Anthony Micallef Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 I have just read the thread 'Idiot Questions' with great interest and it has prompted me to ask something that has been niggling me for a while. I apologise in advance if it really is a stupid question. Here goes! I am a fairly average driver with average skill behind the wheel. When it comes to anything mechanical i'm completely useless. What I want to know is how do I go about finding out if my 7 is set up correctly? What I mean is, does the car handle as well as it can or is it just that i'm a crap driver? Could there be room for improvement or do I need some driver training? Can I just give the car to CC and say, sort it please? I would be grateful if someone could throw some light on the subject for me. I apologise if I haven't put my point across very well. The Happy 7 Owner 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Exactly the same sort of things went through my mind when I got my car in October. I felt it handled poorly and felt very skittish on b-roads. Of course all my previous experience in cars that 'handle' were front drivers so I figured my senses needed re-calibrating. The Caterham is an ideal beast to set-up in terms of handling and I figured in the end that handling is purely about personal taste and style. The trick is to first understand your own style. Therefore I intend a healthy number of trackdays in the summer to get a better handle on how well I drive and what set-up suits me. I looked critically at the suspension set-up as the car came to me and decided that as the dampers where 55K miles old, they could probably do with changing along with a general refresh of the suspension. I opted for the Freestyle road/track lightweight ali springs/dampers setup because they looked good value, seemed to be rated by several blatchatters and were adjustable for height and damping. The idea is that I can play with the set-up to suit my style. Whether I ultimately achieve the right set-up for me is debateable but at least i'll get an education and have fun trying. I think the bottom line is that handling is a personal thing, so taking your car to CC and asking them to make it handle might not work in reality. On the plus side there is so much advice available on here that you should be able to find a set-up that suits you as long as your willing to listen and experiemnt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Anthony, To try and sort of answer ypur questions in no particular order:- 1) We could all do with some Driver training (80% of drivers think they are better than average ). For the road you could try the IAM or a session with Hugh. 2) What you are after is to get the car set up so it feels the most comfortable and right for you. I wouldn't use CC. They will put a car together, they are not in the business of "fiddling" with it to get it perfect - thats what owners do. Talk to James Whiting, he'll give you loads of free advice on your setup, and if you take the car to him, he'll do it. 3)Get along to one of Adrian Elkins "Seven Maintenance for Dummies" courses, and learn how to DIY But mostly - enjoy the car. Dave H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino ferrana Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 You could try Team Parker Racing as I have heard they are very good at setting cars up (certainly for the track Nurburgring, Eurocup and Superlight Champions). They have a good reputation within this community and are reckoned to be good value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Micallef Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Thnak you for your comments. Don't take this the wrong way but i was a bit dissapointed. There must be a neutral set up for the car? If I'm honest then I would say that my car understeers too much for my liking. How would I change this? The Happy 7 Owner 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miraz Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 You can reduce understeer by combinations of:- *arrowright*Increasing the height of the rear *arrowright*Decreasing the height of the front *arrowright*Softer springs/dampers at the front *arrowright*Harder springs/dampers at the rear *arrowright*Small front anti-roll bar (within reason) Adjusting the preload on the diff (assuming LSD) Understeer on a seven is not always a bad thing, you can get back on the power much earlier in the bend if the car understeers a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I'm personally will be looking to set mt car up for a bit of gentle understeer as it suits my driving style. I always thought the thicker the arb the more understeer you should expect or am I talking out of my 🙆🏻 ?? Anyway I have a 5/8 arb and hope to tweek this aspect of handling with the damper settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 So reducing the front arb will reduce understeer - is that not saying the same thing as increasing the ARB will increase understeer? Low tech luddite - xflow and proud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight fart Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Anthony, as your in Chingford I would recomend Chris Wheeler at the workshop Hoddesdon. good blast up sewardstone road and all. Or you could bring it up to me and I'll give it a good thrashing 😬 T.F@O.F. www.griptv.com Edited by - r phillips on 17 Jan 2003 13:05:49 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 ahh yes..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westy Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 What tyres are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Micallef Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Im using A021R's. My car has an uprated front ARB and a Superlight rear ARB. The Happy 7 Owner 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight fart Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 I wouldn't use a rear anti roll bar on the road , and would use a softer one at the front. I think the best option for the front is Freestyles adjustable. Are you doing any track days, if so 21s will understeer, a switch to 32rs will cure quite a bit. If you haven't done any trackdays with the car then I would say give it a go you will learn a lot about yourself and the car. T.F@O.F. www.griptv.com Edited by - r phillips on 18 Jan 2003 10:26:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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