Sebring 1956

[Charles Helps]

 sebring 1956

I am re-posting this on behalf of Andy Bradshaw because he had some problems with his original post.  Someone may well have the answer especially as the recent LOG visited Sebring.

lotus30 <andrew.bradshaw432[at]btinternet.com> Oct 26 09:20AM -0700  

I am restoring the Sebring Lotus Eleven no156 and it has a limited slip diff (LSD), fitted to a Mk9 diff case.   The LSD was not made yet for the BMC A series diff unit, I have 2 differential units one is 4:1 ratio and I have a 3.5:1; both are ex Austin Healey BN 1.   Those of you that would know about Sebring; would the Eleven have the std ratio or the higher one? 

The 3.5:1 has come from the Le Mans replica that Austin made. Remember this Eleven had a FWB engine so a much lower RPM range than the FWA. Has Sebring got a long straight where a short final drive would obtain max RPM too earl?
Andy B.

[Chris Tchorznicki]

Sebring had two long straights in those days.

Chris

Sent from my iPad

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[Roger Sieling]

Andy, Charles, all,

I did not participate in the recent LOG, but I did in the Lotus Eleven 50th anniversary reunion that was part of the 2006 Sebring 12hr race. I ran my 4.22 ratio and was significantly overgeared for the FWE engine in 4DTN.

But that was the current configuration of the track. Sebring, being an old WW2 Army air corps training facility, had some very long runways and I believe during the 50s and 60s it had some very long straights. During the early 70s, there were several years that the race was advertised as the "last ever". I attended the 1972 race thinking it was going into the history books. I'm pretty sure this was all brought on by it becoming an industrial park and airfreight depot. There were several compromises made which shortened the track and reconfigured it, but allowed it to continue to operate pretty much in the same location. I think there have been at least three track configurations.

And most eastern USA tracks where I was using the 4.22 effectively, Brian MacEachern and David Whiteside were using 3.9s with their FWBs, so perhaps a 3.5 in an endurance race was not out of place.

Roger Sieling Lotus Eleven 345 (4DTN), Lotus 20/22 FJ (20J962)

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Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 02:19:40 -0800
From: charle...@btopenworld.com
To: lotus-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Sebring 1956

[lotus30]

Thanks every one I do have a choice it took years to find a austin healey bn1 diff then i got two the std ratio is 4to1 and then i got the 3.5 to1 not 20 miles from me. The 4to1 i bought a complete axle at beaulieu striped out the diff and re sold the axle the things we have to do good fun though. andy