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Lotus Eleven/Elise/Exige. Instruction - part 60

Lotus Service Notes Section HG

Page 6

The upper steering column assembly comprises an inner column which connects the steering wheel to the

intermediate shaft, and a tubular steel outer column which, with its alloy upper bearing housing, supports the

inner column and carries the column lever switches for lighting and wiper control, and also the ignition switch/

steering lock.

Both inner and outer columns are of fixed length, but are telescopically collapsible when subjected to

crash forces. The two parts of the inner column are fixed together by plastic pins designed to shear and allow

telescoping to occur beyond a specified axial load. The two part outer column tube uses gripper rings to retain

the column length, with the lower part mounted by a single fixing to the chassis scuttle beam via a three point

fixing steel bracket. The upper part of the outer column has two open slotted mounting flanges each of which

is fitted with a 'break out' alloy insert, bolted through to an extruded alloy plinth fixed to the scuttle beam. In

the event of an extreme axial load being applied to the column via the steering wheel, as may occur during a

vehicle frontal collision, the plastic retaining pins in the column flange inserts will shear and allow the upper

part of the column to break free of the upper fixings and telescope forwards, reducing the potential for column

induced injury.

Dimensional Check

If the vehicle is involved in an accident, or any part of the column is subjected to an abnormal load includ-

ing airbag deployment, the column should be carefully examined to establish if any telescoping has occurred.

Perform the following checks, and replace the complete upper column assembly if any of the dimensions are

outside specification:

1. Outer Column:

Measure the length of the lower part of the outer column as shown:

Specification = 80 ± 1mm

2. Inner Column lower:

Measure the length of the exposed part of the inner column as shown:

Specification = 58 ± 1mm

Column slotted

'Break out'

flange

insert

Column

lower

fixing

Normal

Condition

Chassis

scuttle

beam

h50a

Column flange broken

out of insert

Collapsed

Condition

h51a

Lotus Service Notes Section HG

Page 7

3. Inner Column Upper

With the steering wheel removed, measure the length of the exposed part of the upper column as

shown:

Specification = 76 ± 1mm

4. 'Break out' Inserts

Remove the column shrouds and the

column flange fixing bolts, and check

that each of the alloy 'break out' inserts

is securely attached to the column flange.

If the plastic pins are sheared, the column

assembly must be replaced.

Outer

Inner

column

assembly

lower end

80 ± 1 mm

58 ± 1 mm

h52

Inner column

upper end

76 ± 1 mm

h52a

Alloy 'break

out' insert

Nylon

shear

pins

h48

Lotus Service Notes Section HG

Page 8

To Remove Upper Steering Column Assembly

WARNING: On cars so equipped, the driver's airbag is housed in the hub of the steering wheel. Precau-

tions need to be taken for personal safety when working with airbags and associated componentry. Do

not attempt to remove the airbag, steering wheel or column without first referring to section WD.

1. Disconnect the battery, and remove the column shrouds (see sub-section HG.2).

2. Disconnect the column lever switches, or release the retaining pawls and slide the switches out of the

carrier. Disconnect the horn contact pin. On airbag equipped cars, refer to section WD and unplug the

yellow airbag harness connector.

3. To disconnect the ignition switch: prise open the terminal cover, and use a small screwdriver to release

the retaining barb located between the white and yellow cables. Withdraw the connector.

4. If necessary, remove the steering lock/ignition key barrel: Turn the key to position 'I', depress the spring

pin accessible via a hole in the column switch carrier, and withdraw the lock barrel.

5. If necessary, remove the ignition switch: First remove the steering lock/ignition key barrel (see above).

Remove the retaining grub screw and withdraw the switch.

6. If necessary, remove the steering lock assembly: Remove the spline head screw securing the column

switch carrier, and drill or chisel out the two shear head bolts fixing the lock assembly to the column.

7. Remove the pinch bolt securing

the upper universal joint to the

intermediate column.

8. On non-airbag cars, remove the

two fixings for the instrument pack

mounting brackets, and remove

the instrument pack and cowl as-

sembly after unplugging the single

harness connector.

On airbag equipped cars, withdraw

the instrument surround and cowl

straight rearwards from the dash

panel to release the spring clips.

Remove four screws to release

the instrument pack mounting

bracket from the dash and unplug

the two harness connectors

9. Release the two bolts securing the

upper column clamp to the dash

brackets, and remove the switch

pack.

10. From the access provided by

the removal of the switch pack,

release the upper column single

lower fixing and withdraw the

column assembly from the scuttle

and off the intermediate steering

column.

Non-airbag type shown

Instrument cowl

Instrument

pack

Instrument

& cowl

mounting

bracket

b259a

Lotus Service Notes Section HG

Page 9

11. Refit the column in reverse order to removal with the following notes:

The groove for the pinch bolt allows assembly of the universal joint to the intermediate column in only one

orientation. Torque tighten the pinch bolt to 35 Nm.

Torque tighten the column lower fixing bolt to 45 Nm

Torque tighten the two column upper fixing bolts to 22.5 Nm.

If applicable, use new shear bolts to secure the steering lock assembly, and tighten until sheared.

HG.4 - INTERMEDIATE COlUMN

The intermediate steering column consisted of a symmetrical splined shaft and two different Hookes type

universal joints, but has now been replaced by a shaft with an integral lower u/j. The lower joint uses an un-

indexed 36 spline connection to the steering rack pinion shaft, and the upper joint accommodates a double flatted

boss on the end of the upper column, with a pinch bolt groove allowing assembly in only one orientation. The

intermediate shaft itself, uses a splined joint, and, on early type shafts, a lower indexed pinch bolt groove.

To remove the intermediate column assembly, the upper column must first be removed (see sub-section

HG.3), after which the rack pinion shaft pinch bolt may be removed and the column assembly withdrawn. Match

marking the lower u/j to the pinion shaft will aid steering wheel alignment on re-assembly. Torque tighten the

pinch bolts to 35 Nm.

HG.5 - TRACK ROD ENDS & RACK GAITERS

Front Wheel Alignment

Alignment is measured either by the angle a wheel makes with the vehicle centre line, or the difference in

dimension between the wheel rim to wheel rim measurement at the front and rear of the wheel at hub centre

height. The wheels are said to 'toe-in' when the wheel paths converge ahead of the vehicle, and 'toe-out' when

they diverge. Wheel alignment is designed to vary with both steering angle (Ackermann) and suspension travel

(bump steer) and should be measured only 'straight ahead' at the specified ride height.

Airbag Type

Instrument pack

Instrument cowl

Instrument

mounting bracket

fixings (4 off)

Upper column clamp fixings

b343

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