The Lotus Grand Tourers

I've been searching thought the service notes and there seem to be nothing about how the pins on the door beams are fitted/adjusted. My car has had both replaced in the last two years, however you can see with both that the nut at the top turns with the pin when the door is opened and that the drivers door drops due to an oval hole in the bracket. I am assuming that they should be tighter so the beam moved round the pin? as for the oval hole on the upper bracket drivers side I have read of welding the hole up and redrilling it, but no mention how to get the hole in the right place?

The pins only adjustment are shims with holes the same diameter as the door beam. Shim to a few thou less than the pin length, then tighten the nylock nuts on the pin as tight as you can.

Many owners have added a grease nipple into the door beam pivot, as they have a tenancy to seize on the pin, then the nut turns with the beam and the wear on the hinge starts that you are clearly aware off.

Tony

My hinge pins started to turn with the door, making the upper hole in the bracket slightly oval. I managed to free the pin so the hinge turned on it by treating with penetrating oil (I use a mixture of ATF with acetone) via the top hole (after undoing the nut) and by drilling a small hole in the hinge body through which penetrating oil can be added to lubricate the bottom bush.

Once the pins were freed (if you are lucky!) then I used stainless star washers on the top bolts to clamp the hinge in the correct position.

It’s been ok for the last 12 months, and I’ve lubricated it with atf regularly.

Cheers, Richard

The door beam on the passenger side is new, with new bushings and a new pin, the drivers side one was the one fitted when the previous owner bought the car, but has also had new bushings and a new pin, I suspect from the above posts neither have been fully tightened! ’

I suspect from the above posts neither have been fully tightened! ’

Agreed. Get a couple of ring spanners / sockets on the nuts, with the longest leaver you have and wind them up as tight as you possibly can ( against each other if that makes sense). The worst that can happen is that if the shims are too large (thick), the door will not want to rotate freely and you will just need to back them off.
- Backing off would be bad news though, because the only way to change / adjust the shim thickness is to remove the door shell from the beam and the beam from the body - Quite a big job.
Tony

I would check first - before tightening the nuts - that there is no gap between the hinge plates and the shoulders of the pins. If there is a gap tightening the nuts may crack the fibreglass at the mounting points.

Pete