Lotus Elite Front Suspension and Steering Repairs

My 76 Lotus Elite gets new front suspension trunnions and I discover a sloppy steering issue while the car is on the lift. Repair parts came from RD Ent. They are not a sponsor but I call them first when I need something. The Motorhouse is my restoration garage where I keep our car collection motoring down the road. I am not a professional but a motivated DIY person who enjoys the hobby.

[@davidwitham5588]

Surprised to see nylon stuck to the rack.

[@bobbishop9339]

I worked at the dealership in 1974 when these came out. We found the problem with the front end was the lower control arm was moving front to back on rough roads, like railroad tracks. It would shake so bad your wrist watch would pop. We tried a couple of things to fix this but nothing we tried solved it. The one thing I wanted to try was the lower arm mod. Make the inner end like a Y, bolt it up to the frame outside in stead of in side. The factory tried replacing bushings on the sway bar but this didn't cure it all the way. I have seen cures from euro owners of adding a bar from the lower arm to keep it from moving. Later cars had power steering which I think was the factory final fix. Have you found this problem on your '76?

[@lotusrepair1439]

Sorry for the slow response. I took the power steering off and I like the manual steering better. I have not had the issue you write about. The car came with a steering damper but that too has not been put back on. Very little info on the damper and hard to match an exact replacement.