200bhp zetec live axel or K series 120bhp academy car?

[paul n]

hey all

I have just taken a deposit on my westfield (195bhp and quite track focused) and am looking at two caterhams as a replacement and interested on people opinions if they have owned similar cars?

first is a 1992 Q plate car with a 200bhp zetec on jennvey trottle bodies. very good spec with nitrons, BHG gearbox, big brake kit etc but it is a live rear axel and has clams rarther than cycle wings.

the second is a 2006 bog standard 1.6 k series academy car with 120 bhp and no LSD

which do you think would be best for road and track. obviously the zetec will be alot quicker but will the live axel be a pain/scary on the road? will it be offset by the top end dampers? will the lack of power and LSD in the academy car get annoying? will the k series out handle the zetec ?

car will be used for road and track but i won't be going for any records, just for fun!

many thanks for your thoughts!

Cheers Paul

[My Evil Twin]

if the LA is an Ital axle, 200bhp is pushing it real hard, I was told 160 is about as much as I should put through mine and that was with quaife half shafts and a lsd.

If its a English, or a narrowed Atlas then I dont know for sure but they are supposed to be much stronger.

[downsman]

The live axle car is at the end (beyond?) its development potential, the k series De Dion is ready to modify and would be the better long term purchase in my opinion. Won't be as quick to start with, but will probably prove more reliable.

[paul n]

many thanks for the reply's

The live axel has been upgraded to a "SPC Tracsport Live Axle" i know very little about live axels but with abit of googling it looks like this is a pretty chunky piece of kit? So i am assuming it is up to 200bhp?? (it costa fortune so you would hope so!) It also has a plated diff which the owner admits is VERY noisy and may need a service but i think plated diffs are meant to be very noisy?


my main concern would be if a 1992 chassis would be up to taking 200bhp and if a newer chassis is any better in terms of rigidity and handling or have they not changed much? is there anywhere i need to be checking for cracks etc?

the other different between the two is that the zetec car is £1700 cheaper!

full spec of zetec car below! Cheers Paul


CATERHAM
1992
40k miles
ENGINE
Raceline Zetec R-200
Jenvey Throttle Bodies
Omex 600 ECU
Raceline Shallow Wet Sump
Raceline Water Rail
Raceline 4-1 Stainless Exhaust
This package was fitted in 2010 and cost in the region of £8k. It has covered around 10k miles.
GEARBOX
BGH E6 Heavy Duty
1ST 2.83
2ND 1.81
3RD 1.26
4TH 1.00
5th 0.85
SPC Alloy Bellhousing
This was fitted at the same time as the Raceline package.
AXLE
SPC Tracsport Live Axle
3.9 ratio
Tran-x Plated Diff
Atlas GRP 1 Half-Shafts
Alloy Nose Casing
This was fitted towards the end of 2008 and cost in the region of £2.5k. It has covered around 14k miles.
SUSPENSION
Front wishbones upgraded to Pre-1996 De-Dion.
Red 5/8” ARB
Nitron NTR R1 Dampers all round.
The dampers were fitted towards the end of 2012 and cost in the region of £1.2k
BRAKES
Hi-Spec Ultralite 4-Pots on front
Handbrake Calipers on Rear
AP Racing 13/16” Master Cylinder
Tilton Screw-Type Rear Brake Line Bias Adjuster
TYRES
Toyo R888’s all round (lots of tread left).
COOLING
Alloy Rad
Mocal (water) Oil Cooler
Silicone Hoses

[downsman]

The later chassis have many more tubes in the tunnel area (more like a Westfield, but don't tell anyone ) and the Sierra diff/driveshafts are designed to take a lot of power.

[radical78]

buy them both and swop the engine

[Eugene7]

I have a 210BHP Zetec with Ital live axle, with LSD.
It's a great combination, as anyone who has been on one of our Le BOG Club trips will tell you!

[paul n]

Hey Eugene

As you have a similar car what do you to the above spec ? Anything you would change ?

Any tips on set up if I do buy ? I have had a drive and I am quite taken with it !

Paul

[Neil W]

I’m no technical expert, but I’ve also been running a 200bhp Zetec engine through an Ital live axle for the last five years without issue.

[Eugene7]

paul n said:

Hey Eugene

As you have a similar car what do you to the above spec ? Anything you would change ?

Any tips on set up if I do buy ? I have had a drive and I am quite taken with it !

Paul

It actually look a very good spec. to me - actually better than mine!
If it was my choice, I'd go for that 7!



For setup, I'd suggest getting to know the car first - and then see what improvements can be made.
As an example, I prefer stiff springs and soft damping as a genera setup, stiffening up the dampers for any track work (which I rarely do as we prefer lots of road work - See: http://www.7-dna.com/forums/index.php?action=vthre... and the following posts onwards from that one!)

I also run 2deg front camber, and a chassis rake of 15mm front to rear (rear higher) as measured at the chassis tubes around the trailing arm of the front wishbone, and just after the from edge of the rear wing. Front lower wishbones are parallel to the ground. This sets the roll transfer just about neutral.

Mind you, I also run 70 profile tyres on 13" rims, which are perfect for road work, but 60 would be better for the track.

Edited by Eugene7 on Tuesday 7th June 11:18