56 replies to this topic

[i need nos]

if u wanted a diy lowering kit why not just get an old school mechanic to cut an inch off your springs!

[MEAGY]

if u wanted a diy lowering kit why not just get an old school mechanic to cut an inch off your springs!

because moddifing the mounts means that you can use the full spring & your ride would effectively be exactly the same comfort/handling wise just the car sits that bit lower

[i need nos]

so u going to modify your mounts by drilling the holes lower? is it safe?

[MEAGY]

so u going to modify your mounts by drilling the holes lower? is it safe?

holes lower? no i was thinking weld a plate on top of the shock hole like what was done on the pics in this tread but alot less crude. my uncle has been a welder all his life so im sure he will do a good job for me. a good weld is as strong as cast metal he tells me!

[i need nos]

aint it easier and cheaper and more peace of mind to get some lowering springs off ebay or summit? im looking for a set now so will keep u informed if i find any..

[MEAGY]

aint it easier and cheaper and more peace of mind to get some lowering springs off ebay or summit? im looking for a set now so will keep u informed if i find any..

yes it would be easier but not cheaper, i have a vxt & the cheapest are elbach at £180 if they still do them? & ive heard they are not so good anyway, bit crashy! this way i get a lower look but exactly the same drivability!!

aint it easier and cheaper and more peace of mind to get some lowering springs off ebay or summit? im looking for a set now so will keep u informed if i find any..

yes it would be easier but not cheaper, i have a vxt & the cheapest are elbach at £180 if they still do them? & ive heard they are not so good anyway, bit crashy! this way i get a lower look but exactly the same drivability!!

[JG]

ffs if you're going to own a sports car, be prepared to sped more than 20p maintaining/modifying it. and FYI, you don't get the same drivability as you call it, because you upset all the geometry in the process. Sell it - get a nova.

[Ducati996Senna]

ffs

if you're going to own a sports car, be prepared to sped more than 20p maintaining/modifying it.

and FYI, you don't get the same drivability as you call it, because you upset all the geometry in the process.

Sell it - get a nova.

Firstly, I agree totally.

Secondly, welding will create stresses in the steel. The bracket will need to be relieved of these stresses.

Thirdly, by welding in the same fashion (albeit neater) the weld will be in tension which must be avoided. The weld should be welded in shear.

You can't just weld without considering the stresses that the bracket will need to take. Save your money and buy the proper brackets (if they fit). Your ride will be softer and you may even reach the end of the shock travel in droop.

[MEAGY]

ffs

if you're going to own a sports car, be prepared to sped more than 20p maintaining/modifying it.

and FYI, you don't get the same drivability as you call it, because you upset all the geometry in the process.

Sell it - get a nova.

Firstly, I agree totally.

Secondly, welding will create stresses in the steel. The bracket will need to be relieved of these stresses.

Thirdly, by welding in the same fashion (albeit neater) the weld will be in tension which must be avoided. The weld should be welded in shear.

You can't just weld without considering the stresses that the bracket will need to take. Save your money and buy the proper brackets (if they fit). Your ride will be softer and you may even reach the end of the shock travel in droop.

1.calm down lads, im doing it to my car not yours

2.my uncle must be talking sh$te for the fun of it then

3.im more worried that my chassis is glued together than a welded suspension mount

[super fandango]

Nothing like healthy debate as long as it doesn't result in an injury! Just to add my 2p's worth: Increasing the upper mounting point will have the same effect as bringing the shocks into a more vertical position. This will result in a more direct feel but less lateral grip. If this is carried out in the front only then you may suffer increased understeer. As far as droop is concerned then the mod should increase stability. If it's carried out on the front only, then this will result in less weight transfer to the rear and consequently offer more front end grip out of a corner. Either way, you are altering geometry & set up that the best guys in the business have spent many hours & miles perfecting. Best case scenario, you have a different (not necessarily better) feeling car. Worst case scenario (best not go down this route). If you are going to adjust geometry, then trial it on a track before you attack your favourite A Road in anger. HTH Matt

[jules_s]

1.calm down lads, im doing it to my car not yours

2.my uncle must be talking sh$te for the fun of it then

3.im more worried that my chassis is glued together than a welded suspension mount

Can you clarify what you are intending/have had done?

I'm tempted to call you an arse for points 1-3 inc but won't until you make it clear

[Pidgeon]

While much can be said about the above (I am amused you believe your relative has a superior knowledge of mechanical engineering than Lotus cars), moving the damper mounting points will not alter the geometry.

[RichH]

1.calm down lads, im doing it to my car not yours

Presumably you are going to inform the person you eventually sell it to that you've done this? or restore it back to standard first?

Personally if I knew that a car I was about to buy had been modified in this way I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole, but to not tell them would be inexcusable. Buyer beware of course but for my own piece of mind and concience I couldn't not tell them.

[cheshirevx]

1.calm down lads, im doing it to my car not yours

Presumably you are going to inform the person you eventually sell it to that you've done this? or restore it back to standard first?

Personally if I knew that a car I was about to buy had been modified in this way I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole, but to not tell them would be inexcusable. Buyer beware of course but for my own piece of mind and concience I couldn't not tell them.

after looking at 4 VX220s before i bought, this was the one that had been most look after, and the steering actually felt a lot better than the rest- even if a little stiffer.

i was asurred it was standard suspension(which it was) and RAC numpty informed me the shocks and springs were in perfect working order(which they were) after i did question it looked a little lower than the other 3 i had seen/drove

Lets bear in mind, i am the only person who has drove with a set-up like this.

The car has now been re set up with the standard brackets again.

The mod to these brackets(if a little rough!!!) is exactly the same idea as the lowering brackets for the elise/exige that can be bought over the counter - where the shock sits higher because the bracket sits higher on the chassis with the holes lower down.

for anyone to ridicule others for trying anything like this, is acting a little above their station me thinks , at the end of the day its a big go kart for f**k sake!!

While much can be said about the above (I am amused you believe your relative has a superior knowledge of mechanical engineering than Lotus cars), moving the damper mounting points will not alter the geometry.

Ding.

[MEAGY]

so anyone changing things that was not approved by lotus has superior knowledge over lotus engineers? is that what you are saying?all i said was my uncle knows about welding(dont recall saying anything about lotus). the mount is welded together, so is the part that holds the bolt at the top of the shock, likewise the chassis of most cars, so if welding isnt a good enough method of joining to pieces of metals...what is??????

[Gouldy]

so anyone changing things that was not approved by lotus has superior knowledge over lotus engineers? is that what you are saying?all i said was my uncle knows about welding(dont recall saying anything about lotus). the mount is welded together, so is the part that holds the bolt at the top of the shock, likewise the chassis of most cars, so if welding isnt a good enough method of joining to pieces of metals...what is??????

I'd say go for it in terms of if lowering your car is what you want to do. Who cares if it's better or worse than Lotus' take on it.

However, I would be concerned about the way you are intending to do this. There are no welds in the current mount (it is fabricated by bending a single piece of aluminium) which is then bolted directly to the chassis. And agreed, there are welds at the top (and bottom) of the shock, but they are between beefy bits of steel, not a relatively thin piece of aluminium. I guess what I'm saying is that not all welds are equal, even if done perfectly. From my understanding of the subject welding aluminium isn't the easiest of tasks to get right. And looking at the size of the weld you are going to end up with and the amount of stress that component is subject to, it's going to have to be a blimmin' good weld.

[MEAGY]

so anyone changing things that was not approved by lotus has superior knowledge over lotus engineers? is that what you are saying?all i said was my uncle knows about welding(dont recall saying anything about lotus). the mount is welded together, so is the part that holds the bolt at the top of the shock, likewise the chassis of most cars, so if welding isnt a good enough method of joining to pieces of metals...what is??????

I'd say go for it in terms of if lowering your car is what you want to do. Who cares if it's better or worse than Lotus' take on it.

However, I would be concerned about the way you are intending to do this. There are no welds in the current mount (it is fabricated by bending a single piece of aluminium) which is then bolted directly to the chassis. And agreed, there are welds at the top (and bottom) of the shock, but they are between beefy bits of steel, not a relatively thin piece of aluminium. I guess what I'm saying is that not all welds are equal, even if done perfectly. From my understanding of the subject welding aluminium isn't the easiest of tasks to get right. And looking at the size of the weld you are going to end up with and the amount of stress that component is subject to, it's going to have to be a blimmin' good weld.

i was thinks more of a plate rather than a washer i.e.welding a plate on each side of the mount so decreasing the stress on the weld...

[Dino]

You are never going to get the precision required by welding it. Get an engineer to fabricate some new plates for you FFS Pikey suspension mods ahoy!

[adtmits]

Meagy and all with the DIY mods. becareful with things like this. If you are involved in a serious RTA and VOSA inspect the car and feel it is a contribtuing factor ( maybe a failure etc) then you will be held criminally repsonsible. I know of someone this happened to, who fitted a suspension kit and didnt get the brake bias valve sorted...then sold the car and it was involved in a very serious RTA. Luckly he did manage to prove that he wasnt guilty..... This is not the kind of mod i would be wanting to do. It is not as simple to just say that its your car....you can do what you want. The law states you have repsonisbility for your own saftety and that of others.. Just my 2p worth.

[Gary G]

Fairly sure that the suspension mounts are not aluminium but in fact zinc plated steel Just my opinion but, I wouldn't change the suspension mounting points for a whole host of reasons.