New rear hub design .

[EuropaTC]

You must have been typing at the same time I was Andy 

Your 15" wheel combination weight is good, although I know the MGF version I have is one of the heavier variants. But to comment on "would it make any difference ?", my gut feel is no. On a race car and perfect flat surfaces maybe, but on a road car with potholes, not so much.  It wouldn't worry me anyway.

Lotus moved from Alloy hub carriers on the Elise to steel ones, from the ceramic/alloy discs to steel discs and added a bunch of weight to every corner but no-one complained that the cars handling was wrecked did they ?

Brian

[BDA]

I agree with you, Brian. The amount of extra weight of a solid upright might have some significance on a race car, but on a street car, I doubt anybody would be able to tell the difference, if there is any.

I also seem to remember that somebody had a set cast (I thought he was on this forum but I couldn't find it quickly) and if I remember, he said the weight difference wasn't much.

While looking for the aforementioned custom cast rear uprights, I found this post that implies that Richard at Banks has either new or reconditioned uprights for sale (http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=2930.msg28302#msg28302). They certainly look nice and might be worth a look.

[andy harwood]

Brian,
I wouldn't have thought there would have been a 2 lb difference between the original Lotus alloy and the Rota. Quite a bit of difference in your 15 inch MGF alloy and the 15 inch Rota I weighed.
BDA-
Was this the thread? There is one other too. I couldn't find it though    http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1283.msg11145#msg11145

[BDA]

I think that's the one I was thinking about, Andy. Thanks for finding it!

While we're on the subject of rear uprights, we also had a thread where some of us considered alternatives to casting (http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=379.msg23665#msg23665).

edit: included a link to another thread and then fixed it!

[dakazman]

Lol BDA,
Check your link!
Good story though.
Dakazman

[BDA]

Oops!!!    I've fixed it now.

[LotusJoe]

Found a few more pictures

[dakazman]

Nice Joe , good find.

I sent out an instant message to topyard61 as to price and availability, however still no answer.
Dakazman

[BobW]

I've wondered the weight difference between original period wheels, tires (tubes?) compared to new aluminum wheels, tires. Is there much of a difference? Is there a comparison out there somewhere?

Europa steel wheel (no trim ring or hubcap) - 11.8 lb or so
Steel wheel as above with Dunlop SP4N 145SR13 - 24.8 lb (more accurate)

I'm unable to remember why this tire is not a 155x13 but I doubt the weight difference would be appreciable.

[jbcollier]

Again, can't really see the need for a new upright.  New rear spindle?  Another matter entirely.  I'm in the middle of fitting a variation on this style of rear spindle:

https://kelvedonlotus.co.uk/product/race-drive-shaft-kit/

Mine is this one:

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-cQpwGW8/A

Now this is a proper spacer:

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-BCMxN3J/A

Will be doing a full report soon.  All I can say right now is that it's a really, really good way to go.

[BDA]

I agree, JB. Unless you need one, there's nothing wrong with the design of the stock uprights and if yours are damaged, I think they can be repaired with less expense than buying new after-market uprights. Better stub axles are a better investment.

Did you get yours from Kelvedon Lotus or someplace else? Did you shop around? If so, would you care to let us know what prices you found?

From what I know (and I haven't really researched it) suppliers of alternate stub axles are: Banks, Kelvdeon Lotus, and dogrings.com (but I don't know if he's currently selling them). Are there others?

[lotusfanatic]

They look superb!   

Found a few more pictures

[jbcollier]

Mine are from dog rings but there are issues.  They are a direct replacement for the stock Imp axle.  However, the Europa uses a different brake set up so Lotus added a spacer to move the flange out further.  On a long spline set up, such as the Imp axle, this is not much of an issue.  But, with the short spline of the redesign, it is.  So I'm in the middle of installing the axles without any outboard spacer and then shimming out the brake drum.

Also unfortunately, the dog ring yokes were not machined properly.  I didn't discover this until much later as I bought them in 2014 and didn't check until last year.  The dog ring chap is pretty old and was very confused at the time I bought the set so I decided to sort it locally.  Cutting splines on a properly set up jig is a doodle.  Cutting splines from scratch with no dimensions quite a bit less so.  I had to take it to a big industrial shop and it cost the earth to sort.

So, for all those reasons, I would go with the Kelvedon axles as they are designed as direct Europa replacements so no need to mess with custom shims, nor worry about spline engagement.

[jbcollier]

All that said, the dog-ring axles attach the yokes in a much cleverer way than the Kelvedon axles.

[dakazman]

Hi,

Sorry for the late contact!

I received a reply today and I passed it on completely below.
I also conveyed an invitation to our site and interests.

In the case of lotus europa sp rear upright,
 The production is requested to a company that produces Honda's formula one vehicle, prototypes of HRC such as Motogp, etc.
 The data of lotus europa sp genuine upright is generated by a three-dimensional measuring device, and after data correction, the material is A5052 and is cut by a 5-axis processing machine and finally finished by hard alumite.  .

 It is a price, but it will be 500000 yen (excluding tax) with the left and right set in Japanese yen.

Regards,
GARAGE TOPYARD,