Lotus 72 suspension question

This is a somewhat esoteric question regarding an obscure part of an old race car, but if anyone knows the answer it would have to be someone at TNF. I am a modeler, working on a conversion of the 1/12 Tamiya 1972 Lotus 72D to the 1970 72C. My question concerns the 72C rear suspension, which had very wide-based tubular triangulated lower wishbones. At the rear, the wishbones were attached to a stamped aluminum or stainless steel plate, which was sandwiched between the cases of the Hewland Gearbox. At the front, the wishbones disappear into the tangle of exhaust pipes and it appears that they must attach to some sort of frame or bracket bolted to the side of the DFV engine. I have been unable to find a photo or drawing that shows this. Does anyone know exactly what the front attachment arrangement was?

Steve Sobieralski

This is a somewhat esoteric question regarding an obscure part of an old race car, but if anyone knows the answer it would have to be someone at TNF. I am a modeler, working on a conversion of the 1/12 Tamiya 1972 Lotus 72D to the 1970 72C. My question concerns the 72C rear suspension, which had very wide-based tubular triangulated lower wishbones. At the rear, the wishbones were attached to a stamped aluminum or stainless steel plate, which was sandwiched between the cases of the Hewland Gearbox. At the front, the wishbones disappear into the tangle of exhaust pipes and it appears that they must attach to some sort of frame or bracket bolted to the side of the DFV engine. I have been unable to find a photo or drawing that shows this. Does anyone know exactly what the front attachment arrangement was?

Steve Sobieralski

There was a welded tubular assembly to which the forward parallel link of the lower suspension was attached. In fact, the welded assembly also carried the rear upper link.

I've looked around the web to see if I could find a photo that would help (a picture is worth a thousand words & all that.), but had little luck. However, there are a few barely adequate photos at these sites:
www.lotustalk.com/forums/f163/classic-team-lotus-37097/
www.parc.de/v4/product_view2.phtml?id=20905004&format=SPEC4

I hope this help you. See these links:

http://www.gurneyfla...enheim2010.html
http://www.gurneyfla...s/HOKEN7286.jpg (rear suspension)
http://www.gurneyfla...s/HOKEN7288.jpg (rear suspension)
http://www.gurneyfla...s/HOKEN7120.jpg (front suspension)
http://www.gurneyfla...s/HOKEN7299.jpg (front suspension)

Lots of reference photos for modelers. Very, very good detail pictures. Fantastic site.

Thank you both for responding to my question.

Layabout, the second photo you gave a link for is one that I found recently and is, to my knowledge, the only photo readily available of the earliest version of the 72C rear suspension with the inboard mounted dampers.

Ibsenop, the two 72 rear suspension photos that you linked are very helpful. They don't tell me everything I would like to know but they are the best I have seen so far.

Thanks again.

Steve Sobieralski