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Not too much to say
about this upgrade really. The kit cost around £100
from Caterham
and contained the following:
New Top Links
New Anti-Roll Bar (ARB)
New ARB mounting blocks
All the necessary fixing bolts and instructions.
The standard live axle
front suspension, otherwise known as the classic set-up,
consists of a lower wishbone, a rear top link and then the
ARB attaches to the top link and effectively forms the front
half of an upper wishbone. This means that the ARB is having
to do two jobs. The first is to act as an anti-roll bar
but the other is to form part of the top triangulation and
withstand the forward forces of the upright over bumps,
potholes and general cornering. Whilst this system works,
I can't help but feel that the forces acting on the ARB
don't let it do it's job properly, which is to control roll.
Ideally one would convert to a fully double wishbone set-up,
ala De-Dion, or inboard dampers, ala Freestyle. However,
both of these option require chassis modifications and I
didn't want to go down that route, mainly due to cost, but
also due to having to much else on with the Zetec
engine swap.
This kit offers an additional link bracket which passes
through the side skin and bolts to the rear of the chassis
tube using longer ARB mounting block bolts. The new link
then hinges on this bracket whilst fitting into the old
ARB holes in the top link, bolted from behind, forming a
solid wishbone. A new ARB is then used which locates into
the new link and passes through the mounting blocks in the
same way.
There really is nothing to fitting this, the biggest obstacle
being the cutting of a 1" hole. The best thing to use
is a proper cutter from somewhere like RS (drill a center
hole and then clamp to parts together).
The results are great and certainly worth the price. The
most marked improvement is in corner turn-in which feels
significantly quicker and the front end generally feels
more planted in bends and when making fast steering wheel
inputs.
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