Upgrading my R400 - top tips please!

[subirg]

Have had my R400 Duratec for a year and a half and am loving it. However... upgraditis is now setting in and I need your top tips! My car has lowered floors, upgraded brake master cylinder, stack, etc, but is on CR500s and standard ARBs/springs/dampers. The objective is to get the most out of it at the track - and I am happy to live with any compromises required on the road.

So... what upgrades would you suggest excluding engine upgrades? ACB10s? Upgraded Springs/dampers (what spec, from whom)? ARBs? Anything else you can think of? Clearly, getting some help to improve my driving technique is a given...

Thanks!

[Murph7355]

Roll cage and aeroscreen.

[sjmmarsh]

An LSD will help you put down the power out of corners...

[JakeR]

you could try slicks? I am thinking of going that way this year once I get a trailer...

oh, and you could give Gary May a call at Freestyle...

cheers

JakeR

Edited by JakeR on Tuesday 10th February 21:51

[subirg]

sjmmarsh said:

An LSD will help you put down the power out of corners...

Agree - and got one of those! (comes as standard on the 400).

[subirg]

JakeR said:

you could try slicks? I am thinking of going that way this year once I get a trailer...

oh, and you could give Gary May a call at Freestyle...

cheers

JakeR

Edited by JakeR on Tuesday 10th February 21:51

I like the idea of slicks, but at the mo I drive the car to the track and don't have a trailer... One day though...!

I'll give Gary a call - thanks for the lead.

[Tango7]

Get a tyre rack that fits to the FIA roll bar and transport a set of slicks to the circuit. Usually no problem borrowing a jack and wheel brace if you can't fit one in the car.

[MarchHare]

AO48's slightly faster than CR500's in the dry if you are chasing lap times (not that anyone would time on a track day of course). Crap in the wet though and would need to change ride heights.

On that point I assume you have had it corner weighted and had the geo checked?

[Vladimir]

C400 dampers from Caterham - firm on the road but still driveable but a HUGE improvement on the track. If you didn't go for the interchangeable aeroscreen that's a great circuit option. The std screen is more like an airbrake!

[subirg]

OK - based on everyone's input (thanks!), and a bit of research, I am starting to build a list of upgrades designed to gain the most track time. I would like to keep my wet weather gear, so the full cage option isn't really practical, but for nice sunny days, I have the aeroscreen ready for deployment! Other upgrades on my shortlist as follows:-

1. Switch to ACB10s
2. Softer front ARB
3. Proper geo set up and flat floor (anyone got any recommendations for who can do this properly and is reasonably close to SW London?)
4. Dampers (Nitrons?)

Please add or comment as you see fit! The objective is cornering speed!

Oh - one last point - I have the standard CC brake pads. Should I upgrade these?

[peter.brown]

borrowed set of slicks from a radical put them on my locost and gained 3 secs a lap at anglesy grip is amaising

[JakeR]

subirg said:

3. Proper geo set up and flat floor (anyone got any recommendations for who can do this properly and is reasonably close to SW London?)
4. Dampers (Nitrons?)

Not that I'm biased (other than that he built my car) but Gary May in Horton Kirby (just off M25 in kent) is your man.

[taffyracer]

subirg said:

OK - based on everyone's input (thanks!), and a bit of research, I am starting to build a list of upgrades designed to gain the most track time. I would like to keep my wet weather gear, so the full cage option isn't really practical, but for nice sunny days, I have the aeroscreen ready for deployment! Other upgrades on my shortlist as follows:-

1. Switch to ACB10s
2. Softer front ARB
3. Proper geo set up and flat floor (anyone got any recommendations for who can do this properly and is reasonably close to SW London?)
4. Dampers (Nitrons?)

Please add or comment as you see fit! The objective is cornering speed!

Oh - one last point - I have the standard CC brake pads. Should I upgrade these?

Yes upgrade pads if tracking, i'd pay a visit to Neil Garner in Kemble for set up, he's a good guy and knows his onions, he runs my Porsche and the '08 Britcar champs Porsche, he also races and knows Caterham's well and is a Nitron dealer.

[jackal]

presuably this is a recreational car ?

if so then my route would be 1) driver training, 2) sequential box

a sequential will seriously up the enjoyment factor IMO whereas damper changes etc.. might make you a few tenths quicker on timed laps at a test day/race so not really relevant. Standard bilsteins are more than up to the job and are nice and progressive for holliganism and wet days.

Edited by jackal on Wednesday 11th February 20:47

[JakeR]

Jackal did your old car have a sequential? I havent driven one but I hear they are fab. Not cheap though (about £5k I've been told...)

cheers

JakeR

[jackal]

JakeR said:

Jackal did your old car have a sequential? I havent driven one but I hear they are fab. Not cheap though (about £5k I've been told...)

cheers

JakeR

jake, no it didn't but I always wanted one

everyone i ever spoke to who had one though said it dramatically changed the experience and enhanced the fun and involvement factor umpteenfold (as you might imagine)

that was with the old quaife as well which was never the greatest seq on the planet

[MarchHare]

Spy Motorsport in Henley-on-Thames will do set up work. They run three cars in R300 and R400 series and are top guys. Well worth a call, even if only for advice.