Live axle or de dion
Discussion
Hi,I am looking at buying my first Caterham.I've seen some advertised as having a live axle and some having de dion rear suspension.Could somebody what the difference is please and which is better.
Also I've got my eyes on one which has a 2.0 Zetec with twin 40's.How reliable are they?I was told to go for a K series engine with fuel injection are these better ?
Thanks
Also I've got my eyes on one which has a 2.0 Zetec with twin 40's.How reliable are they?I was told to go for a K series engine with fuel injection are these better ?
Thanks
Live axle combines diff and suspension component into one quite big rigid tube. De Dion is still not independant, but seperates out the "keeping the rear wheels straight and upright" bit (which is the the de Dion tubes job) from the "making them go round" bit.
Live Axle is lighter. But more fragile in standard trim. De dion has lower unsprung weight however. Live axle, if we are talking the Ital Axle, is going to go bang with too much bhp on it. There are a number of things you can do to mitigate the various problems, but ultimately a strong Zetec could pull it apart.
On track, you don't really notice the live axle so much, as everything is smooth(ish). But on bumpy B-roads the deDion is much smoother. Again, with some fancy dampers and a decent set up you can mitigate this somewhat.
Live Axle is lighter. But more fragile in standard trim. De dion has lower unsprung weight however. Live axle, if we are talking the Ital Axle, is going to go bang with too much bhp on it. There are a number of things you can do to mitigate the various problems, but ultimately a strong Zetec could pull it apart.
On track, you don't really notice the live axle so much, as everything is smooth(ish). But on bumpy B-roads the deDion is much smoother. Again, with some fancy dampers and a decent set up you can mitigate this somewhat.
Originally, all Sevens had live axles. The axles used varied over the history of the car - startung in 1957 with the rear axle from the Standard 10 saloon.
By the time Caterham took over in 1973 the rear axle used was that of the Mk 1 and 2 Ford Escorts. When they ran out in the mid 1980s, the axle changed to that of the Morris Marina/Ital.
The Morris axle is good enough up to about 135 bhp (the stated HP of the 1700cc Ford Crossflow engined Seven). Over those BHPs it begins to creak and groan a bit.
Caterham introduced their own De Dion style rear axle in the mid 1980s and all current production cars now use this - except for the newer CSR which is the first Seven to have a fully independent rear suspension.
There is no doubt that live axles give you a much rougher ride than a De Dion type - especially over poor or bumpy road surfaces (i know, I have the bottom bruises to prove it). However, the live axle cars can be had fairly cheapish and all Sevens are rather basic in any case. So a few extra bumps, crashes and bangs every so often only adds to the "difference" of the experience.
By the time Caterham took over in 1973 the rear axle used was that of the Mk 1 and 2 Ford Escorts. When they ran out in the mid 1980s, the axle changed to that of the Morris Marina/Ital.
The Morris axle is good enough up to about 135 bhp (the stated HP of the 1700cc Ford Crossflow engined Seven). Over those BHPs it begins to creak and groan a bit.
Caterham introduced their own De Dion style rear axle in the mid 1980s and all current production cars now use this - except for the newer CSR which is the first Seven to have a fully independent rear suspension.
There is no doubt that live axles give you a much rougher ride than a De Dion type - especially over poor or bumpy road surfaces (i know, I have the bottom bruises to prove it). However, the live axle cars can be had fairly cheapish and all Sevens are rather basic in any case. So a few extra bumps, crashes and bangs every so often only adds to the "difference" of the experience.
I had a live axle car for 7 years, and in the end it had a 155bhp xflow, it was a really nice car. If you fit decent shocks with rose joints on the rear, there is not a lot of difference in rides. Infact my old car is for sale at Millwoods, but its now got a Zetec in it. That should be sweet.
Now have a K series R300 engine, also a great car. Engine wise, either will be good, if you look after them, ie let the oil get warm before you rev the nuts off it.
Its really down to budget, either will be ok if its been well maintained.
Now have a K series R300 engine, also a great car. Engine wise, either will be good, if you look after them, ie let the oil get warm before you rev the nuts off it.
Its really down to budget, either will be ok if its been well maintained.
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