[DML] Re: Rob Grady's Personal Lower Suspension (Tangent: Lotus Esprit suspension)

["Justin Mettee" <jamettee@xxxxxxxxx>]

Given all the complaints, design similarities/differences to various other automotive applications, etc., I decided to search for what the DMC's cousin of the time used for front suspension.  I figured if Lotus based the chassis of the DMC heavily on the Esprit of that time, then there should be similar parts & geometries, right?

Well I found this: http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/Lotus_Esprit_Turbo_Chassis.jpg
The Lotus Esprit Turbo chassis on the assembly line, I believe during the slightly later era (early/mid 80's).  (The above is from the websitee http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/Lotus_History_Toyota_GM_Years.htm).  Interesting how similar the upper front (& rear) suspension look similar, but the lower is completely different & triangulated, but this is a later generation & more performance-oriented car.

So I look further for the earlier Esprit 2.2 (1980-81) & find this site: http://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/38109-at-last-shes-stripped/ .  Down a little way, you see the front suspension & it is pretty darn similar to the DMC.  The one thing I see that is marginally better than our application is the layout of the swaybar places the front mounts further outboard & likely restrains the fore/aft movement of the LCA better than the DMC does.  Not optimal, but probably a better driver setup than a DMC.

I wonder if Lotus owners have the same hard-braking control issues & LCA failures that the DMC is prone to?

Justin Mettee
VIN 2075




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