Wide Track Advice

[Griff]

I've just invested in Freestyle adjustable antiroll bars only to find my assumption that I had wide track suspension on the front seems to be wrong (that's what I was told when I bought the car) as the new front A/R bar is several inches wider at the ball joints than the old one. Questions:-

 

How much wider is wide track than standard?

What are the standard/wide dimensions from ball to ball on the A/R bar? Or from somewhere else I can easily measure? Or is there another way to easily tell?

Can you buy the wide track kit from Caterham minus A/R bar (as I already have the Freestyle one)?

Does anyone else make good aftermarket widetrack kits?

Is the handling improvement significant (especially on track day driving) or am I better off getting the standard width bar from Freestyle?

Does widetrack installation have knock-on effects to springs & damper (modifications, lots of setup changes etc)? I've got adjustables onthe front but not at the rear.

Will the car need flat flooring again after a widetrack upgrade?

 

So much for my plans to upgrade everything in time for Castle Combe tomorrow! Any advice really appreciated.

 

Mike

[StewartG]

Widetrack was a bit of a disapointment, certainly not as big an imorovement as a new set of tyres but it does look cool. And yes it completely messes up all your suspension set up, given that the existing dampers and springs are now a different length and working at different angles. Maybe it's this that leads to the lack of perceived benefit. I had to change to massively stiffer springs to get the go-kart steering back and I can't help feeling that in theory at least the damping should be recalibrated

[Tony Martyr]

Inside tyre (032 yokos) dimension is about 1150mm for a wide track and there is a 39mm hexigon extension piece attached to each end of the steering rod if the unit has been converted.

having done 15 track days pre conversion and 10 post conversion I think the car (1600k) is more stable on fast corners but less nimble on tight changes of direction like the mole hill at Curborough. Thats very subjective but photographs reveal less roll near the limit with the new set up.

The whole set up has to be reworked. I have much stiffer springs (green Vauxhall - can't remember the rating)

In your position at this time of year I would leave the geometry as is and change the A/R bar

Tony

[Griff]

Thanks for those dimensions Tony. I too have 1150mm at floor level with the same tyres (about 1120mm at the top allowing for camber) plus the 39mm spacers on the track rod ends. Guess I conclude from this that I do indeed have widetrack suspension. Begs the question why is the Freestyle ARB another couple of inches wider still?

 

Just wondering if there are different designs of top wishbone that could account for the difference?

 

Mike