Caterham 7 Superlight and specifically the history of No.: 106
Tag: Nitron
For sale on Pistonheads https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/caterham/all-models/caterham-superlight-no-106/10051467
SOLD 04/12/2019 and bought back by me on 13/10/2021!
Update: Replaced with BMW M3 (e92) Limited Edition 500 1 owner from new with FBMWSH https://m3le500.wordpress.com/
Nitrons came from Ratrace set at:
Fronts +10 from full soft
Rears +13 from full soft
Advised to harden the rear (steps of +2) to counter any understeer.
Comment: I have found this a little hard on my local roads.
06/07/2018
Fronts +8 from full soft
Rears +10 from full soft
Comments: much better for roads around Hemel Hempstead.
Track setttings:
Fronts -8 from full hard
Rears -6 from full hard
Car into Ratrace Motorsport to have the NITRON NTR1 suspension fitted and full geometry / flat flooring (117kg driver).
New lower wishbones fitted; due to bearing carriers being out of spec i.e. too loose after being powder coated.
42,317 miles. (Ratrace Motorsport) Invoice: 1678
3 week lead time.
£1344 + P&P. (Ratrace Motorsport) Invoice: 1672 (order No: 1605)
CATERHAM WIDE TRACK DE-DION (POST`96) NTR R1 SUSPENSION KIT
The NTR R1 system offers unrivalled performance and value with a design that gives drivers a wide range of effective, easy to use damping control.
2-Way combined damping adjustment. Developed from our full race suspension and sharing many components with the R3 system, the R1 offers exceptional performance, reliability and value for both road and track use. Widely praised by drivers around the world and respected for out-performing considerably more expensive suspension kits.
R1 kits provides uncompromising quality, reliability and performance without the need for a remote canister. Fade-resistant and hand built with ultra-low friction components, the R1 shock is made to last on the road and track.
The high-grade materials protect against corrosion whilst reducing weight. Every R1 kit is custom built, sprung and fully serviceable. Titanium and hard-anodised parts are hand built to last not only season after season, but also the harshest of winters.
Right, collected the care from Rob at Ratrace and I am very pleased with the standard of his work, knowledge of all thing mechanical and specifically 7. His approach is just really good in my opinion, wanting to get things right but not reinvent the wheel unnecessarily. I will definitely be going back to him.
Upon collection Rob, adjusted the throttle pedal for me to be able to heel and toe on down changes and then set the rear anti-roll bar drop links with me sat in the car.
The car starts and idles very nicely. In fact, the engine is now so smooth. To start from cold it requires a little throttle until the engine starts to warm, at which point it is rock steady.
The fitment of correct track road ends has made a noticeable difference to the steering. It was good before but now is sublime, reacting to the slightest touch with a new found lightness and feel.
The engine needs to be mapped and Rob has strongly recommended travelling to Emerald http://www.emeraldm3d.com/rolling-road in deepest, darkest Norfolk, to get this work done. I just need to remind them that the air horn length (throttle trumpets) has been set at 90mm and may need a little adjustment. I also want to a sensible rev limit set as my K Series has a standard bottom end and the Caterham Super Sport rev limit (7600 rpm) is generally viewed as too high for sustained use, without a forged bottom end. To that end, I have been advised by both Dave Andrews t/a DVA Engines and Rob at Ratrace Motorsport that anywhere between 7,000 to 7,200 rpm should be fine; and will take Emerald’s advice on the day.
I also need new lower (front) wishbones fitted and new suspension all round. I think that is likely to be a set of the excellent Nitron NTR1’s. Typically Caterham are out of stock of right hand lower wishbones, with an expected delivery date of 9th February. Rob has a set on back order for me.
Watch this space for updates!
Right spoke to Simon Rogers at Meteor Motorsport this morning, to discuss my options. Prior to doing so I read his excellent buyers guide which I attach below in italics.
With my budget I am realistically looking at Nitron NTR1’s with the Suplex springs or possibly Eibach or Quantum Zero One’s, again with Suplex springs or Eibach but with the Digressive shim pack for the front shock absorbers.
Both currently have a lead time of aboyt 5 weeks.
Will wait for Rob to come back to be and then have a conversation with my lovely and very understanding wife. Simon Rogers very helpfully reminded me that this is a safety issue… no sure that will wash!
“I will try to answer and highlight the more general information which can be applied to your car before making recommendations at the end. You may find me rambling a little and referring to specific cars half way through.
As I hope you are aware I sell a range of brands of dampers. I also sell a range of specifications – non adjustable all the way to 4 way adjustable.
In order to justify to the manufacturers and customers why I recommend one product in a price range and specification over another I have set out all similar products to make the same margin in actual £ not percentage.
So on a 1 way set of Nitron’s I make the same margin as a 1 way set of Quantum and so on through the various specifications. I hope this justifies our independence and impartial advice.
Here we go then – fixed rate, 1 way, 2 way,3 way or more:?
Justifying a set of the 4 way Ohlins TX40 or 3 way Penske for road use will be difficult, however if you want the best specification at a very reasonable cost and you really want the ultimate adjustment, quality of product and brand then they are worth every penny. Indeed I have sold a number of sets to road going owners who wanted just that ultimate performance. You will never ever need another set of dampers! In many respects I think you possibly feel the better quality of a damper on the road than you do on a track
where surfaces are far smoother and consistent. On track the clock and your confidence will always feel that performance gain. Fixed Rate Dampers
As it says really these are suspension dampers which have no adjustment for the valving of the damper. They do have ride height adjustment but nothing else. For this specification we only offer the Quantum Zero. It is available in regular linear piston and valve configuration, digressive/linear piston formats. Our specification will make sure the suspension will be set up exactly for your needs not to hard and certainly a great improvement on standard dampers. (For digressive valving and pistons please see the information below).
The Quantum Zero is fully upgradeable to either one or two way in the future if required as it would be to add digressive pistons at a later date.
Quantum Zero £1091.08 incl springs + vat
1 Way Adjustment – One adjuster that alters both Compression and Rebound settings
In the one way range we have AVO Twin Tube aluminum dampers (not gas pressurised) Nitron Street Series, Quantum One.Zero, Nitron NTR1, Nitron NTR1 Pro 46mm and Penske 7500. The most cost effective of the 1 way damper is the
Nitron Street Series @ £699.00 (Only available for certain car specifications).
AVO £684.20 + vat
Nitron NTR1 @ £1299.00 + vat
Nitron NTR1 @ £1587..50 + vat
QRS One.Zero @ £1399.00 + vat
Penske 7500 1 Way @ £1980.00+ vat (or £2320.00 + vat with clicker)
Nitron offer two great value, well specified products within this range, both recognizable by the smart hard anodised grey exterior coating. The Street Series may well be the damper for you if you are looking to upgrade your regular road use damper to something for more focused and spirited driving. These offer a wide range of adjustability, albeit having factory specified valving, which is the same both front and rear. Spring rates are also factory specified and are biased slightly towards retaining a reasonable degree of compliance on the road. The Street Series has at least 35 clicks of adjustment.
The NTR1 is probably the more familiar of the Nitron 1 way dampers which you will see on many Caterham’s. This is altogether a more focused product that benefits from being ‘made to order’ so allows input from Meteor to ensure our massive experience with Caterham suspension is fully utilised. The NTR1 has 24 clicks of adjustment.
The Nitron NTR1 Pro 46mm until recently has not been something I would have recommended for use with a lightweight car. It has not been able to flow enough oil at low speed damper movement (giving to firm a ride). Now though following work with our Autograss customers I am able to use a high flow 46mm piston in the build specification. This now means that the 46mm Pro damper performs exactly as required. With the benefits arising from greater oil capacity and strength it’s a great damper that should be considered.
The QRS is entirely manufactured and assembled in the UK save for perhaps the O rings or seals used. The quality of engineering design and indeed finish is second to none. Hard anodized just like the Nitron and available in an all black finish if required for a small additional cost.
The One.Zero has 27 “clicks” of adjustment. Very progressive and you really do feel the “clicks”. The Quantum has finer adjustment but the Nitron can be adjusted over a wider range.
Both manufacturers recommend bi annual service intervals. The main differentiator between the two dampers is the upgrade path and options. The most significant difference is the availability of the Digressive piston with Quantum. I think this makes a significant difference particularly to front end “turn in” and positive feedback through the wheel. Additionally the Quantum can be built into a 2 way damper with very little work perhaps at the time of service.
The Penske is as you would expect a fantastic product but I feel the Nitron and Quantum offer better value at there respective prices. If you want the ultimate performance it remains an valuable option.
I would have no difficulty recommending any of the above – it is dependent on the options and upgrades you may wish to make in the future.
2 Way Adjustment
We have 4 options here but only from 3 manufacturers .
QRS Two.Zero @ £2097.00 + vat
Penske 7500 @ £2337.60 + vat (sweep adjuster) and @ £2677.60 + vat. (clicker knob adjuster). Penske 8300 @ £3744.00 + vat – remote reservoir and upgradeable to 3 way 8700 specification.
Ohlins 2 way with remote reservoir @ £3390.00 + vat
Ohlins ILX 2 Way – no reservoir required @ £4010.00 + vat (Fantastic dampers with great performance and packaging. Very easily tuned or modified to adjust in more “ways”).
The Penske 8300, Ohlins and Quantum all have digressive piston options. We have just taken delivery of the first Nitron Digressive pistons for us to develop. These will be available later in the year. Penske and Ohlins included in cost and Quantum @ £250/set. I think the Quantum offers the better value for money at this level but you need to offset this with Penske and Ohlins reputation, performance and brand. The Penske 8300 however is a fantastic spec and damper now with the possibility to upgrade to 3 way. This would be my choice if funds were available. I must emphasize that the Quantum has nothing to worry about here either coming from F1 History. I guess I am saying its personal choice.
3 & 4 Way Adjustment
At this level we have the Nitron NTR3, Ohlins ILX, TTX40 and Penske. I have owned and used the Nitron NTR3 Pro for a competitive season and they were faultless. We now have new high flow pistons and valving available making this a great step into a multi way damper. Although a significant price differential my current damper of choice is the Penske 8700. There currently is a significant difference in the way the dampers perform and the way the car responds. If you are choosing a multi way damper it is likely you require the fine adjustment and performance of the Penske. It comes with a Digressive/Linear piston and is infinitely adjustable. Simply superb. I use this myself as it offers huge performance for a very very attractive cost. We have also just received the specifications for Ohlins ILX and TTX40. The ILX are an all in one damper with no remote canister and are of a very high specification. The TTX40 is a damper of a through rod design and just like the ILX have no external reservoir and are easy to install. These dampers require no remote canister and are available in 2, 3 and 4 way adjustment. The like for like cost is shown below. I would certainly recommend them if you have the budget. I have tested them on our dyno and the results and range of adjustment are at another level again. This is though reflected in the cost!
Nitron NTR 3 – £2712.50 + vat Nitron NTR 3 Pro – £3062.50.00 + vat
Penske 8700 – 3 Way – £4904.00 + vat Ohlins ILX – 3 Way – £5190.00 + vat
Springs
All of the above dampers (except the Street Series) can be supplied with linear springs or with our own twin spring progressive set up. The benefits of the progressive set up make for a far less harsh ride. I particularly like them on the rear of a 7. Do not underestimate the significant benefit that the new dampers and valving will bring to ride quality but the twin spring is a fantastic extra.
Pistons and Digressive Valving
Now just to confuse or add to the decision making process further I have developed with Quantum a valving and set up with what we call a “Digressive” piston. This affects the shape of the damper force curve/plot. It brings a further enhancement to ride and performance. Unfortunately as always there is a cost implication as the machining process for the digressive piston has to be completed on 2 different machines and has to be handled by a “man” a number of times. The linear piston is one machine – one time handling.
The digressive set up is available as an additional cost for both 1 way and 2 way QRS dampers @ £260.00 + vat For reference the 8300 and 8700 Penske’s comes with a digressive piston as standard.
General Information
Lets look at the standard dampers.
Bilstein. I have tested many and most of the various M1/M0 types etc (there are far more than the 2 specs). They perform well – the curve/plot is good except it’s all a little soft IMHO. Digressive in shape = good but just under damped. Works well on a road car with less power and momentum. Spring rates OK – front could be stiffened a little – rear is progressive and good.
My testing of these has found that although they seem not to fail to often they do not match each other very accurately. Indeed after testing one batch of 9 front dampers the range across all was in excess of 60% of the adjustment in a Quantum. Additionally it was the newest set that were the furthest apart. – hardest and softest. This not a criticism – they are simply different spec dampers intended for different work.
Any of the new dampers will make an improvement to ride and control, precision etc. So long as we get the spring rates correct they will not be harsh either.
So what to do? Well I do not yet know your budget. I will therefore make some assumptions.
You would like to see a good step up in performance – you probably drive it faster than when you first had the car so it’s not so much as the car falling away as you improving and feeling more comfortable. It’s a very very fast and stable car so you need to ensure it has the poise to make use of its power.
Option 1 – Ultimate spec.
Penske 8700 Series – 3 way adjustable – £4904.00+vat or Ohlins ILX 3 way – £5190.00+vat Nitron NTR3 Pro – £3062.50.00 + vat
Option 2 – High Spec/Performance 2 way
Penske 8300 £3744.00 + vat or
QRS 2 Way – Digressive piston £2357.00 + vat Ohlins ILX 2 way – £4010.00 + vat
Option 3 – 1 way adjustable
Difficult Choice – its up to you and your future plans. Nitron NTR1 – Linear £1299.00 + vat
QRS – 1 Way – Digressive/Linear Piston £1659.00 + vat
There are so many options without a budget it is difficult for me to make a selection. Let me have some figures and I will guide you more accurately.
The only thing I would add in the first instance is that I do offer a stiffer set up for the track guys – that’s the whole idea of speaking to me rather than a manufacturer who knows the dampers but not the car.
Lead Times
The approximate lead time for the manufacturers is stated below. Nitron 3 Weeks
Penske 3 Weeks
Ohlins 10 – 12 Weeks
Quantum 5 Weeks”
Rob from (the excellent) RatRace Motorsport phoned last night with an update.
The throttle bodies are fitted and that project is complete (just requires setting up on a rolling road, which will be down to me – when it is a little warmer!).
However, having stripped the rear suspension down to fit the new De Dion tube and then set the car up, he identifed that the car required new springs all round (something to do with being the old style progressive springs… I think), and that one of the adjustable spring platforms had seized (at the front I think he said). In his experience it is apparently very dificult to free a seized platform without damaging the unit. Closer examination had also identified damage to at least one of the rear shock absorber units. He notes that they had been hand painted; womtehing I was aware of when Seven and Classics overhauled the suspenion last summer (2017).
His ris o fthe opinion that the current suspension is original and is at the end of its servicebale life and recommends that it should be replaced.
Original Bilstein suspension are currently very expension through Caterham cars and therefore this makes upgrading the suspension to something like one of the Nitron or Quantum range, a sensible proposition.
He is going to make some enquiries and get back to me.
I mentioned Simon at Meteor Motosport and that I was aware that he offers Caterham specific valving for the Nitron NTR1 and Quantum Zero One ranges. I think Rob was going to speak with Simon. I may do so myself as having read Simon’s excellent buyers guide he likes to tailor spring rates etc to the specific car and how it will be used / power level / weight of the driver etc etc.
Watch this space…..
As an aside, what concerns me about this, is that my car has only ever been trusted to marque specialists with strong reputations for knowing 7’s inside and out and also excellence. What is now apparent, is that they all without exceptions have missed things or in the case of the suspension damaged it and either not noticed or not flagged it up to me. This isn’t about proportioning blame or naming and shaming but is has been a salient lesson to me and I am pleased that I appear to have found someone who is really very good.
via Quantum One Zero’s or Nitron NTR1’s? | Lotus Seven Club
Simon Rogers:
So this applies to all the Nitron, Quantum, Penske and Ohlins dampers (excl. the high speed on a Penske) – only the number of clicks is different.
Always set the dampers to full Hard in the first instance. This is referred to as Zero “0” and will be toward the “+” signs. Righty Tighty – Lefty Loosey
Think of it as closing a tap – to the right is shut off and no oil can pass.
On a Quantum there are around the 27-29 clicks.
Set to zero and count back -1,-2, -3 etc. For road I would expect around -22 and for track -10 -12 ish depending on how hard you drive, spring weights and car weight.
CycleSi:
The rear de dion suspension on my car is a bit lighter than standard so I went with the double digressive damping as Simon recommended. If Simon says Digressive/Linear I would go with what he recommends.
In terms of set up I found the best way to dial them in was to set the ride height and get 10 to 15mm of rake.
Firstly adjusted the front damping. I set the front to full soft and the front end became really wallowey, full hard and the steering became hyper pointy. I dialled the front until I found a nice setting between the two, not too pointy but still with a good turn in.
Once I had the front set I then I dialled the rear. I found that setting the rear damping slightly softer than the front got a good balance and a benign handling 7.
When you set the balance front to back you have to set it by feel and driving. Setting the front clickers to say 6 and the rear to say 7 is not what I am suggesting.
From a different driving style, to anti roll bar settings, shock valves, flat flooring, the list is endless… A bit of head scratching, some questions asked on the lotus seven club and to some other suspension ‘gurus’ I decided to have the geometry and suspension setup adjusted which is known as having the car ‘flat floored’.
Whilst building my car last year, a local Caterham owner told me about Rat Race Motorsport, suggested Rob there was a decent guy, and I should give them a call if I was interested in getting my car flat floored or even having any service work done and so on. I’d kept this in mind, and tried over the last couple of weeks to contact them, but there was never any answer on their landline… The long and short of this is that Rob is usually under cars – and subsequently can’t get to the landline in time to answer it, so he prefers if you call him on his mobile 07956 269605.
After agreeing a price and time, I took my car down to his workshop in Potters Bar. We discussed what I was struggling with, what my weight is and how I’d like the car to handle in an ideal world. Rob’s answer was pretty much ‘Yes I know exactly what to do’ which was good to hear… So I left the car with him for the day to do his magic.
Rob put the car on the scales and made a note of the existing settings.
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| Caterham going onto the weigh bridge |
The scales actually gave some interesting results… The weight for a start is somewhat heavier than the quoted 506kg, and they also suggested the settings were far from ideal.
Geometry adjustments
Rob commented that the A-frame, De-dion and caster settings were very good, and testament to a well built car – which was either fact or flattery – either way I’m happy with that!
He went on to say that the ride height wasn’t ideal though, raised the front by around 8-10mm and the rear was lowered by 6mm which left the car with a rake of around fifteen degrees. Rob winds the shocks in full then dials them out giving a positive number, whereas Nitron do it the other way around – anyway the front shock damping setting was changed to +8 (-16 in Nitron terms) and the rears to +12 (-12 in Nitron terms).
The front toe was changed as adjusting the ride height would effect this, so the car has been set back to a fairly neutral setting with a little toe-in. The front camber was also changed for similar reasons, but is running 2 degrees negative.
The rear toe remained unchanged as this was spot on.
Corner weighting
The final job was to adjust the weight on each corner for a perfect balance… 83 kilos of weight was added (which is my weight plus crash helmet) and then the preload platforms were wound across the front, then diagonally against the rears until the perfect weight distribution setting was achieved.
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| Caterham on weigh bridge |
On the journey home I decided to take a ‘detour’ (as you do in Caterham!) and go for an extended blat to see if I could notice any differences… To be fair the main understeer problem was on medium to high speed corners on tracks, which is difficult (if not impossible) to replicate on road driving, but the car did turn noticeably more with additional steering angle, which will hopefully be replicated on circuits.
Overall a good service and from my initial findings a job well done by Rob at Rat Race Motorsport. A link to their website can be found below, along with his mobile number – 07956 269605.
http://www.ratrace-motorsport.co.uk/
From a different driving style, to anti roll bar settings, shock valves, flat flooring, the list is endless… A bit of head scratching, some questions asked on the lotus seven club and to some other suspension ‘gurus’ I decided to have the geometry and suspension setup adjusted which is known as having the car ‘flat floored’.
Whilst building my car last year, a local Caterham owner told me about Rat Race Motorsport, suggested Rob there was a decent guy, and I should give them a call if I was interested in getting my car flat floored or even having any service work done and so on. I’d kept this in mind, and tried over the last couple of weeks to contact them, but there was never any answer on their landline… The long and short of this is that Rob is usually under cars – and subsequently can’t get to the landline in time to answer it, so he prefers if you call him on his mobile 07956 269605.
After agreeing a price and time, I took my car down to his workshop in Potters Bar. We discussed what I was struggling with, what my weight is and how I’d like the car to handle in an ideal world. Rob’s answer was pretty much ‘Yes I know exactly what to do’ which was good to hear… So I left the car with him for the day to do his magic.
Rob put the car on the scales and made a note of the existing settings.
|
| Caterham going onto the weigh bridge |
The scales actually gave some interesting results… The weight for a start is somewhat heavier than the quoted 506kg, and they also suggested the settings were far from ideal.
Geometry adjustments
Rob commented that the A-frame, De-dion and caster settings were very good, and testament to a well built car – which was either fact or flattery – either way I’m happy with that!
He went on to say that the ride height wasn’t ideal though, raised the front by around 8-10mm and the rear was lowered by 6mm which left the car with a rake of around fifteen degrees. Rob winds the shocks in full then dials them out giving a positive number, whereas Nitron do it the other way around – anyway the front shock damping setting was changed to +8 (-16 in Nitron terms) and the rears to +12 (-12 in Nitron terms).
The front toe was changed as adjusting the ride height would effect this, so the car has been set back to a fairly neutral setting with a little toe-in. The front camber was also changed for similar reasons, but is running 2 degrees negative.
The rear toe remained unchanged as this was spot on.
Corner weighting
The final job was to adjust the weight on each corner for a perfect balance… 83 kilos of weight was added (which is my weight plus crash helmet) and then the preload platforms were wound across the front, then diagonally against the rears until the perfect weight distribution setting was achieved.
|
| Caterham on weigh bridge |
On the journey home I decided to take a ‘detour’ (as you do in Caterham!) and go for an extended blat to see if I could notice any differences… To be fair the main understeer problem was on medium to high speed corners on tracks, which is difficult (if not impossible) to replicate on road driving, but the car did turn noticeably more with additional steering angle, which will hopefully be replicated on circuits.
Overall a good service and from my initial findings a job well done by Rob at Rat Race Motorsport. A link to their website can be found below, along with his mobile number – 07956 269605.
http://www.ratrace-motorsport.co.uk/
Firstly – the disclaimer… This is my shock replacement guide for my De-dion Caterham . I’m not suggesting this is the only way to change your shocks, and this is by no means the best way, but the method that worked for me. I’d recommend reading the full guide before you begin as there may be variances between my car and yours (if only slight).
I started at the front of the car, as the shocks are more accessible and it just felt like the right end to start at.
Firstly with the handbrake engaged loosen all the wheel nuts, both front and rear. Next jack the front of the car up (I use the central point behind the horns where the chassis tubes form a cross). I have a pretty decent jack, so didn’t feel the need to use axle stands, but it would be worth lowering the car onto axle stands if you don’t trust your jack.
Remove the wheels (and the nosecone if you feel this gives better access) and you should be looking at something like the picture below
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| Bilstein shocks on my Caterham ready for removal |
Using a 6mm hex adapter in a ratchet or a 6mm hex/allen key remove the lower suspension bolt pictured below.
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| Use a 6mm Hex / Allen Key to remove the lower suspension bolt |
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| Removing top front suspension mount bolt using 6mm long arm hex key |
Now both suspension bolts are removed, the shock will either slide out, or may need a little wiggle. If you pull the shock down through the wishbone this seems to work best.
Repeat the above steps on the other side of the vehicle and both from shocks will be removed.
Nitron also supply a metal bush fixing kit, which makes the shock swap even more hassle free. The metal bushes come with an o-ring and require a little grease then are slotted onto the top and bottom eyes of the suspension tube ends
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| Metal bush shock fixing kit with o-rings |
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| Metal bush, greased with o-ring fitted |
You will need to remove the metal sleeves from both rubber bushed ends of the front Bilsten shocks – this should be easy, so long as they were copper slipped before they were fitted.
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| Remove both metal sleeves from rubber bushed ends |
Then with two of the metal bushes greased (with O-rings in place) place them together over the suspension tube mounting eye. I thought it was worth re-applying some copper slip to the metal sleeve prior to inserting – see picture below.
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| Metal bushes and metal sleeve being fitted to top mount of Nitron Race R1 shock |
Repeat the metal bush fitting process to all four front suspension mounting points, and ensure the metal sleeve is fitted into each mount too.
With the shock complete and ready for fitting it’s time to fit the shock. It’s just the reserve of removal and pretty straight forward. Carefully push the shock into place (note these are spring at the bottom, not at the top like the Bilsteins). Secure the top of the shock first, by lining up the mounting eyes and then pushing in the bolt. Use the long arm hex key to gently tighten. Due to the shorter shock body I found the lower suspension mount requires you to gently lift the wishbone to line up the mount with the bolt hole, but when lined up simply insert the bolt and tighten gently – torqueing the bolts will come a bit later.
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| Nitron Race R1 shock fitted to the front of my Caterham |
With the first shock fitted, complete the process on the other side, refit the wheels (and nosecone if removed) then lower the car. With the car lowered torque both suspension bolts to 20nm and then that’s the front shocks replaced – oh yeah and don’t forget to torque your wheel nuts too!
Now onto the rear shocks… This is similarly straight forward as per the front shocks, but I’ve detailed the process below, skipping some points as I’ve detailed those stages above.
First loosen the rear wheel nuts, then jack the car up. Again use axle stands if necessary, but this is the lighter end of the car, so most jacks shouldn’t be under too much load.
You’ll need to start by using a 19mm socket to loosen and remove the lower suspension mounting bolt as pictured below.
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| Use a 19mm socket to remove the lower suspension mounting bolt |
Then using an 8mm hex adapter in a ratchet or a long arm hex / allen key loosen and remove the top suspension bolt through the hole which is located behind the seats (pictured below).
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| Loosen top suspension mount using an 8mm hex / allen key |
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| Remove the metal sleeve from the upper rubber bush |
Repeat the process of greasing the Nitron supplied metal bushes, fitting the o-ring and pushing them together on each end of the suspension tube eyes (which I detailed above). Also re-apply some copper slip to the outside of the metal sleeve, and insert the metal sleeve into the top metal bushes, then align the upper suspension mount first. It’s a little tricky to line up properly, but once it’s lined up push the bolt through and gently tighten this should hold the shock in place whilst you fit the lower shock mount.
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| Lining up the upper suspension mount can be a little tricky |
With the upper suspension mount holding the shock in place, you need to align the lower bolt to the De-dion mounting boss. You have to be very careful here as you don’t want to (cross?) thread the boss in the De-dion tube for obvious reasons!
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| Carefully line up the lower mounting bolt with the boss on the De-dion tube |
With the lower mount lined up, securely tighten the bolt and then the shock is fitted.
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| Lower shock bolt secured in place |
Repeat the process on the other side, and then both shocks are fitted. It’s a little difficult to get access to the lower suspension mount for torqueing purposes with the wheels fitted, so I torqued both upper and lower rear suspension mounts whilst the car was still on the jack with the wheels off. The torque setting for both upper and lower mounts is 54nm. Your shocks will now be fitted and ready for use, simply refit your wheels, torque the wheel nuts, lower the car off the jack and you’re ready to go!
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| Rear Nitron Race R1 shock fitted to my Caterham |
So after my short blat, the initial first impressions are that the shocks are much more responsive, and the car turns in a fair bit quicker with less understeer. I’ve not fiddled around with the one way adjustment yet, but they come factory preset at -10 out of 24 available settings, so I should be able to crank them up to -5 for the upcoming track day this weekend and report my full findings.
In terms of the quality of product, service and the general ‘look and feel’ of the shocks, I’m very happy indeed. You can visit the Nitron website for further details and pricing information by clicking the following link:- http://www.nitron.co.uk
Caterham 7 Superlight No: 106 