S1 Steering Wheel Sitting Off Centre

[72elan1304]

I has the front suspension taken off the car at the end of the summer blasted, repainted and re-bushed.

It transformed the car and all was good.

I've only done about 500 miles since, but had the car out for a drive after it's MOT last week and noticed the handling was becoming VERY lively at higher speeds on long bends. I've also since noticed that the steering wheel is sitting off centre when the car is at straight ahead. It was not doing this last year.

The geo was set up after the suspension work was done, but is there some kind of bedding in period? Should I have it done again, as there's something not quite right.

Mike Stewart at Errol did the work on the car. He knows his stuff, he maintains a lot of the classic lotus race-cars that compete round the country.

Can anyone recommend someone in Tayside or Fife at a push, who knows S1 Elises? Mike generally so busy at this time of year there can be a bit of wait.

[robin]

Did you do anything to the rear suspension at all?

Is your ride height different from standard?

Have you hit any bumps hard/taken off over a bridge, etc.?

Assuming the answers are no, no and no then pretty much anywhere that can do steering alignment _could_ do this work for you.

If you can get the petrol tank half full and sit in the car while the job is done (and hold the steering wheel in the straight ahead position) it will be a little better, but TBH for a road car it won't make so much difference. The main thing is that the wheels must toe out slightly; you don't want straight or toe in. Laser alignment might be more repeatable but really you just need someone who gives a sh*t, otherwise it will be out.

If you have adjustable ride heights then you need some more specialist help I think. You must first get the ride heights and camber angles correct, then set front and rear toe.

If you have messed with the rear suspension at all then you need to get the rear toe angles set too, and also if the bump steer washer stack might have been disturbed then you need somebody who can set that up too.

If you have hit a bump/taken off over a bridge you need to get the wishbones checked for straightness - it's possible to bend them a little and this can make the handling jaunty

If you were prepared to come to Edinburgh I would ask CLCM to do the geo, all standard settings assuming it's a road car; the data is on the computer and as they're local to Murrays you can nip in to look at the cars They don't do ride height adjustments, though.

Cheers,
Robin

[72elan1304]

Thanks for that Robin, are starting to think you should be on some kind of retainer!

[tut]

He is.

We humour him when he comes out with his far fetched solutions, and dodgy physics trying to back them up that read like a foreign language. The Forum join in by making him think that they actually work, so every body is happy.

tut

[campbell]

Ignoring Robin's (alleged) dodgy fisics for a moment, a trip to CLCM in Edinburgh is worth a tank of fuel IMHO, from wherever in Scotland you might be based. This is from many years of experiences with Willie, the sole proprietor, and an extremely high proportion of positive feedback (or maybe strong lack of negative) from anyone I know who has taken their car to him.

He is always very busy so it's not like Kwik Fit, you can't just rock up. Give him a call well in advance, but be sure to keep your appointment...he runs a tight ship.

Oh and he is a man of few words. Don't be fazed by that. "Some say...that the only person in the world who can hold a lengthy conversation with Willie at CLCM is Robin..."

As well as being near Murray Lotus (if you want to part with serious cash), he is also only 20 mins from the Gyle Shopping Centre (if you want to come with the missus and part with more serious cash), alternatively he is barely 5 mins from Edinburgh Park station from where you can reach just about anywhere in Scotland...but probably not within a day, granted...

PS I'm worried about what we're all going to do when he retires, but he claims he can't afford to do that just yet so fingers crossed

[whaleys]

There is the City Quay garage that will do a full geo. I was going to get mine done there but they were getting a whole new setup installed and I couldn't wait, so I went to see Willie at CLCM. City Quay are much more expensive, but you'd pay the difference in fuel to get to Edin and back.

If you do go to City Quay I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

[campbell]

I'm fairly sure there are a couple of places in / around Aberdeen which are also highly respected. All we need is an acknowledged "Lotus capable" centre at each of our major cities (plus Dumfries for the southern lot )

[StiflerMR2]

There is the City Quay garage that will do a full geo. I was going to get mine done there but they were getting a whole new setup installed and I couldn't wait, so I went to see Willie at CLCM. City Quay are much more expensive, but you'd pay the difference in fuel to get to Edin and back.

If you do go to City Quay I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

I had a bad experience with City Quay when I asked them to do some work (brakes). That was a few years ago now though but it was sufficent that I wouldn't use them again for anything.

[72elan1304]

CLCM sounds like a good excuse for a run to Edinburgh. Does he do Saturdays or it does it need to be during the week?

[woody]

I'm fairly sure there are a couple of places in / around Aberdeen which are also highly respected. All we need is an acknowledged "Lotus capable" centre at each of our major cities (plus Dumfries for the southern lot )

There's no one there! We have a place in Ayrshire though.

[tut]

Contact Craig directly as regards a geo setup, he has slots booked every day so could probably fit you in at short notice.

tut

[alicrozier]

Oh and he is a man of few words. Don't be fazed by that. "Some say...that the only person in the world who can hold a lengthy conversation with Willie at CLCM is Robin..."

I thought I'd seriously upset him...

...but actually turned out he was being relatively talkative.