Suspension

[alunr]

Time to sort the suspension out methinks...

I want to get adjustable suspension but mainly have it setup for day to day fast road use.

Suggestions, Ideas etc

BTW does anyone know if Brooke Kensington are worth visiting as just a lowly std S1 owner or are they more race orientated?

[bertie]

I've always been very impressed with Leda suspension when I used to race.

Not tried them on an Elise but they're not that expensive campared to some. By contrast the Spax kit we tried to use lasted literaly about 2 races and although cheaper was very much a false economy.

Brooke-Kensington were the most helpfull people I've spoken to, and the cheapest for an Elise B service by miles.

[nipper]

I'm in the same boat at the moment, shopping round for new dampers, except my predicament was forced by a rear damper seal going.

I spoke to Simon at Brooke-Kensington who was very helpful, he'll be more than happy to put your "lowly std S1" in order.

[DanH]

Depends on budget, Nitrons are probably best but cost about 1grand.

If you don't want adjustables, then next best bet is probably S2 dampers (bilstein not adjustable) which require a converter mounting thingy (which can be bought laser cut from one of the Elise tuning independants). Cost about 500 quid all in and is better than S1 LSS apparently.

Don't just pick suspension because the brand was ok on another car. Its not just about damper quality, but setup too.

Think you can order the nitrons from www.racespeed.com, and fitting you could get done at sinclaires in Essex (cheaper than a dealer I'd think). Also don't forget to cost in a full geo (100 quid+).

[fergusd]

I've run one of the first few sets of Nitrons for 20K miles now, they are a superb damper for fast road/track. Every time I have a passenger who is has never been in my car they comment on the ride quality and sheer planted nature of the car on any road surface. I fitted them fresh from the factory a year ago and have thrashed/tracked/jumped the car through rain and shine in the last year, no problems/issues/noises whatsoever (as you would expect at the cost) . . .

I find the Leda offerings a little harsher (even in road setup), in times gone by they were a little unreliable (leaks, rose joints failing), this may now be less of an issue though.

I would agree that the S2 bilsteins are a great replacement for the S1 dampers for road use.

The dampers are a critical car of how the Elise feels, I'd spend the cash on them over any other upgrade.

www.lotusecosse.com can supply Nitron, not on the website yet but email or 'phone for a quote or just to talk about my experiences with them.

hth

Fd

[mikeyh]

I have recently replaced the lotusport dampers on my S1 Elise with a set of Nitrons. Having had the car set up I can report that the Nitrons are a marked improvement over the lotusport setup. Much better on the road and easily firmed up to give fantastic handling on the track. Highly recommended...!