help! removing all 4 wheels

[majorbonr]

is there anything i should know about raising the car up on all four points to remove the wheels? i've read the instructions already but want to know if you guys that have done it had any problems or any advice to make it easier?

i'm going to powdercoat my wheels today. satin black LSS wheels here i COME!! i'll have'm done today an will post pictures later.

scott

[zvezdah1]

Scott,
You need to be sure to use the anchor points locate under the undertray, if you use the other two your car will tip.
Chris

[meat]

Here's what I do....

1. Break Lugs
2. Raise rear wheels onto ramps using side jacking point on each side
3. Remove undertray
4. Raise side of car and place jackstands on one side in correct places - taking care so that the stands are on the rails (too far forward on the rears and they will make dents)
5. Lower car onto stands
6. Raise the other side and place stands.
7. Lower car onto stands
8. Remove wheels

[Stan]

I have not tried this and am not specifically suggesting it. But I heard that you can use the exposed jacking points if you are careful. And have a near empty fuel tank, and some heavy stuff in the front of the foot wells, nothing in the trunk...hmm yank the battery? I've seen Elises on lifts using those four jacking points...not sure what was done to keep it safe. Some food for thought though. Any comments?

[meat]

Not sure what you guys are talking about. My car sits on stands quite a bit and I've never had a problem. Are you suggesting the car will fall off the stands backwards?

There are times when you would probably want to use the lift points under the diffuser, but I have not used them in 2.5 years of ownership. These would make the car more "stable" if that is what you are looking for (and are worried about it).

[ekological]

Originally posted by meat
Not sure what you guys are talking about. My car sits on stands quite a bit and I've never had a problem. Are you suggesting the car will fall off the stands backwards?

There are times when you would probably want to use the lift points under the diffuser, but I have not used them in 2.5 years of ownership. These would make the car more "stable" if that is what you are looking for (and are worried about it).

In the routine you outlined, you are then placing the car on jackstands on the points that are under the diffuser...the correct way. People are talking about if you use the front 4 lift points...the car will definitely fall backwards.

[meat]

I have NEVER used the lift points under the diffuser. I have only used the lift points in the front of the car at the end of the chassis rail on each side and at the rear of the car under the main undertray on the chassis rail that runs side-to-side. The car has yet to fall or even appear to be unstable.

I doubt Lotus would outline use of lift points that would make the car fall off of a lift, etc.

I am not saying not to use the rear-most lifting points, I just have never used them because I think the jack stands would get in the way changing the oil or other crawling around under the car. But, using these lift points (under the diffuser) would be the most stable.

[zvezdah1]

Meat,
Dave Simkin at LOG actually mentioned that you need to use the jacking points under the diffuser for the arm type lifts, unless you counterbalanced the nose.

Believe Arno's mentioned this before. Jenn at her first service saw the tech start to lift using the jacking points not under the diffuser when they both noticed the car tip, so it must be for real.

Perhaps it's different using jack stands than the lifts?

Chris

[ekological]

Originally posted by zvezdah1

Perhaps it's different using jack stands than the lifts?
Chris

Physics is physics....unless you do it with the nose pointed down a hill. I've tried lifting the car with the four lift points forward of the ones under the rear diffuser and the front started going up but the back of the car stayed planted to the ground. When I brought it in for service, the tech said that you can lift the whole car using the middle lift points and that the car would be perfectly balanced. Of course, as soon as you remove the front or rear wheels, the car would tilt. The tech said that he usually drives the car onto a drive up ramp, lifts the car, walks underneath and removes the diffuser, then he can place it on a post lift if he wants.

[meat]

Well - I guess the weight distribution for the S1 cars is different than the S2 cars.

So, if that is case, I would do this - assming the diffuser fits over the undertray at the leading edge.

1. Break Lugs
2. Remove diffuser.
3. Raise one side of car and place jack stands.
4. Lower car
5 Raise the other side of the car and place jack stands
6. Lower the car.
7. Remove Wheels.

[majorbonr]

thanks for all the great advice. the wheels will be back tommarrow, i'll post pics asap.

scott

[Derek]

Originally posted by majorbonr
thanks for all the great advice. the wheels will be back tommarrow, i'll post pics asap.

scott

Please post pictures of the lifting procedure.

[Stan]

Another way of looking at this is that the jacking point near the rear of the doors is at or near the Longitudinal Center Of Gravity of the Elise. Sorta like when two equal weight people go on a seesaw - they can balance it. That's why some apparently jack the car there and at the forward mounts with some weight allowances such as footwell weight and a low gas tank. Gas weighs about 6.1 pound per gallons. So our tanks can hold about 10.5 gallons of gas => about 64 pounds. When the yellow low fuel light goes on, supposedly that means that about 1.6 gallons or just under 10 pounds of fuel remain. So lessee that's roughly a 54 pound shift in weight from full to lights on. Just a tidbit! Also, if you had the car on scales and jacked one end while recording the associated weight change at some angle you could crunch the numbers to determine the CG height.

[majorbonr]

Originally posted by Derek
Please post pictures of the lifting procedure.

sorry, too late. i already put the wheels on.

scott