IN 1955 LOWER FRONT BRONZE TRUNNIONS WERE JUST THE THING,
FOR 1995 SPYDER HAD A BETTER IDEA
A Spyder front upright with lower ball joint and vented disc brake system fitted to a Lotus
Elite/Eclat with wide based lower front and tubular upper front wishbones
Many of the original front suspension components fitted to the Lotus Elan, Elan Plus Two, Europa and Elite/Eclat were unashamedly cribbed from the Triumph Herald - warts and all. The Triumph uprights necessitated the use of lower front trunnions, which even then were old fashioned and prone to wear.
The Spyder design presents a new fabricated front upright in which the lower trunnion has been replaced by a ball joint and which also has the advantage of allowing the use of modern ventilated disc brakes with either two or four pot calipers.
The lightweight front uprights incorporate steering arms and brake caliper mounting brackets and feature a 'live' stub axle with a modern tapered roller bearing layout. This overcomes the common problem of inner bearing races rotating and damaging both the bearing journal of the stub axle and the mating face of the upright.
The conversion is retro-fittable to any vehicle that uses Triumph Herald vertical links and 14" wheels or larger.