Lotus cars are popular because they are simple and easy to drive. The suspensions are well-tuned and the car’s parts are lightweight. But people can make even the best factory setups better to suit their own tastes and needs. This blog post is about how to give the Lotus parts a better suspension. So that it can make it run better and handle precisely.
About Lotus Car
The British car company, Lotus has long been a sign of great engineering. That company has been making cars since 1948. It has high-tech features. These stylish, fast cars have won over many car fans. Some great examples of these stylish cars are the Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige, which look great and work well.
Lotus Suspension Upgrades
The engineers of this well-known car company make sure that the Lotus genuine parts or suspensions offer both comfort and efficiency. However, those parts made by the factory might not always be suitable for every driver or situation. So, the balance of your car can be changed to fit the way you drive. Whether you drive your Lotus to work every day, to the track on the weekends, or to try to meet your serious racing goals, there are many ways to make it work better.
Important Upgrades to the Suspension of Lotus
Now let's look more closely at some of the best ways to improve the handling of a Lotus car:
Dampers (Shock Absorbers)
Original parts like dampers/shock absorbers may have some limitations while manufacturing. Such as genuine dampers are more focused on comfort driving. They neglect features like smoother handling.
Benefits of upgrading:
To overcome these limits, the suspensions can be upgraded. While doing so, we can have the following advantages:
Adjustable Dampers:
- For a single-way damper, drivers can only move in one direction easily. Movement in other directions is resisted. Hence, with adjustable dampers, you can easily move your car in other directions, no matter whether the suspension is compressing or extending.
- The same can be done with two-way and three-way dampers, that too at both high and low speeds.
Advantages:
These changes make driving more adaptable. Hence, it can do its best in a range of driving conditions. It will be more stable when turning. It has less body roll. It means in any situation if your body feels like pushing outwards of the car. In such situations, by using upgraded dampers, your car can let you drive better.
Springs
Springs are a crucial component of a car. These help in maintaining a balance between car and road by supporting the vehicle. They keep the tires in contact with the road. However, they also need an upgrade to make them work smoothly.
Applications of upgrading springs:
- Stiffer Springs: Lessen body roll when turning and make the car more stable when speeding up or slowing down.
- Lowering Springs: It brings the car's center of gravity down. With a lessened center of gravity, there will be reduced body roll. Also, the car will become less prone to leaning motion. This makes it handle better.
- Things to Think About: Adding or removing springs can change how comfortable the ride is and how high the vehicle can go off the ground.
Sway Bars (Anti-Roll Bars)
While turning a car, a certain force pushes the weight of the vehicle outside. This results in uneven suspension, leads the body of the car to tilt outward, commonly known as body roll. To overcome this, the sway bars are there. These bars resist this twisting motion and maintain the balance.
However, there is one limitation of these sway bars. These anti-roll bars keep the car from understeering or oversteering too much. Hence, they might not work well with strong or forceful driving styles.
Therefore, a suspension upgrade for sway bars is necessary sometimes.
Rear-Toe Link Brace Kits
To handle turns and bumps, a car’s rear wheels need stability. It is provided by rear-toe link brace kits. These are like adding extra support to the wheels of the vehicle. It also reduces flex while driving.
Yet, when heavy loads are put on rear-toe link braces, they may bend, which makes the car less stable when moving quickly. Hence, the upgrade is required. When you strengthen the rear suspension, it gets stiffer. This makes it easier to handle when you're driving quickly or aggressively.
Performance Benefits of Suspension Upgrades
By getting your Lotus suspension upgrades, you may get a lot of benefits in terms of performance.
- Better Handling: The biggest pro of upgrading the suspension is that it makes the car much easier to drive. With less body roll and better grip, steering becomes quicker.
- Improved Ride Quality: Despite what people think, high-quality suspension improvements can actually make the ride more comfortable. They can make driving smoother and more polished by better controlling how the wheels move and absorbing bumps in the road.
- Customization: Because some parts can be adjusted, Lotus drivers can make the car fit their own tastes and driving styles. You can fine-tune the suspension to fit your needs, whether you want better running on the track or a more comfortable daily drive.
- Increased Durability: Many extra parts, especially those made for track use, are made to last a long time and be durable. In this way, you can be sure that your speed upgrades will last through rough driving conditions.
Picking the Perfect Lotus Suspension Upgrades
It takes a lot of thought to choose the best suspension upgrades of Lotus parts. Things to think about are:
- Preferred driving style: How do you normally drive your car? Do you care more about daily comfort, track performance, or a mix of the two?
- Budget: Upgrades to the suspension can be very cheap or very expensive depending on the specifics.
- Usage: How and where do you drive your Lotus most of the time? Do you keep track of days, daily travels, or a mix of the two?
Conclusion
It's important to only buy Lotus genuine parts from trustworthy websites if you want your Lotus product to last. The chassis is the first thing you should change if you want your Lotus to go faster and handle better. You can choose to add coilovers, dampers, or sway bars. These can make driving more enjoyable and speed up race results.
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