K Series Suspension Configuration

[willcoxa]

Just trawling the market for a K Series Caterham and trying to understand how rear suspension has evolved.

I'm looking at a 94 car with the handbrake under the dash - does this indicate the car has a live axle?? I read somewhere that the handbrake was moved on the De-Dion suspension - am I reading too much into this??

Any clarification would be appreciated!

[Aeroscreens]

FYI I have a 1993 car (originally a x/flow supersprint) and that has the handbrake under the dash but it is also a de dion. So I'm pretty sure that under dash handbrakes are not indicative of de dion or live axle.

[simonh9]

Handbrake under dash is independent of De Dion- it moved to the tunnel top in 96 along with other chassis changes (stiffness improvement, front geometry changes etc), but dedion existed before. AFAIK (certainly from what I've seen), all k series were De Dion.

I used to have a '95 1.4k De Dion with under the dash handbrake.

Edited by simonh9 on Saturday 9th September 13:55

[willcoxa]

Thanks Guys,

Just love trying to map how these cars have developed!

[simonh9]

There were quite a few interations of De Dion tube.

I *think* the '96 changes included changing the lower damper mount from through the tube to under the tube and changing to progressive springs. Certainly my '95 was through the tube and my current '96 has an under the tube mount (though with many other detailed changes to indicate it's much more recent). If you google, you'll find De Dion tube history (don't scare yourself off with stories of failure though)

[Spingo]

All K series Caterhams are De Dion. Early models had handbrake under the dash, later moved to the transmission tunnel.