Fw: Spridget half shafts on Lotus Eleven

[Vic Thomas]

 

Dear All

Hopefully this will clear up the debate.

I have today researched the half shaft sitiuation and with the help

of Jay Sloane, Peter Ross, Stewart Smith and a few other "Old Timers"

plus Mike Brotherwood and MG Agent and XI owner  Ron Gammons .

 SO:

The first [1959]  Sprite was 13 inch steel wheeled only. No Sprite before this date,

or other wire wheeled A Series BMC {Mowog] cars as far as I know.

 ie there was no BMC A series wire wheel set up in 1956/7.

The 1960s Midget /Sprite had a 13 inch wire wheel option. The integral

splined hub [pressed on ] / shaft  is shorter than the Metropolitan and also

the spline will not take XI [read MGA/ Triumph] 15 inch wire wheels as

the spline /thread is also too short.  ie no use for a Nash Met axle

on an XI.

Lotus definately used the bolt on spline adaptor on

the XI [and Seven S1  --- see Seven parts list.].

My own chassis 158 was unused since around 1960 and the previous 

owner said it was unmodified since its 1959 rebuild as a Sport.

Also 203 Sport is unmodified since 1960 and both have  " bolt-ons".

  Any welded combination was definately post factory.

So, only the flanged half shaft fits a standard factory Lotus N/M axle.

Note that the Morris Minor and Riley/ Wolsley variant flanged half#shafts are longer ,

but could be shortened if the splines were machined longer.  

The front hubs of drum braked Elevens ans SI Sevens also used identical bolt-on adaptors. 

Best Regards

VFT