The Lotus Grand Tourers

Hi all, just about to try and install a new hinge pin and bushes in the drivers door. I saw this being done at the NEC show and i did ask some questions there... well enought to mean i can have a go, but I didnt see all of it. I wondered if there is already an idiots guide to this or if this idiot should write one? Anyway one thing I neglected to ask was what are the shims made of and roughly how thick do I need them? I havent seen specific shims available so I was going to cut them out of shim sheet... but steel, brass?? What thickness(es) should I use?
Thanks
Mike

Hi Mike doing this also this weekend and have already biffed the pin and bushes. Start again tomorrow.

I'm talking shims as on the pin to bracket and not on the bracket to body.

My view so far.

The pin will extend past the barrel of the door beam by 3 - 5 mm depending on the door position, the shims will need to cover this protrusion to the narrower threaded portion. One of my shims had an inner shim as it extended half on shank half on thread.

I suggest you tap out the old bushes and insert the new ones first. To remove the old ones (which were original and had a split seam) I tapped in a small screwdriver and collapsed it in on itself. Then fit the pin to bushes.

I had to rub down the pin shank to fit the bushes quiet a bit but had too much friction. Although I had the bush going over the pin I had too much outer material when I tried to wind in the bushes with the collets. It worked really well for one side but siezed on the other. I tried a bit to use hydraulic power but misaligned my aim and not only crushed the pin thread, pin shank but snapped the bush in half too.

Having done it once now I think I can do it right tomorrow

Someone will offer another way I'm sure

Whew... Thats bad luck. I was going to remove them with a blind bearing puller and slide hamm ET but from what you say I wont need that! Think I will make a shouldered plug to wind them in with and then line ream them to accept the pin. Im wondering about cutting a groove up the inside to carry grease up as well and hopefully stop them siezing again. Shimming the pin to bracket I think shouldnt be too bad but Im still concerned about any shims I might need to adjust the brackets to car. Did you need to alter this on the other side??
Cheers
Mike

Hello. I was the chap fitting the beam at the NEC.
Hope I've given you good advice (I'm making it up as I go along really).
The bracket to body shims are a bit like a thick sandpaper, I think they are mainly there to stop the hinges sliding rather than giving any real adjustment. As the door skin is adjustable on the beam, you should be able to get the shut lines ok without moving the beam on the body. I treat the door and window frame as 2 seperate objects.Get the door aligned first and then align the frame
As Stu suggested get the pin moving freely through the hinges/beam before fitting. The beam needs to swing freely on the pin.
Hope that helps.
J

Cheers Jason. I wont worry about the hinge to body just yet then. Mainly I hate it when I get halfway through something and find I dont have the right bit to finish it. I was just trying to get any possible requirement for shims covered but I think now Ill just go for It!
Mike

Mike

I have not changed the bracket to car shims. They are still in place. My defect is only on the pin/bush wear so I purposely left them in situ. The new knackered pin is lovely in the beam so I have cured the float. Just need a pin.

I have a shouldered collet if you want them. Guildford isnt too far. They did work well. Just depends on your time frame!

When we fitted a new window frame to our passenger door (To a previously replaced new beam) we had to adjust the body to hinge brackets quite a bit with shims. Although the door shell fitted the aperture, the frame wouldn't fit properly because the top of the beam sat too far out-it could only be adjusted by spacing the brackets and elongating the holes in the door shell to give more adjustment.
We found someone selling the shims second hand on ebay.

I'm pretty sure the problem is a poorly manufactured replacement beam in our case, but we have made it all fit acceptably.

Interesting... Do you know what your new shims are made of and roughly how thick each is? I was going to cut some 0.5 and 1mm from shim sheet although thats probably over spec for this applicn.
Cheers
Mike

Second attempt sorted. Pin and bushes in. Special thanks to Mike @ LB for his assistance and for showing me a shiny 2.5 .
Rebuild starts tomorrow.

Hi Mike

All the shims are the same size and shape. They are made from 1mm mild steel:





I'd probably fabricate them from stainless if you're going to the trouble of making some. The photo shows the shorter cutout looking wider than the other - that's just had some filing - they are the same width originally.

Pete

Thanks Pete... Ive got some steel on order, Im expectingvto find st least on in pisitin to use as a template.

Thanks Pete... Ive got some steel on order, Im expecting to find at least one in position to use as a template.

Let me know if you need to borrow one.

Pete