G I5LES Posted August 13, 2000 Share Posted August 13, 2000 I have a 96 Classic SE 1600 xflow factory standard what rear axle have I got. was told it was a ford unit but hpc alloys have a bigger bolt spread and the dealer says they are ford. but my manual states that caterham ran out of ital and ford axles before my car was produced. The car was built by caterham with all new parts and is properly registered. Please help, as the caterham guy on the phone did not and I feel an idiot going in to buy new wheels not knowing I have a set of weller steels on at the moment if that is any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted August 14, 2000 Share Posted August 14, 2000 I cannot swear to the '96 variants, but the late '95s had the Ital axle. As far as I was aware, Caterham did not put the Ford axle in as this requires a modification to the chassis - so in all probability it actually has a reconditioned back axle from an Ital and was registered with a VRO that took a slightly more relaxed view on Q plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Sture Posted August 14, 2000 Share Posted August 14, 2000 I've got a Caterham Academy live axle car (delivered October 1999) with a reconditioned Ital axle - as far as I know the live axle cars have had these for some years (and still do). You could have got the non-Q plate totally legitimately by having a new (rather than re-conditioned) gearbox or, as already mentioned, by a relaxed/emlightened VRO. Either way, it's likely to be a reconditioned Ital axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted August 14, 2000 Share Posted August 14, 2000 Caterham stopped fitting Ford axles in the Eighties, and I'm pretty sure all axles since then have been the Marina/Ital type. Mine was purchased in '97 and definitely has this type. The PCD of wheel studs for this axle is 3.75". Have a look under the rear of the car, and if you can see a small nylon (about 15mm dia x 60mm long) breather on top of and to the offside of the diff. it is definitely an Ital axle. The Ford axles don't have these. I'm surprised, though, that Caterham can't help you. Did you give them your chassis number? Good Luck Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Crudders Posted August 14, 2000 Area Representative Share Posted August 14, 2000 Your axle will almost certainly be of Ital origin. I ordered my car in 1990 and at that time there were three basic chassis variants: Long Cockpit De Dion, Long Cockpit Live (Ital) Axle and Short Cockpit Live (Ford) Axle. I think the Short Cockpit variant was phased out soon after but could be obtained on special order as it was popular in certain racing classes (the stronger Ford axle won't fit in the Long Cockpit chassis). Your axle could have been new as I seem to recall that a batch of new old stock surfaced in the mid nineties. More to the point, I presume that your enquiry stems from a desire to change wheels. RU thinking of fitting 16" HPC wheels? DON'T! Even if you could get them in the correct 3.75" PCD (unlikely but not impossible) they do nothing for the handling of the car. Caterham introduced these wheels to meet a demand amongst the "Max Power" brigade (very strong in the German market apparently) for the biggest possible wheel wearing the lowest possible tyre profile. They figured that if people were going to do it then they had better make a reasonably lightweight wheel for them to do it with. Stick with 13" or max. 14" diameter wheels - they suit the car. Christ, I do go on. Good luck. Crudders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G I5LES Posted August 15, 2000 Author Share Posted August 15, 2000 Thanks for your help. The reason I was looking was I wanted some road wheels was going to get superlites (well still am to be honest, going up to the factory in october) the reason I had the HPC 16" alloys is my local motorsport shop (AC services in bridgwater had managed to get hold of two sets of four 50ukp+VAT each no centere caps though and I realy wanted to see what they looked like on my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted August 16, 2000 Share Posted August 16, 2000 Have a look in this months Low Flying, I seem to remember there are a set of Superlights for sale with the Ital wheel stud PCD. From Simon Ray I think. Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted August 16, 2000 Share Posted August 16, 2000 It is still possible to buy a chassis for a Ford rear axle new from Caterham.You just have to specfied it as i did last year with a brand new starter kit( the car is still under construction but that is another long story ) so if anyone out there wants a new chassis for a Ford live axle just ask Caterham , or direct to Arch Motors as i did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamscotticus Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 To revive this thread, and answer I question, Obviously, a Ford rear would demand a set of front ford hubs.How did Caterham go about this? What Ford was cannibalized for the purpose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 All dedions have ford PCD front hubs which fit onto the triumph stub axle. The hubs are manufactured that way specifically for the seven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Wow. A 20 year time lapse !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamscotticus Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Time doesn't matter to Sevens.We're just borrowing them anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamscotticus Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Do we know the PCD for Ford? I have a spare set of alloy hubs I bought when I didn't know the difference between Leyland/Ford items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Ford 108mm Triumph 3 3/4" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndrewE Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Ford PCD is 4 1/4" (108 mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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