.

 

I was about to get me spanners out and have a play but the service manual says it's on a 36-spined boss, which suggests to me that any adjustment at the wheel end would be in 10 degree increments, which would certainly send it too far the other way.

 

It it true that fine adjustment *has* to be done via the track rod ends? If so, odd that it's still not right after they were taken off and refitted today. Or is this 36-spined boss thing just confusing me? (doesn't take much)

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When i had my Lotus Motorsport QR steering wheel fitted last year by the main dealer near Exeter (Peninsula)...the wheel was about 15 degrees out to the left...which was really annoying to say the least! They told me that there was nothing that could be done...but i spoke to Lotus in Bristol where i bought the wheel from...to Bell & Colvill who i bought the removable boss kit from...and even Lotus Motorsport themselves...and they all said that it was a simple job of adjusting the front track rod ends. My dealer tried to tell me that it was not possible...but 'hey presto'...after about half an hour they got it perfect!

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Most helpful guys, thanks. It seems its a far from unique issue. I popped into a steering / tyre centre today and they reckoned that they could get it straight with alignment. Thing is, the cars running straight so surely any adjustment there is going to upset that.

 

I spoke to the Lotus dealer here in Glasgow and they reckoned that the spline on the steering boss is so close that a movement of a spline to the right should do the trick.

 

Mr_Belowski, sir. Not sure I follow your reasoning re the 10 degree increments. Sure, 36 splines on a 360 degree circle is a multiple of 10 but the space between the splines will be dictated by the size of the boss. A larger idameter boss = larger spaces between the splines. A smaller boss = smaller gap. You are dividing the number of degrees on a complete circle by the splines but any size circle will have 360 degrees. Its the size of the boss that will dictate the gap of the spline. The actual size of the spline themselves will have a bearing on it too. Don't think theres any way of telling until you get the wheel off and have a look re that one. Certainly the dealer thought the spline was fine enough to make small adjustments.

 

Regards

Stuart.

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But the splines are evenly spaced around the boss. So each one is 10 degrees 'away' from its neighbour, regardless of how tall and wide the splines may be and no matter what the diameter of the boss is. The interlocking steering wheel hub has to mesh with the splines on the boss. So move the hub round to mesh with the next 'set' of spines and the hub *has* to move 10 degrees, which means the wheel has to move 10 degrees.

 

Doesn't it?

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Weird... Seems like my wheel is getting more off centre as I drive. Not a lot, but noticable. But the car still tracks perfectly straight :)

 

 

Might see if i can get the wheel off without a puller tonight. Does it take silly amounts of force n wiggling?

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