The Lotus Grand Tourers

An easier solution is to get the snap ring machined in the correct place within the splines and not just letting the snap ring travel beyond them, I really dont understand why they are so sloppyly located.

Bash

Having completed suspension rebuild, I've still got a knock on the rear, most noticeable when turning at mini roundabouts. Noticed this evening I have exactly same float on the output shafts. Moving in and out sounds identical to the knock I'm getting.

Question is "Is the circlip position the cause of the knock, or just where it translates to a noise (effect). Surely Toyota could have eliminated the movement if they wanted to and as far as I can see, the float won't appear as a result of wear. There's telescoping in the CV joint on the drive shaft to account for suspension movement. Could this be a case that when all is new, the CV joint should move much easier than the output shaft, then as the years pass, the output seal and splines free up and the CV tightens ?

Just prompting thoughts and discussion. I need to solve this. The noise this generates on my car is VERY noticeable and passengers (the other half) are always looking for reassurance the back of the cars not about to fall to bits. !!!

Tony

Ive bought a better sterio.....but I can still hear it. More embarrassingly others outside the car can hear it if for instance on a cobbled street at low speed, St Ives in cornwall for instance.
Its on my list for next winter to get a better engineered solution. Any ideas will be appreciated.

Bash

bash wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 23:00 Ive bought a better sterio.....but I can still hear it. More embarrassingly others outside the car can hear it if for instance on a cobbled street at low speed, St Ives in cornwall for instance.
Its on my list for next winter to get a better engineered solution. Any ideas will be appreciated.

Bash

Ah, St Ives, driving past The Sloop in an Excel on the cobbles with all the drinkers outside watching you can be intimidating, especially with the window down as you're close enough to hear someone say, "it's not a Ferrari, it's only. Lotus".
We will be staying in St Ives in September for the Festival, and again over the Christmas week to get away from kids and grandchildren. The Excel will be parked on Smeaton Pier, so must check the handbrake ...

Well, Im visiting in sept too, but not in the Excel this time. Taking the in laws in thier skoda cos its too far for them to drive now.
Watch the pasty pirates (seagulls).

Bash

I hope this is what is knocking cos Im going to sort it next winter. I tried my spare LSD diff, it didnt rattle quite as much but the way the side shafts are mounted is exactly the same as the common open diff.

Nothing really visible in the Lsd.
Ive got an open diff in bits so Ive taken a few pics. If you look at the snap ring on the shaft its positioned near the end. There isnt a groove in the planet gears it just clears the end of it and theres about 3mm of play. I think my noise is the outer stub axle hitting the centre pin. One of the pictures shows it away from the pin the other shows it in contact. Theres also an image of the gear without the stub axle in place.








Clear as mud probably, probably needs a pete boole on the job !

Bash

If it isnt this thats creating the noise its going to be alot of fuss for nowt, but Ive got 3 1/2 diffs ( long story ) and they all do it.

Bash

Dont worry about the noise, it wont break or let you down. If we drove fast enough we wouldnt hear it anyway. Powerrrrrrrrrr.
I think oldtimers solution of a sleeve is worth investigating.

Here is my solution (I hope), I carefully measured the play in and out on each stub axle, drilled out the end of of the stub axle and with a very good adhesive glued in a nylon insert. I then cut the insert down until there was only 0.25 mm of clearance and refitted. On the bench the noise has gone. Its impossible for the insert to come out when fitted into the diff. I will let you know if it works when I fit it in the winter.

Bash

Could be a great solution Bash - good thinking! Hope it works.

Pete

Was the play the same with the left and right axle swapped?

Yes, unfortunately. Just poor location to blame.

Bash

Nice solution Bash. I like it.
Will watch with interest if it solves any noises when you fit it.
Tony

Just to let you all know the nylon inserts worked, the noise has gone.

Bash

Great development work Bash.
Btw. I can no longer see the images in previous posts on my phone. Haven't looked on the computer yet, but will do later.

Im the same with the phone, no idea why.

Bash