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Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Suspension Refresh!!


DeanB

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So I am thinking of maybe having a go at refreshing the suspension on the old girl.  The wishbones are a bit scabby now and she bangs and clangs horribly - it really takes the pleasure out of driving the thing.

 

I am enjoying reading Martin and Phil's threads but my questions are these - those guys that have done this before, how long has it lasted before the rust creeps back in, what do you think is the best thing to use on the wishbones (zinc passivate? zinc passivate and paint on top?  POR 15 or some other paint?  powder coat?  something else?) and is there anything else you would do differently with the benefit of hindsight and experience?

Thanks in advance for the help guys  😊

 

Dean 

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From my own experience I think all I would now do differently would be using a clear coat POR15 over the passivate instead of black to keep a more OE look. The POR15 stood up really well on mine, no rust reappeared on any of the wishbones so I would readily use it again.

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I just painted mine with Por 15 ( no zinc coating as there was only rust in certain areas and I took this back to bare metal ) Still good after 2 1/2 years and my car has been outside since August 2016.

I also fitted  spherical rose joints from Elise parts which contrary to what you read have not made the ride any firmer or crashier ( if that's a word ? ) :)

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Dean, if you need to borrow a wishbone bush tool and a ball joint tool let me know. I have both somewhere in the garage sitting doing nothing.

I also have spherical bearing bushes, as Russ says no ill effects.

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Just to weigh in, I was concerned about spherical bearings too - rumours of harshness, etc - however I've no regrets either.

FWIW, have a chat with Dan@HPE - I was going to do it myself, but by the time I bought/borrowed tools, for what he charged I (personally) didn't think it was worth me DIY'ing it.

Also, bear in mind budget creep, regardless of whether you DIY or not; there's alot more "while you're there" or "no point putting the old ones back", which for me included, but wasn't limited to:
- Wheel bearings
- Braided brake hoses
- Toe links (I went with Spitfire)

I also wish I'd have painted my calipers (or should I say, asked Dan to) because it makes the lovely, colourful and clean wheel arches look untidy ;)

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About to do mine too and opting for POR15, there's quite a good Leno's garage video with the POR15 guys linked on Frost Restorations site. Sounds like you need to do a decent blast back to metal then use the right prep products for a durable finish. Hadn't realised it wasn't UV hard but I guess under the wheel arches that's no biggie.

 

 

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