Lotus Eleven/Elise/Exige. Manual - part 18

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 13

Replacement of mirror glass

The mirror glass is contained in a plastic

surround which is clipped into the housing in
order to provide for convenient and inexpen-
sive replacement.  To remove a glass, pull
back the boot between mirror and plinth, and
carefully prise the inboard edge of the mirror
surround from its retaining clips.  Working
around the mirror periphery, continue to prise
the surround from the housing taking care not
to damage the paint on the housing.  Press
the new glass/surround into the housing until
all the retaining clips are engaged, and repo-
sition the convoluted boot.

Note that convex glass is normally fitted

to both sides, but certain markets, including
the USA, use flat glass in the driver's side,
and passenger side USA mirrors are convex
and etched 'Objects in mirror are closer than
they appear'.

Replacement of mirror assembly

The mirror assembly locates in the plas-

tic injection moulded plinth via two spigots,
and is retained by a single screw tapping into
the lower spigot.  To remove a mirror assem-
bly, use a cross head cranked screwdriver, or
similar tool, to remove the screw recessed into
the inside face of the mirror plinth.

Replacement of mirror plinth

The mirror plinth incorporates tapping

plates to accommodate a single screw into the
top leg, and a pair of M5 screws into the bot-
tom leg.  The plinth is secured to the door outer
panel with access holes for the three screws
provided in the inner panel, cosmetically con-
cealed by adhesive patches.

Note that a magnet may be required

when removing or refitting the rearmost screw.

BR.8A - DOOR SHELL BRACKETS

The composite door shell is fitted with various steel brackets bonded to its inner surface in order to mount

the shell to the door beam and also to mount hardware components such as the latch and window lift mecha-
nism.  The brackets are bonded to the SMC door structure using ITW Plexus adhesive.  If, for whatever reason
a bracket should become detached, the following procedure should be used to re-secure:

1.

Remove the failed component from the door.

2.

Prepare the bonding surface of the component using emery cloth.

3.

If the bracket does not already have holes drilled in the bonding surfaces, use the illustrated examples to
add 6mm holes to the relevent surfaces and provide the adhesive with a good keying feature.

b242b

Socket head screw

Adhesive patch

Mirror mounting plinth

Mirror assembly

             b241a

Mirror fixing screw

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 14

4.

Prepare the bonding surface of the door panel using coarse emery cloth and clean with Betaclean 3900
(A100B6008V).  It is not necessary to remove all existing adhesive if this is securely bonded.

5.

Apply a liberal quantity of ITW Plexus MA 920 adhesive (A117B0209V) to the door panel, and within a
maximum period of 4 Minutes (a longer open time will degrade adhesive performance) position the
bracket and ensure that the adhesive is extruded through the keying holes.  Remove excess adhesive
which would interfere with any door functionality.  Secure the bracket in position for a minimum of 30
minutes to allow adhesive to cure.

6.

Re-assemble door and check for correct function.

7.

If a latch mounting bracket needs to be rebonded, it is recommended to fit a cup washer A117W4192K
diagonally opposite (i.e. to the latch top mounting screw) to that already used on the inboard lower screw.

BR.9 - DOOR BEAM & HINGE

The door shell is bolted to a hollow section extruded aluminium alloy door beam, hinged at the front end

to the ’A’ post, and carrying the door latch mechanism, via steel brackets, at its rear end. The front end of the
door beam is welded to a second extrusion which forms the rotor of the door hinge. The hinge stator (or hinge
bracket) is bolted to an outrigger on the chassis, and incorporates two cylindrical bearing housings fitted with
maintenance free pivot bushes.

Door hinge adjustments

In order to provide for adjustment of door shutlines, the door hinge may be adjusted in two ways:

i)

Height of the hinge, its fore/aft position, and the pivot axis angle (to control the front/rear height align-
ment) may be adjusted after slackening the hinge bracket fixing bolts.  The tapping plates for these bolts
are linked in vertical pairs and are captive, but loose, within the chassis outrigger, and allow for some
vertical movement. Horizontally slotted fixing holes in the hinge bracket allow for fore/aft movement.

ii)

Slotted shim plates fitted between the hinge bracket and chassis, allow the in/out door front edge align-
ment to be adjusted in steps of 1 rnm, and by varying the shim pack at the top and bottom pairs of fixings,
the vertical alignment, as viewed from the front, may be adjusted.

Ensure that the clamping load of the hinge bracket to the chassis is not corrupted by the shim plates

bearing against the body. If the surrounding body stands proud of the chassis door hinge outrigger, use a
suitably cut down shim plate to act as a spacer between the chassis and the adjustment shim pack or hinge
bracket.

Exterior lock/finger

Window rear guide

Shell to beam

grip bracket

channel bracket

front lower bracket

6mm holes

6mm holes

        b347

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 14

Door beam pivot bearings

The door beam hinge uses two maintenance free ’top hat’ section synthetic bearings, pressed into the

hinge stator bracket.  Inside each bearing, is fitted a ‘top hat’ section steel rotor bush, clamped to the door
beam extension by an M10 cap head screw threaded into the door beam.

The door beam extension also incorporates a cheek flange which abuts against a rubber strip on the

hinge bracket to limit door opening angle.  A spring steel plate fixed to the front of the hinge bracket is designed
to engage around the profiled edge of the door beam abutment flange when the door is fully open, in order to
provide a sprung restraint for the door in this position.  A plastic shoe is used over the sliding surface of the
spring plate to provide for maintenance free operation, with the shoe moulding clamped between the spring
plate and chassis.  To help protect the hinge mechanism from water and dirt ingress, a plastic shield is push
fitted over the retaining nuts for the spring plate.

To remove the door assembly, or for access to the door pivot components, the two M10 cap head rotor

bush retaining screws should be removed, and the door assembly withdrawn from the hinge bracket. The rotor
bushes and/or bearings may then be withdrawn from the hinge bracket.  On re-assembly, note that the bearings
and bushes are assembled dry from above and below the upper and lower housings respectively, and the cap
head screws tightened to 45 Nm.  Insert the rubber bungs into the bush ends to inhibit dirt ingress and corro-
sion.

Door shell to

Tapping plate

beam fixing

Shim plate

Chassis
outrigger

Dirt shield

Door beam
(hinge rotor)

Door restraint
spring plate

Plastic shoe

Hinge bracket

      b243b

(stator)

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 15

BR.10 - DOOR SHELL ASSEMBLY

The door shell is mounted on the door beam via three screws through a flange at the front end of the

beam, and by the door latch mounting bracket at the rear end. In order to provide fixing points for the beam,
lock mechanism and other components, the door shell includes various tapping plates and brackets jig bonded
to the inside of the shell, including fixing brackets for the accurate location of the window guide rails.

If a door is to be removed from the car, the preferred method is to release the M10 cap head screws

clamping the upper and lower bushes to the door beam. The beam and door shell assembly may then be
withdrawn from the hinge stator bracket without losing adjustment of the hinge alignment and door shutlines.  If
the door shell has to be removed from the beam for repairs or replacement, the beam may be left ’in situ’ and
the door shell slid off the beam using the following procedure:

Removal of door shell from beam

The door shell is secured to the beam via three screws through a flange at the front end of the beam,

tapping into nut plates bonded into the door shell, and via two bolts at the rear end of the door to the door beam
extension bracket.  Access to the two bolts securing the extension bracket to the door beam requires that the
door glass first be released:
1.

Remove the window winder handle and door trim panel (manual windows) or the door trim panel and
window switch (electric windows).

2.

Release the three screws securing the interior release handle, and unclip the control rod from the mecha-
nism.

3.

Remove the two M6 and the single M8 screw securing the door beam flange to the front of the door shell

4.

Release the three M6 nuts securing the door glass to the lift channel, and separate the glass from the
channel. Tilt the glass as necessary to allow access to the two M8 bolts fixing the rear end of the door
beam to the extension bracket. Remove the bolts and withdraw the door assembly from the beam.
Note that it is necessary to remove the drop glass waist seal before the glass may be withdrawn from the
door.

Rubber bung

Rotor bush

Plastic bearing

Door beam/
hinge rotor

Stator bracket

Cap head screw

Hinge bracket
fixings

        b244