Lotus: You can kill the car if you jack it wrong?

BrianCunningham · 06-23-2009, 04:02 PM

Someone on a local autox list said he wasn't interesting in bringing race tires to event, saying his car was a PITA to jack.

So of course I had to ask what was so hard about jacking up and changing tires on a car that's literally half the weight on mine.

This bizarre, cool, and unbelievable all at the same time.

Quote:

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tue, Jun 23, 2009 3:45 pm
Subject: Re: Street tires: Now Bridgestone

Since I use a jack and don't actually lift up the car myself, the weight of the car isn't an issue.

And although I'm not the strongest guy in the world, I've never had an issue with the weight of the wheels either.

The PITA factor comes in 1) not being able to get a jack UNDER the car, and 2) dealing with the stress of accidentally lifting it from the wrong spot. There are only two places (one in the front and one in the middle) where you can lift the car up without removing the rear diffuser, and they are really, really hard to see when the car is on the ground. If you lift the car from the wrong spot (i.e., anywhere other than the two spots), you can total the car. Much of the frame of the car is a laminated aluminum sheet, and if you dent it (or worse, puncture it), the car is totalled (literally, it can't be fixed without replacing the frame, which will automatically total the car). People have totaled these cars by simply driving over a small piece wood on the highway.
(http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/w...-no-way-44956/)

In the end, it just isn't worth the hassle of swapping wheels (plus there is no place to transport extra wheels and you can't tow a trailer with it).

Still glad you asked?

Racer-38 · 06-23-2009, 04:27 PM

Holy Sh*t.............that's scary

Lancer033 · 06-23-2009, 04:46 PM

where's Lou's video of the wood block v. vette

that takes Lotus off of my wish list.

BrianCunningham · 06-23-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lancer033

where's Lou's video of the wood block v. vette

that takes Lotus off of my wish list.

burners · 06-23-2009, 05:18 PM

Wow, that's crazy. I understand the position Lotus takes with regards to chassis repairs (liability and the expense of training someone on proper repairs). In the aviation world that would be repairable but you would also be dealing with $500K to $20M airframes values and not a $40K chassis so the labor involved would be worth it.

Here's an idea...change the tires using 1 ramp and a jack stand. Drive the left front up one ramp, teeter the left rear up and place jack stand near rear wheel supporting the chassis. Now change left rear wheel and then teeter the right front up and place jack stand near RF wheel and change that corner. Back off ramp and repeat on opposite side and corners.

BrianCunningham · 06-23-2009, 05:19 PM

teeter????

TLGunman · 06-23-2009, 05:35 PM

I still want one.... :drool:

AU N EGL · 06-23-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLGunman

I still want one.... :drool:

I know were you can get a sliglty used one.

Little yellow one from Hyperfest at Summit Point this past weekend.

Poor guy parked under a tree, wind broke the branch

Then latter in the weekend

Clicky here

Just not a good weekend for this poor guy http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic....=29099&start=0

drivinhard · 06-23-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Poor guy parked under a tree, wind broke the branch

I thought I was the only one with luck like that

wallyman424 · 06-23-2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drivinhard

I thought I was the only one with luck like that

He was sitting in the car too.

TLGunman · 06-23-2009, 07:11 PM

Dang, that sucks. I'd like an Elise (I like em topless), and one without the tree branch option.

RedLS1GTO · 06-23-2009, 07:20 PM

I bet there is a stain in the driver's seat after that!

dvandentop · 06-23-2009, 07:23 PM

damn the whole in the floor from teh block of wood is

ghoffman · 06-23-2009, 07:41 PM

As Burners said, it is repairable but it depends on how much you know. It reminds me of an '70's era Indy car, all sheet aluminum. I saw Mark Donohue's '72 (I think) McLaren Indy car at a museum and all I could think of is you are f'ing nuts to go 200 in that thing at Indy.

Poor-sha · 06-23-2009, 09:27 PM

I saw a guy at Summit Point in April jack a Lotus up wrong. It was one of those *crack* boom moments and then there was a huge hole in the car behind the door that went at least a foot up the side of the car. Poor guy had broken an oil line on track and was trying to fix it in the paddock when this happened. Glad nobody was hurt but I expect it was expensive to fix.

worldsaway · 06-24-2009, 04:55 AM

You also have to be careful not to grab the windshield frame top when getting in or out or it will crack the glass. On the good side you get an FTD car right-out-of-the box.

parkerracing · 06-24-2009, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burners

Wow, that's crazy. I understand the position Lotus takes....

You meant Lotus position, didn't you?

AU N EGL · 06-24-2009, 07:17 AM

jack the car up wrong, pull on the windshield frame, and you can damage the car? yet it passed the front and side collision standards to be imported into the US ?

ghoffman · 06-24-2009, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldsaway

You also have to be careful not to grab the windshield frame top when getting in or out or it will crack the glass. On the good side you get an FTD car right-out-of-the box.

FTD perhaps for Auto-X, they are not impressive at any track I run.

AU N EGL · 06-24-2009, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldsaway

On the good side you get an FTD car right-out-of-the box.

Yup that is what they said, when it first came out. For a tight little auto-x course it will be darn quick, but not on any highspeed auto-x or road courses?

When they first came out a few years ago there was an event, that must have had 10 or so.

They were nothing more then rolling chicanes for most other cars in the groups