Academy08 car behaviour
Discussion
A big Hi to the class of 08!
Thought I'd start a new thread about how the cars actually drive... (tho I assume it's the same for standard roadsports)
I picked up mine from Caterham South this weekend woo-hoo
but due to a bout of the lurgy, only spent a couple of hours driving it before hypothermia kicked in 
I'm a bit of a newbie with cars like this, but a couple of things immediately leapt out at me & I'm interested in knowing what other people's experiences have been.
- brakes were pretty mushy but sounds like it's a normal part of the bedding in process. Though it did cause a bit of alarm when I came up to the first set of lights!
- lift-off oversteer - on a couple of medium speed corners, not really pushing, but the throttle response is so quick, a minor lift caused a noticeable twitch.
- I couldn't immediately find a good quarter-to-3 position for my arms. Either my elbows are stuck out wide i.e. above the central column (makes working the wheel a bit trickier), or they're wedged against my ribs (where I need a significant arm movement to reach the gear lever) Arms feel better placed if I drive with hands at 10 to 2 but it feels a bit unnatural...
What do you lot think?
Great fun messing around with it though, and can't wait to get to a track and start playing some more!!
Cheers,
Trevor
Group 1, #11
Thought I'd start a new thread about how the cars actually drive... (tho I assume it's the same for standard roadsports)
I picked up mine from Caterham South this weekend woo-hoo
but due to a bout of the lurgy, only spent a couple of hours driving it before hypothermia kicked in I'm a bit of a newbie with cars like this, but a couple of things immediately leapt out at me & I'm interested in knowing what other people's experiences have been.
- brakes were pretty mushy but sounds like it's a normal part of the bedding in process. Though it did cause a bit of alarm when I came up to the first set of lights!
- lift-off oversteer - on a couple of medium speed corners, not really pushing, but the throttle response is so quick, a minor lift caused a noticeable twitch.
- I couldn't immediately find a good quarter-to-3 position for my arms. Either my elbows are stuck out wide i.e. above the central column (makes working the wheel a bit trickier), or they're wedged against my ribs (where I need a significant arm movement to reach the gear lever) Arms feel better placed if I drive with hands at 10 to 2 but it feels a bit unnatural...
What do you lot think?
Great fun messing around with it though, and can't wait to get to a track and start playing some more!!
Cheers,
Trevor
Group 1, #11
The tyres are useless! But that's the whole point!Brakes - even if they are bled well standard front pads are not great...everyone seems to have their favourite upgrades but a set of Mintex 1144 would be a good lower priced start.
Handling - factory built they are usually ride quite high, once you have it set up it will improve massively.
Your arms hitting stuff - you probably won't even think about it after a while.
Get a friend who doesn't mind lying on the floor to help set up your ride heights.
Should be around 145mm at the front and 155-160 at the rear.
I wouldn't worry to much though. I never had mine set up properly and still came 3rd - maybe if had though.......
Just drive loads and get used to it - I rest my arms on the tunnel and on the side bar and they get bruised so on long distance runs I would tape some padding on my right elbow.
Tyre pressures won't come into it until you start running on a track - just set them where the manual says and play around with them once you are used to them - no point in changing everything all the time as you will never know where you are - same with ride heights.
Confidence in the car and you will help more than any set up stuff.
Lift off over steer - all part of the fun and fundimental to going quick in an academy car.....
Should be around 145mm at the front and 155-160 at the rear.
I wouldn't worry to much though. I never had mine set up properly and still came 3rd - maybe if had though.......
Just drive loads and get used to it - I rest my arms on the tunnel and on the side bar and they get bruised so on long distance runs I would tape some padding on my right elbow.
Tyre pressures won't come into it until you start running on a track - just set them where the manual says and play around with them once you are used to them - no point in changing everything all the time as you will never know where you are - same with ride heights.
Confidence in the car and you will help more than any set up stuff.
Lift off over steer - all part of the fun and fundimental to going quick in an academy car.....
As all have said it all sounds in order.
driving position, you can fiddle with pedal/seat positions and you can move the steering wheel in and out about 3/4" apart from that you will get used to it. I still sometimes sit in the car and wonder where to put my elbow.
The tyres are the best (worse) part of the academy spec. The lack of grip makes them great fun, drive up to the limit slowly (unless you are driving god!). As for the lift off oversteer, you are right the throttle is quite sensitive, you do need to learn to be progressive with it. You can use this to your advantage when you get used to it (not the road mind). But certainly having the car under a balanced/smooth throttle is important.
Have fun - the academy is a great experience!
driving position, you can fiddle with pedal/seat positions and you can move the steering wheel in and out about 3/4" apart from that you will get used to it. I still sometimes sit in the car and wonder where to put my elbow.
The tyres are the best (worse) part of the academy spec. The lack of grip makes them great fun, drive up to the limit slowly (unless you are driving god!). As for the lift off oversteer, you are right the throttle is quite sensitive, you do need to learn to be progressive with it. You can use this to your advantage when you get used to it (not the road mind). But certainly having the car under a balanced/smooth throttle is important.
Have fun - the academy is a great experience!
Tilletts look great but at just over 6ft my helmet was too near roll cage for scruteneering so had a seat moulded. Loads of space, super comfy. I love caterhams. Been out in mine for the first time today (although not an academy car-RSA)
PS: Watch out for the pink car in next years academy. Not to my taste and I wear pink often!
PS: Watch out for the pink car in next years academy. Not to my taste and I wear pink often!
First real day out at Brands today in the wet and what a day to learn how a Caterham handles. It was very interesting. I actually thought there was going to be less grip than there was. Yes the tyres are naff, we all know that, but in the wet Trev and i still drove around laping Porsches and Elises.
Doesnt seem to make a huge difference on pressures, in the wet anyway.
The cars were very good, great practise!!
Doesnt seem to make a huge difference on pressures, in the wet anyway.
The cars were very good, great practise!!
Great to hear you're out in the car They're fantastic aren't they?
I bought a Caterham Roadsport race car last year, and sit very low (I can't see either of the front wheels). As such, I'm getting the arm problem quite badly. After a few tests and two races, as Simon says above, I've got used to it and don't really notice much, but it doesn't half make my hands and arms ache contorting myself so I can steer properly! The other issue I get is getting my arm restraints caught between my legs and sides of the car, so you turn into a bend and your hand gets stuck at a certain position - not sure if anyone's had these problems too?
They're fantastic aren't they? I bought a Caterham Roadsport race car last year, and sit very low (I can't see either of the front wheels). As such, I'm getting the arm problem quite badly. After a few tests and two races, as Simon says above, I've got used to it and don't really notice much, but it doesn't half make my hands and arms ache contorting myself so I can steer properly! The other issue I get is getting my arm restraints caught between my legs and sides of the car, so you turn into a bend and your hand gets stuck at a certain position - not sure if anyone's had these problems too?
took mine out to donington today, bloody cold but great fun. Ride is def too high, so need to get that sorted and the tires never even got warm, never mind hot. Loads of understeer until i started breaking much harder. The breaks got much better after the first couple of sessions, they have now done 400 miles and by the end felt almost ok!
Made my own foam seat, was great and very comfy except i think i need a bit more support up by the left shoulder.
Made my own foam seat, was great and very comfy except i think i need a bit more support up by the left shoulder.
_TC said:
hi all, how do you adjust the ride height? do i need a C-spanner?
Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
Happy Christmas! I'm more than glad to talk about cars instead of Turkey for a minute Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
The ride height should adjust via collars which are threaded on to the body of the damper units. There are two tightened against each other - you simply need to jack the car up and then loosen them and then screw up or down as necessary to adjust the ride height. As standard I'm not sure whether enough turns are threaded on the dampers - in Roadsports at least some extra thread often needs to be cut to get the car low enough. The same mechanism is used at the front and rear.
The foam seat isn't fixed to anything - it is you strapped to the car that holds it in place. It is simply a moulding that sits in the car and when you tighten the straps you are attaching yourself to the car with the foam seat between. Mine is actually moulded over the transverse chassis tube under the steering wheel where the seat runners would normally attach - this keeps it in place. Foam seats are usually in two parts as well (bottom and back), which tesselate together. The word is from Caterham that foam seats are far safer than tillets, as they hug you everywhere (mine actually sucks onto my back it's that good a fit!). They also of course allow you to sit low - I can't see either of the front wheels when I'm strapped into mine...
RobM77 said:
_TC said:
hi all, how do you adjust the ride height? do i need a C-spanner?
Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
Happy Christmas! I'm more than glad to talk about cars instead of Turkey for a minute Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
The ride height should adjust via collars which are threaded on to the body of the damper units. There are two tightened against each other - you simply need to jack the car up and then loosen them and then screw up or down as necessary to adjust the ride height. As standard I'm not sure whether enough turns are threaded on the dampers - in Roadsports at least some extra thread often needs to be cut to get the car low enough. The same mechanism is used at the front and rear.
.
Ed.
Ed,
Happy Xmas!!
The guys at Caterham used a couple of Allen Keys (they had modified them to fit the holes exactly!) or i guess you could use ones of a similar size to lever them around. Once loose, it is easy to move them. I had mine set at 145 at he front and 165 at the rear. Apparently, the ride height is always high after the SVA as the car had to go on rollers to test brakes etc.
God i feel stuffed!
Happy Xmas!!
The guys at Caterham used a couple of Allen Keys (they had modified them to fit the holes exactly!) or i guess you could use ones of a similar size to lever them around. Once loose, it is easy to move them. I had mine set at 145 at he front and 165 at the rear. Apparently, the ride height is always high after the SVA as the car had to go on rollers to test brakes etc.
God i feel stuffed!
_TC said:
RobM77 said:
_TC said:
hi all, how do you adjust the ride height? do i need a C-spanner?
Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
Happy Christmas! I'm more than glad to talk about cars instead of Turkey for a minute Also the foam seats, what do they fix to runner wise? I have tillets but i think i maybe too tall for the crash helmet.
Merry Christmas anyway.
Ed.
The ride height should adjust via collars which are threaded on to the body of the damper units. There are two tightened against each other - you simply need to jack the car up and then loosen them and then screw up or down as necessary to adjust the ride height. As standard I'm not sure whether enough turns are threaded on the dampers - in Roadsports at least some extra thread often needs to be cut to get the car low enough. The same mechanism is used at the front and rear.
.
Ed.
My Dad (who loves making things) made me some devices that look like slim centre punches that fit in the holes. The idea is to insert both a few degrees out so you can squeeze them together to loosen and tighten - that's why you have several holes on the collars.Gassing Station | Caterham | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff