Original Elan driveshaft conversion
Discussion
If you mean the CV joint conversions then yep, I fitted a pair of Sue Miller's driveshafts to my Elan. I can't answer the mileage question because the car isn't used daily so they are low mileage units and you wouldn't expect anything to go wrong. There are folks with high mileage conversions, try the www.lotuselan.net forum and you should get a few responses on mileage.
I've been very pleased with mine. I was never concerned about the rubber doughnuts and the elastic band effect that road test journalists made out, but the CV joints are very direct when you accelerate. However you'll also need to modify the rear suspension if you're doing the job on a 2 seater car, apparently they can lock on full droop due to the sharp angles the shorter driveshafts make. I fitted new dampers from Kelvedon which have a shortened travel but there are other alternatives.
It's a good conversion, I had the doughnuts for well over 30yrs but I wouldn't go back to them now.
I've been very pleased with mine. I was never concerned about the rubber doughnuts and the elastic band effect that road test journalists made out, but the CV joints are very direct when you accelerate. However you'll also need to modify the rear suspension if you're doing the job on a 2 seater car, apparently they can lock on full droop due to the sharp angles the shorter driveshafts make. I fitted new dampers from Kelvedon which have a shortened travel but there are other alternatives.
It's a good conversion, I had the doughnuts for well over 30yrs but I wouldn't go back to them now.
I fitted Sue Miller driveshafts on my plus 2 and they are a great upgrade.
As the previous poster says, they are more vulnerable on the Elan due to the more acute angles which result from the narrower track, however I understand that failures of CV joints on these cars were more likely to have been due to a recent poor batch of CV's (AKA Chinese tat) and many continue to use earlier batches without issue. As a result of this Sue Miller no longer supplies them.
The lock up on full droop thing is more to do with the hooks type shafts as supplied by Tony Thompson though again I know of many users of these on both 2 seat and Plus 2 versions who swear by them and have had no problems. The suggestion is that the plunging joint can lock on power resulting in some interesting handling charactertics but I have never heard of this actually happening in practice.
Shorter travel dampers can help, though I fitted these on my Plus 2 (AVO, Kelvedon) and have found the quality to be pooor - the dampers going 'off' under hard use. I'm going back to Koni.
Hope this helps.
Jon
As the previous poster says, they are more vulnerable on the Elan due to the more acute angles which result from the narrower track, however I understand that failures of CV joints on these cars were more likely to have been due to a recent poor batch of CV's (AKA Chinese tat) and many continue to use earlier batches without issue. As a result of this Sue Miller no longer supplies them.
The lock up on full droop thing is more to do with the hooks type shafts as supplied by Tony Thompson though again I know of many users of these on both 2 seat and Plus 2 versions who swear by them and have had no problems. The suggestion is that the plunging joint can lock on power resulting in some interesting handling charactertics but I have never heard of this actually happening in practice.
Shorter travel dampers can help, though I fitted these on my Plus 2 (AVO, Kelvedon) and have found the quality to be pooor - the dampers going 'off' under hard use. I'm going back to Koni.
Hope this helps.
Jon
Kelvedon took over the Sue Miller driveshafts and still supply them
Personally I would go with them and fit shorter stroke damper inserts and I don't think you will have a problem - I gather the poor batch of CV's issue has been sorted. The Trick bits units are very good but expensive - however they also have the added advantage of including the outputs shafts to replace the often vulnerable Lotus ones
A few friends of mine, with engineering skills, have made their own copies of the Miller shafts - it's quite simple. The CV units are Granada/Scorpio and can be had from the most good auto factors (Shaftech brand) for £30 a pop. A Passat shaft is used, shortened and re splined using a mill with a dividing head.
Jon
Personally I would go with them and fit shorter stroke damper inserts and I don't think you will have a problem - I gather the poor batch of CV's issue has been sorted. The Trick bits units are very good but expensive - however they also have the added advantage of including the outputs shafts to replace the often vulnerable Lotus ones
A few friends of mine, with engineering skills, have made their own copies of the Miller shafts - it's quite simple. The CV units are Granada/Scorpio and can be had from the most good auto factors (Shaftech brand) for £30 a pop. A Passat shaft is used, shortened and re splined using a mill with a dividing head.
Jon
I am currently rebuilding a +2, bought as a basket case for widow of last Owner. He spent a lot of money on the car, but had it built by idiots. (Asia so no specialists) I've built the engine myself, body is with a specialist, But the car has what I think are Tony Thompson rear drive shaft, they are not Cv joints but Hardy Spicer joints. I plan to replace the HS joints, but has any one used these?
Guy who had the car before bought loads of Tony T stuff imported, all in good condition because the car was never built properly the parts have seen no wear, but it did stand under a banana tree for 7 years
Guy who had the car before bought loads of Tony T stuff imported, all in good condition because the car was never built properly the parts have seen no wear, but it did stand under a banana tree for 7 years
Gassing Station | General Lotus Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff