SUSPENSION > TOE-LINK KIT

Retail price: £545.00 ex. VAT complete kit

The standard Lotus toe-link has been designed for road use, and is pretty marginal on strength when it comes to track use. One of the most common track-day or race modifications is to upgrade this item.

Nitron’s toe-link kit has been designed initially for Toyota engined cars only, but other Lotus models are following soon. Our kit is unique in its design, and is something we have applied for a patent we are so pleased with its results. We have used the very best available materials, to produce the lightest yet stiffest bar available.

Design

The assembly has a full Fluro Motorsport joint at each end (their best joint), but unlike the normal aftermarket kits with left hand and right hand threads, ours is adjusted only at the outer end, in the wheel, which is easily accessible. As such, there is no need to remove the undertray to make adjustments. Also, as our system uses differential thread pitch adjustment (as used on real racing car suspension), very fine tune adjustment can easily be achieved, which is necessary when setting the rear toe-in.

The kit comprises a stainless steel bracket which is attached to the chassis with the existing fasteners, then an additional bolt needs fitting into the underside and an optional (but recommended) rivnut should be fitted to the rear (see photo). All fasteners are supplied in the kit. This bracket places the slimmer 10mm bolt in double shear which is necessary for reliability and stiffness. The inner joint has some stainless spacers fitted to it, then it is attached to the car with a specially made 12.9 grade High tensile bolt (these are normally black), which has a very long smooth shank and short thread section as it goes through the rear lower wishbone bush. This bolt is then electroplated to resist corrosion.

The main toe-link tube is fitted to the inner rod-end, this tube is machined from a billet of 7075-T6 as well as being gun-drilled for lightness, and the hard anodised. This tube is really substantial to retain the overall stiffness of the link, which is essential to maintain the correct toe setting during hard cornering.

The adjuster system is then screwed into the main tube, this is a stainless steel barrel with a male and female thread machined onto it. By using a 2.0mm pitch thread and a 1.25mm pitch thread, both RH threads, when the assembly is turned, it will either extend or retract by 0.75mm per turn to allow really fine tune adjustment. This system is also much easier to lock and unlock than a joint at either end of a simple tube. The outer rod end is then screwed into the female end, and the link is complete.

To finish the kit, we have machined a Titanium stem with rolled threads and the correct taper which is inserted into the bottom of the upright. Titanium is super stiff and is used in F1 for this application. Porsche Cup cars also use an extended pin of this style but only in steel. With a lightweight K-nut fitted each end of the pin and stainless spacers to adjust bump steer, this finishes the ultimate toe-link kit.

We have personally tested this kit in the Britcar 6 hour this year and the drivers all reported that the car felt incredibly precise and predictable.

Weights

These are all-up weights of the complete assemblies:

• Nitron toe-link kit 1.8kg
• Lotus Sport kit with it’s central connecting bar 3.8kg
• Lotus standard toe-links on a production car 2.4kg

> IN SUMMARY

• Aluminium Toe-Link tube machined in 7075-T6 and HARD ANODISED
• TITANIUM outer spindle with rolled threads and taper fit to standard
    rear upright
• Conical spacers in stainless steel for bump-steer adjustment
• M12 K-nuts for both ends of outer tapered spindle
• German ‘Fluro’ Motorsport range 12mm PTFE lined spherical bearings
• Stainless steel adjuster barrel
• Stainless steel double shear plate (needs fixing to chassis with drill)
• High tensile electroplated 12.9 grade inner M10 bolt (specially made)
• Optional bearing rubber boots is required

> ADVANTAGES:

• Adjustment at outer end only using differential thread pitch system,
    so undertray does not need to be removed.
• Super-fine adjustment.
• No corrosion
• Super stiff Titanium outer spindle to retain toe under load
• Ultra lightweight
• Isolated double shear inner mounting (required as it is only 10mm
    diameter)
• Super high quality bearings so will last an extremely long time