23 replies to this topic

[anz3001]

Anything (other than £30) to separate them? Any other options out there (Not O.E.). I'm aware of spitfire but theyre more expensive again?

[hairy]

http://www.elisepart...l-toe-link-kit/

[anz3001]

http://www.elisepart...l-toe-link-kit/

 

Bit odd - http://www.vx220part...l-toe-link-kit/

[D3YMO]

Hairy has linked to the elise toe link kit, not the correct VX one (which is what you have linked to)

[D3YMO]

I have bought from elise-shop...there cheaper

[anz3001]

Hairy has linked to the elise toe link kit, not the correct VX one (which is what you have linked to)

 

Yeah id seen that but didnt realise there is a difference particularly as the vx220 one says it fits the elises.

 

Non the less youre right the eliseshop one is cheaper, just wasnt sure if it was inferior in any way

[D3YMO]

 

Hairy has linked to the elise toe link kit, not the correct VX one (which is what you have linked to)

 

Yeah id seen that but didnt realise there is a difference particularly as the vx220 one says it fits the elises.

 

Non the less youre right the eliseshop one is cheaper, just wasnt sure if it was inferior in any way

 

 

I made a discussion a while ago asking the same questions...majority said OEM or EliseShop...and as the OEM seems to a lot more expensive and doesnt come with the brackets etc, I went for EliseShop

 

I was tempted by the motorsport ones but there another £100+

 

If your car is used for the road I think some said change every 2-3 years...and if used on track maybe 1-2 years

 

My car suffered from a failed rear toe link so Im going to be even more cautious

[ArticMonkey]

Eliseparts set come painted so should hold up to corrosion. 

[Spitfire Engineering]

Anything (other than £30) to separate them? Any other options out there (Not O.E.). I'm aware of spitfire but theyre more expensive again?

 

Just to clarify a small misconception, when comparing the higher quality offerings we (Spitfire) are in fact the cheapest. And in terms of weight, very high grade materials, finish etc without compare, out latest kit uses 7068, only recently made available from the U.S military program, about 30% stronger than 7075. we also have several brace options for the VX and a solid spigot option for track cars.

 

Both the kits you mentioned use NMB for the motorsport options and as result it pushes the prices right up making them both more expensive. There was a long thread on SELOC last year where short bearing life from another supplier was complained about, at that time we made the claim that we had never had one of our 14mm custom designed bearings returned in over four years, that still holds, and we are now over 5 years without a single issue.

The 1/2" custom built units we used prior to the introduction of the 14mm units we belleive still have the best record with about 12 units returned to date, most over 5 years out of about 1200 in use. 

 

If you want to compare cheaper kits only, as everyone has a budget of some sort,  then you also need to consider bearing life as mentioned above, if you add new bearings to the initial cost plus a geo  you may find the cheaper options actually become the most expensive in time and you still have the cheaper bits on your car at the end of the day …...

 

Nobody is going to give good stuff away for cheap, usually you will only get what you pay for.

 

Thank you 

Edited by Spitfire Engineering, 18 March 2014 - 03:18 PM.

[The Batman]

Has spitfire sorted it's kit out now as thr early ones didn't last long

[slindborg]

Has spitfire sorted it's kit out now as thr early ones didn't last long

They seem to be claiming 1% was bad....

[Spitfire Engineering]

Has spitfire sorted it's kit out now as thr early ones didn't last long

 

 

Nothing wrong at all with the kits, the only issue we had was with a bearing batch from Tuthill, well documented but I will repeat it anyway as it is clear you missed the other threads, but most of all  I would like to thank you for the opportunity to mention our customer service.

 

ALL the kits involved, about 20 or so from the first group buy (not sure on exact numbers) were contacted and send new replacement bearings without being asked. (there were a few Paul sent out directly)

I'm pretty sure no other supplier would offer that service as a matter of course, especially as the fault only effected a handful of units and most returned were fine.

We recently had a request for new bearings from one of these kits and the original Tuthill bearings were still on it, he had bought the car in the meantime and the original owner had never changed them over.

 

Since then we have had bearings either made to spec (1/2") or with the latest M14 actually designed by ourselves and made to spec and as a result have a 100% record which is actually quite remarkable.

 

It is interesting though, with over 100 VX kits sold, the first kit developed specifically for the VX via a member of this forum, more options for the VX than anyone else, easily the best longevity, highest material quality as well as build quality, so much so that most kits will last the life of the car (which is what happens when you use hard anodised mandrel drawn tubing with everything else 316 stainless) why would you only mention the bearing issue with the first 20 kits? Odd. 

 

Thanks you once again  

Edited by Spitfire Engineering, 18 March 2014 - 04:26 PM.

[techieboy]

[color=rgb(35,35,35);font-size:12px;]I would like to thank you for the opportunity to mention our customer service.[/color]

 

Can't fault the service I had.

 

I do need to get hold of another joint though as one of mine has some play in it (or at least it did the last time I went anywhere near the car 14 months ago). I'll be one of the very early kits so would be good to know what I need to order size wise (guess it would help if I knew whether it was an inner or outer joint that has the play though ).

 

Did I also read that you'd got a different brace bar solution now? I had to remove mine some years back as the 3.0" exhaust on my SC'd car was knocking against it. Is the new brace bar (if there is one) compatible with the original kit?

[Pidgeon]

Spitfire,

 

I fitted a kit from ES and have had significant issues.  The most dangerous was the hub end bolt coming loose.  I can only attribute this to rust within the recess that allowed initial loosening.  How do you prevent this?  My car does not have the tapered connection, which I believe may have prevented the problem in the first place.

[Spitfire Engineering]

 

[color=rgb(35,35,35);font-size:12px;]I would like to thank you for the opportunity to mention our customer service.[/color]

 

Can't fault the service I had.

 

I do need to get hold of another joint though as one of mine has some play in it (or at least it did the last time I went anywhere near the car 14 months ago). I'll be one of the very early kits so would be good to know what I need to order size wise (guess it would help if I knew whether it was an inner or outer joint that has the play though ).

 

Did I also read that you'd got a different brace bar solution now? I had to remove mine some years back as the 3.0" exhaust on my SC'd car was knocking against it. Is the new brace bar (if there is one) compatible with the original kit?

 

Thank You

No problem just send a message with what you need and we will sort you out.

 

Yes, we do have a new brace, designed to fit rear of the toe link it is available in two fiiting options, one piggy backs onto the bracket using the same suspension bolt.

The other option is a new spigot which replaces the bolt altogether, the spigot fixes to the subframe and becomes the new wishbone bearing fastener, both the toe link and the new brace then fit onto this with about 30mm of positioning available to try to work around the exhaust clearance issues. it is marginally harder than the bolt offering better deformation resistance inside the wishbone bush. 

 

New spigot.

 

[attachment=25313:spigot .jpg]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Batman]

I knew about the situation really, I just merely wanted you to bath in your customer service glory and advertise this fact therefore hope you would offer me some discount on a kit

[vocky]

the spitfire kit has been totally fine on mine 

 

I think the kit was the revised batch from the group buy - just after the initial batch niggles were sorted 

[anz3001]

I love it when a topic is all but stagnant for a week then gets active the day after I order   

[Spitfire Engineering]

I love it when a topic is all but stagnant for a week then gets active the day after I order   

 

unlike your avatar you need to stay IN more to check the forums  

 

Gaz

[Spitfire Engineering]

I knew about the situation really, I just merely wanted you to bath in your customer service glory and advertise this fact therefore hope you would offer me some discount on a kit

 

well it worked thanks  

What are you after?

 

Gaz`