Hub carrier, and ball joints

[frix]

hi guys, firstly does anyone have a drivers side rear hub carrier for sale? and secondly where can i get top ball joints for my 1980 s2.2? please dont say lotus bits! many thanks paul

[andydclements]

SJ for the ball joint? 2.2 will mean it's the Vauxhall/Opel setup before they switched to Triumph AFAIK.

[giorgio67]

HI Paul,

what's wrong on your hub carrier?

If the lip is worn or damaged it can be welded and machined to original tolerances, if it's not re-useable I have a pair of hub carrier in my workshop but the righ side needs work.Anyway i can give it free to you but it's heavy and the postage cost will be expensive.

Let me know if I can help you in some way.

Ciao

Giorgio

[frix]

thanks guys for replying, Steve at SJ says he cant get top ball joints and lotus bits have kept me waiting for the last 4 months and still dont know when they will be ordering them! very disappointed in their service. What vauxhall/opel model do the ball joints come from? With regards to the hub carrier , i went up to lotus bits and took my old hub carrier with me, the damage was on the lip and had been welded, i was told it was no good and they would get me another one, so like a fool i left my old one there and they sent me another one, this one had a massive crack where the bolt had been pushed out,now they dont seem to care if or when they can get one!! i was about to have the engine rebuilt and the body sprayed by them but im not feeling very confident in them now?! Giorgio thank you for your very very kind offer, do you think it could be repaired? many thanks Paul

[andydclements]

Apparentlt it's the ascona (whatever that is / was).

A quick check and the Ascona B was the old Vauxhall cavalier in the UK. I'd have thought an eBay search would have brought some up, but whether they are the same taper as the part used by Lotus is another matter.

Edit.

eBay gives this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-CAVALIER-MK1-UPPER-FRONT-BALL-JOINT-/140508240642?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20b6f19b02

Edited August 4, 2011 by andydclements

[Mike6]

When I got my car the seller told me that the hub carrier had been welded but because it is such an important part he suggested that I keep an eye on it. A few weeks later Ichecked it out and although the weld had held another crack had opened up where the pin goes through at the bottom fork. My local garage reckoned you should never weld alloy on such a vital component and the stresses of the weld had weakened elsewhere. I believe the part is obsolete and that second hand is the only option. I purchased from Lotus bits but thankfully all was ok.

[frix]

Andy they do look right from the picture, i might risk 20 quid and see what their like. Also was it you that i spoke to a while ago about engine rebuilds? many thanks paul

[andydclements]

Hi Paul.

I don't think it was me, but then with my memory it could have been if it was more than 12 hours ago.

I should point out (for those that spot the location), it's not me selling those it happens to be an agricultural enginnering family a few miles away near where I store a car in a barn.

[saggitarius]

For the first years of Esprit production Lotus used front suspension arms and steering rack from the Opel Ascona/Manta A that was made from 1971 to 75. These parts are not interchangable with the Ascona/Manta B 1976-81. And it's the B that is the same as the first generation Cavalier. I'm not sure, but I believe that the upright was also from the Opel parts bin. I'm building my S2 up with newer parts but I'm using an LHD Ascona A rack in the process.