live axle + 4 speed combo, and front to rear track.

[mnrvortxf20c]

hi again and sorry to keep on asking questions but;
on my budget of circa £10k its looking like a crossflow powered s3 or a basic 1.6 k series. ive found a 4 speed 158 BHP dry sumped english live axle crossflow s3 for a good price.
my questions are;
1;how does rear track width compare to de-dion
2;is ther a wide track front kit for the live axle cars
3;what are the bench type seats like
4;what are the 4 speed graham sykes straight cut boxes like?
5;it has a quaife atb lsd, does that make a difference
6;ive heard the l/a cars suffer from understeer a bit, is this true?
sorry for all the questions but im concerned i may buy the wrong car,and dont have the funds to trawl all over the place looking at cars. im swayed towars a dedion but was wondering if l/a should put me off

[Dave J]

go for the k series instead.

feels much lighter, nimble and more reliable, with better axle, front suspension, weight distribution and track pace will be quicker despite the 30/40 bhp differnce.

[mnrvortxf20c]

thankyou dave, just what i thought really

[HustleRussell]

Dave J said:

go for the k series instead.

feels much lighter, nimble and more reliable, with better axle, front suspension, weight distribution and track pace will be quicker despite the 30/40 bhp differnce.

That's all fair enough except;
Weight distribution- a live axle car can be flat-floored to perfection just like a de-dion car
Track pace- I certainly wouldn't assume a standard 1.6k would be quicker, all things equal. The ratios in the 4-speed box are probably better than the standard 5-speed, it's got an LSD and it will be simular in weight or lighter.

OP- folk say all sorts about live axle cars not handling well. The De-Dion is certainly better but no Caterham handles badly. Understeer should not be a problem so long as it's not set up totally wrong.

[mnrvortxf20c]

thanks mate. price is way way less than any k series car too. so much so that a new zetec on t/b's with emerald ecu could be installed and fit for less than a k series could be had!

[HustleRussell]

I'm afraid I don't know how the track widths compare. Widetrack can be done on a live axle car but it involves some custom fabrication by Arch motors.
I should say though, that faced with the same choice I'd be going De Dion over live axle- and I speak as a live axle owner. De Dion cars are much more settled on our bumpy roads and they ride nicer. That said, the old ford engined car will be more characterful!