‘Great catch on the missing washers on the “outward” wishbone bolts to the bearing housing. Wow.
I didn’t recall any present upon hardware disassembly-but perhaps I misplaced them. I checked the service parts list and they weren’t pictured, but they are listed! I will install some’
That is one of the areas that I check first when I buy an Elan, as they are so very often assembled incorrectly there, with either wrong length bolts, incorrect orientation of bolts, [the Duckworth Elan], missing washers or incorrect height nylocks evident. In engineering terms, you should never have a steel moving part, ie a bolt head, or bush, or nylock in this case, moving against an ali part, ie, the ali housing, cos there is only going to be one winner in terms of wear, and it aint going to be the ali housing.
The other thing to consider if the rear housing assembly is not correct, is this. If you leave out vital washers and everything is torqued up to spec., you will only run the car for a few hundred miles before the torque on the long bolts in that assembly is lost, and then the bushes will not be acting as bushes, but just pivots, and the cars handling will suffer.
'(I was wondering why those threads came within 1/16" of each other after tightening!)
That is not going to change when you fit nice thick washers under the nylocks, and is correct, see my picture. What will change is that you will not have anywhere near so many threads showing.
‘Should washers be present under the bolthead and nut for the “inboard wishbone bolts” to the chassis?’
No, the chassis should already have thick captive washers welded in place.
’ You are correct that bushing has been “bruised.” I am unhappy with the bushing condition, on the differential torque rod. Ugh! It isn’t great but I think the bushing, is generally doing its job.(?) I was wondering if I could change it out without differential removal?’
Yes, no problem to change the rubbers on the torque rods without removing the diff.
Your pictures Mike, show the benefit of posting them, so that critical, but objective eyes can be cast apon them.
Leslie