Caterham 7 R300 Superlight
Discussion
arun1uk said:
I've just read your thread and your attention to detail is fantastic, and a great looking car!
I'm looking to upgrade my 1.8K VVC to an R300 or R400. Did you test both back to back or notice much of a difference?
Really cracking car.
Thank you for the kind comments!I'm looking to upgrade my 1.8K VVC to an R300 or R400. Did you test both back to back or notice much of a difference?
Really cracking car.
Is your 1.8 VVC 160bhp? If so it's identical to a K Series R300, whereas the Duratec R300 and R400 are 180bhp and 210bhp respectively. I didn't test back to back as there was several years between my Caterhams but I knew an R300 duratec would suit me well and if I wanted to upgrade it in future, it's just a set of cams and reflash of the ECU. The duratec has more torque than the K Series and overtakes can be done very easily from 3.5k rpm. In my old K Series that had to be 5k rpm and if you got caught in the wrong gear you were screwed
Krikkit said:
Fantastic thread and great car! Love it.
FWIW it's worth investing in an impact gun if only to do things like wheel nuts and hub nuts etc. Nothing quite as annoying as having to reassemble a car and put it back on the ground so you can breaker bar a hub nut loose!
Thank you! I absolutely agree and although I've already got pretty much all the tools I need, I am definitely getting an impact gun for the reassembly job. I couldn't believe how much easier it made things and it would have saved a lot of time if I'd one at the start!FWIW it's worth investing in an impact gun if only to do things like wheel nuts and hub nuts etc. Nothing quite as annoying as having to reassemble a car and put it back on the ground so you can breaker bar a hub nut loose!
Turn7 said:
OOI, what made you decide on the Tracsport diff over say a Quaife ?
Good question. I like clutch plate diffs, but want something that will last. There’s quite a bit of evidence to suggest that even the sintered plates in the Titan wear quickly. Also the Belville washers are supposed to be weak and are prone to failure as they’re allowed to fully compress, all of which means I’ll be looking at having to drop the diff and pay for another rebuild in a few years time.The Tracsport diff is physically bigger, the clutch pates are much more substantial and hard-wearing and the Belville washers are of a different design. I’ve spoken to people who are actually running it in a Caterham and it’s universally recommended. So although I’ve no direct experience of it, I’ve decided to give it a go.
It will be interesting to see if the Titan Belvilles are broken when my diff comes back from its rebuild, but I’ve high hopes for the new one. Time will tell if I’ve made the right decision!
Interesting thread & a lovely, fastidiously maintained 7!
The carbon plate Titan fitted to my 2017 420R failed last year at 4500 miles & I decided to fit a Tracsport. I didn’t want to be rebuilding the diff every couple of years & having driven a 7 with a sintered steel plate Titan, I can confirm that they’re even noisier than a knackered carbon plate example!
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, the Tracsport diff has transformed my car. The whining from the Titan completely dominated the driving experience. Particularly when lifting off the throttle, the clatter & whine was deafening!
I wouldn’t say the Tracsport is COMPLETELY silent, there’s still a bit of whine when you lift off the throttle, but it’s a muted, distant sound that you have to listen for, rather than a racket that drowns out the noise of the engine. Traction is very noticeably better & the car behaves far more predictably when you’re ‘pressing on’.
My car was fitted with the 15 inch Orcus wheels when I bought it & I’ve since fitted a set of 8 spokes (wider at the rear), like yours. This has upset the handling balance a little, so I’ve booked the car in with DPR for a set up session next month. I’m encouraged by your experience with them, I’m really looking forward to getting it properly set up!
The carbon plate Titan fitted to my 2017 420R failed last year at 4500 miles & I decided to fit a Tracsport. I didn’t want to be rebuilding the diff every couple of years & having driven a 7 with a sintered steel plate Titan, I can confirm that they’re even noisier than a knackered carbon plate example!
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, the Tracsport diff has transformed my car. The whining from the Titan completely dominated the driving experience. Particularly when lifting off the throttle, the clatter & whine was deafening!
I wouldn’t say the Tracsport is COMPLETELY silent, there’s still a bit of whine when you lift off the throttle, but it’s a muted, distant sound that you have to listen for, rather than a racket that drowns out the noise of the engine. Traction is very noticeably better & the car behaves far more predictably when you’re ‘pressing on’.
My car was fitted with the 15 inch Orcus wheels when I bought it & I’ve since fitted a set of 8 spokes (wider at the rear), like yours. This has upset the handling balance a little, so I’ve booked the car in with DPR for a set up session next month. I’m encouraged by your experience with them, I’m really looking forward to getting it properly set up!
Nigel, brilliant, thank you very much, that’s extremely reassuring and great news! What you’ve said mirrors what I’ve heard from other users and totally justifies the extra outlay over rebuilding the Titan. Can’t wait to get it back now and try it out
I’m sure you’ll be very happy with DPR’s work. They’re not the cheapest but I’d wholeheartedly recommend them, their attention to detail and workmanship was superb and I left knowing my car was set up as best it could be. They’ll listen to your needs and love a good chat so be prepared for a lengthy discussion about suspension settings when you arrive!
I’m sure you’ll be very happy with DPR’s work. They’re not the cheapest but I’d wholeheartedly recommend them, their attention to detail and workmanship was superb and I left knowing my car was set up as best it could be. They’ll listen to your needs and love a good chat so be prepared for a lengthy discussion about suspension settings when you arrive!
Great thread, really enjoying all of the technical stuff and the liquid yellow paint job is the best colour I’ve ever seen on a Caterham 
I ran a 2012 Supersport for 2 years, absolutely loved it. Circumstances meant I had to sell but I got back into a 2019 420R last year, sadly lockdown has restricted my mileage so far.
Looking forward to future updates on this thread, wish I knew enough to work on my car and fix stuff myself as you do.
I ran a 2012 Supersport for 2 years, absolutely loved it. Circumstances meant I had to sell but I got back into a 2019 420R last year, sadly lockdown has restricted my mileage so far.
Looking forward to future updates on this thread, wish I knew enough to work on my car and fix stuff myself as you do.
Hi Andrew,
No problem! Hopefully the Tracsport diffs will prove to be more durable than the Titan. Initial reports seem to suggest there’s every chance they will be & if you look at a stripped down Tracsport on the bench next to a Titan, they certainly look a lot more robust!
DPR sound like exactly the sort of company I’ve been looking for. I’ve never had a Caterham properly set up before, my previous 7 was a live axle car with very little in the way of adjustment, so I’m looking forward to learning a bit about the process. Lots of owners seem to report that it’s one of the most worthwhile ‘upgrades’.
No problem! Hopefully the Tracsport diffs will prove to be more durable than the Titan. Initial reports seem to suggest there’s every chance they will be & if you look at a stripped down Tracsport on the bench next to a Titan, they certainly look a lot more robust!
DPR sound like exactly the sort of company I’ve been looking for. I’ve never had a Caterham properly set up before, my previous 7 was a live axle car with very little in the way of adjustment, so I’m looking forward to learning a bit about the process. Lots of owners seem to report that it’s one of the most worthwhile ‘upgrades’.
Thanks everyone!
The garage has had a bit of a makeover since that picture above (and obviously the car is now yellow) with porcelain tiles now laid on the floor. They absolutely transform it and hopefully will stand the test of time. I posted in the 'who has the best garage on PH' thread and yes, I do like a nice, tidy garage
As it stands now:
The garage has had a bit of a makeover since that picture above (and obviously the car is now yellow) with porcelain tiles now laid on the floor. They absolutely transform it and hopefully will stand the test of time. I posted in the 'who has the best garage on PH' thread and yes, I do like a nice, tidy garage
As it stands now:
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff