cdt123 Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 (edited) Hi all, Has anyone fitted one of these to a 160? Looking at the manual it looks as if it bolts to the diff however having a look in mine I don’t think mine has this bracket. https://caterhamparts.co.uk/a-frames/6956-a-frame-live-axle-seven-160-only.html Doing some digging, it looks as if this could be the chassis upgrade that the super sprint has. Can anyone confirm if this is true? If so, potentially a worthwhile upgrade for a 160? Cheers! Chris. Edited November 8, 2023 by cdt123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Paul Richards Posted November 8, 2023 Area Representative Share Posted November 8, 2023 If you have a 3 cylinder 7 and talking about fitting an A frame from an early live axle 7 then I’m fairly certain the answer is no. Chassis on your 7 is completely different to a S3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted November 8, 2023 Leadership Team Share Posted November 8, 2023 Paul, the part that Chris has linked to is definitely an A-frame for a live axle Suzuki 160, although beyond that I can't help with the question! Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 2 hours ago, cdt123 said: Looking at the manual it looks as if it bolts to the diff however having a look in mine I don’t think mine has this bracket. You've got the pictorial-style manual already. If you'd like the old text-rich version and the factory amendments list please send me a Private Message with your email address. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_w Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 does the standard 160 use a different set up? I've never looked underneath one but assumed they would use an A frame like all other live axle 7s since 1960! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiddy7 Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 That picture is from the 170 build manual, the 160 does not use an a frame it has two trailing links on each side and a panard rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdt123 Posted November 8, 2023 Author Share Posted November 8, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tiddy7 said: That picture is from the 170 build manual, the 160 does not use an a frame it has two trailing links on each side and a panard rod Ah interesting! Does anyone know what the SuperSprint has which supposedly has a chassis upgrade (+LSD) is? I wonder if the 160 would still benifit from an a-frame if it was possible to fit one or does the panhard rod do a sufficient job? Also thanks @Tiddy7 for the photos! Edited November 8, 2023 by cdt123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker7 Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 The panhard rod has been used in many live axle sevens (westfields, locosts etc) and as an upgrade to old skool escorts. It does the job very well, but it has a limitation. As one end is secured to the chassis it becomes a fixed rotation point and as the axle rises and falls, its mounting on the axle end moves in a slight arc. That in turn means the axle moves slightly sideways instead of purely up and down. Ideally the panhard rod should be level when the car is normally loaded to minimise the side to side deflection. I'm sure an experienced racer would be able to tell the subtle difference between a panhard rod or an A frame. I guess most drivers wouldn't, especially on a normal road therefore I'd say the panhard rod would do a sufficient job. nb i've got no back to back experience to quote from comparing an A frame to panhard rod. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Paul Richards Posted November 8, 2023 Area Representative Share Posted November 8, 2023 4 hours ago, SLR No.77 said: Paul, the part that Chris has linked to is definitely an A-frame for a live axle Suzuki 160, although beyond that I can't help with the question! Stu. Ahhh! The only 3 pot 7 I have seen had trailing arms and a panhard rod. I didn’t realise there were already differences in them. As has been said the panhard rod does an adequate job. I think you’d need to be Lewis Hamilton to notice the lateral movement it gives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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