Alan and Daisy Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Just started on this mod and I am a little stumped on how I thread the wires from the headlight down the tube of the new brackets, come to that how do I get the wires out of the old ones? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pikey Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Alan Assuming you have Econoseal connectors on the inside of the plug there is a yellow thing with holes in where the connection pins go through, this pulls out to reveal some tiny clips that hold the wires in the connector. Using a watch makers screwdriver you can push the clips back and the wires pull out. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Just done mine and fitted 5.75" lights. As regards the cables I am assuming your 7" lights are same as the ones I replaced. Threading the sheathed wires into the new brackets is tricky but not impossible. Use blunt end of pencil to 'nead'' the sheath into the tube at same time as pulling the cable through. For me I had to cut off a small angle from the new lowered brackets as on both sides it fouled the chassis member. This took me an age and a lot of angst on the first side!!! Once realised the second side was a doddle! John is right with regard to the yellow bit, remove it first and replace after all pins in position, again an error I made , doing this way makes it again a doddle. If you want to talk it though , Blat mail me and I'll give you my phone number.. Also don't forget you will have to drill a 10mm hole through the wishbone carrier to take the cable neatly from your new brackets into the engine bay. Good luck, it's not impossible just fiddly but looks great when done! Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan and Daisy Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Cheers both I did remove the yellow thingy but didn't try removing the wires, thinking about it I must have done this when I fitted the smaller lights a few years ago. 😬 Must remeber to make a note of where the wires go before I remove them. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan and Daisy Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Half the job now done now for the right hand side, and what a difference it makes, I will be able to see better now. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Absolutely, it gives a far better view of the road. Instead of being drawn to the headlamps the on-coming view of the road is much more succinct. Well done! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 If it is anything like mine, the nearside tube is a pig, as it had more corrosion inside. Threading the wires through, one at a time was a great game. Got there in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisGillard Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I had a terrible time trying to thread my wires through last year with the SVA/IVA requirement of grommets at entry and exit from the tube .... I almost cried! I visited the factory a week later for the PBC and saw one of the production guys doing the same job and I said 'I bet you'd like to kill the bright spark who dreamed up this design'? ...... but he was quite happy because the factory have their own method not mentioned in the Fine Manual. They snip off the large diameter sleeving an inch or two below the lamp ... just long enough to to later poke into the strut hole and grommet. Once the've snipped the big sleeving they get 18" of 4 or 5mm heat shrink sleeving and slide that up the wires to just inside the big sleeving and heat it for a tight fit. They are then able to get this nicely shrunk assembly down through the grommet and support tube in 30 seconds. I almost cried again .... had taken me an hour each with much bad language. Now you know how the factory do it. Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slap_ed Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Hi all. When you have finished could we see some before and after shots of the lowered lamps? Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS2000 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Graham - check out the pictures in here that I took at a GTKY7 day a while back when the new lowered headlamp bracket first appeared... PHOTOS HERE note especially the last photo which shows direct comparison Edited by - RS2000 on 24 Oct 2012 08:45:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigyb Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I really like the look of this, however it will leave an unsightly hole in the nosecone where the old bracket was. Any ideas to make something of this? Maybe an air duct of somekind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Edited by - SBD762 on 24 Oct 2012 17:11:09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Halfway through! But it gives you an idea of what it will look like! here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Quoting SBD762: Edited by - SBD762 on 24 Oct 2012 17:11:09 See post below Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted October 24, 2012 Member Share Posted October 24, 2012 Thanks, worth a thousand words. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelS Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Great to see what they look like, I have received my lights, brackets will be here tomorrow so thats me sorted for the weekend! Oh and went for the carbon indicator pods from CC whilst I was at it 😬 Edited by - MichaelS on 24 Oct 2012 17:23:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan and Daisy Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Don't do what I did and reasemble the light to the bracket and fit the pug back on before you bolt the bracket to the car, the plug is to big to go through the hole in the bodywork, therefore had to dissconnect the wires from the plug again then thread them through the bodywork and refit the plug, doh 🙆🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmurray325hotmail.com Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 are these lowering brackets the 7 Speed product or Caterhms own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Mine were Caterham's own. The single bar construction, lowers and takes the lamps forward by about 8 " Attaches to the front wishbone mounting. Apparently ( but you need to check) they are for meticulous chassis only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slap_ed Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Thanks for the pictures. Have you tried them at night yet? I would imagine being a single tube without a stabilising bar would cause them to vibrate a fair bit. Do you have the part numbers and a price for the brackets? (Metric chassis) Cheers all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Aha - the meticulous chassis only 😬 Good old auto-correct !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBD762 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Solid as a rock. No vibration at all. Brackets here here And lights and bulbs here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmurray325hotmail.com Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 So i guess that if you use the Caterham kit you're left with unused holes in the nose cone sides and if you go for the more expensive 7-speed kit you don't have this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z3MCJez Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 If anyone buys a new nosecone to cover the holes, I'm looking for a 2nd hand nosecone in black or Caterham yellow. Up to £60 depending on condition. Jez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think these lowered headlamps are bit marmite. Personally, Im not keen on the lowered more forward look, but those that do, like them alot. Its good we are not all the same, life would be dull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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