Caterham trackday rollbar

[kenneth.mula]

Hello

I am going to change my roll bar into an trackday rollbar. My roll bar is an "home made" one that is not a good fit for an half hood. I have been waiting for caterham parts to get these in house, but it looks like it will take ages. Is there other places to buy these? 

 

Best Regards

Kenneth

[Wrightpayne]

Have you tried posting a wanted advert? Just need to specify what chassis it is for - metric / imperial. if an older car long / short cockpit and dedion / live axle. 

Most of the fixings will be available from a bolt supplier with exception of the bolts with a thinned head that go above the shock (if dedion)

Ian

[rj]

As Ian says: Let us know what it is you're after.

If it's a DeDion imperial, then I have one of the old type (with single diagonal) that can be collected in Denmark FOC. Sometimes you can be lucky that even bulky items can be relayed across by club members and friends - as it happens I have one going to Germany late May. (Not far from Köln).

I think the fastner pack is more or less readily available from CC.

To be honest: As I am giving it away I can't be bothered with ordinary shipping.

 

 

[Wrightpayne]

RJ - what else have you got for free - is it worth me hiring a van ;-)?

[rj]

Ian,

What do you need? I have a 150m2 garage that I from time to time try to tidy up, but I don't have huge success...

[kenneth.mula]

Hello, and thanks for all help

I think my car is an long cockpit imperial s3 with de-dion rear. Have the wats linkage at the rear. My roll bar is not original and to narrow at the top. I want to be able to use an half hood on the car (rainy climate) and need to change to an original one.

Not sure what type of chassis I have. I think I have a Imperial one from about 2005. 

I do have a rollbar today that I can mount a roll-cage onto. This is a little narrow at the top. 

I am also thinking of changing to a lowered floor, but need to make a bracket for the seat runner so that my wife (160cm high) can use the car. I am 185cm high. 

Am thinking of building something that raises the seat in the front posistion, and lowers it if I am driving the car.

 

[Jonathan Kay]

I want to be able to use an half hood on the car (rainy climate) and need to change to an original one.

I think that both of the usual suppliers will make one to fit whatever you have.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Kay]

I am also thinking of changing to a lowered floor, but need to make a bracket for the seat runner so that my wife (160cm high) can use the car. I am 185cm high. 

Am thinking of building something that raises the seat in the front posistion, and lowers it if I am driving the car.

I can't recall seeing a description of anything like that. How quick a change would you like? Are you thinking of a pivotted bracket that can be flipped over?

(An alternative is an insertable cushion.)

Jonathan

[kenneth.mula]

Jonathan

Because of the narrow top of the roll bar a half hood would bee to narrow, and I think water would "slip" in between the doors and the half hood.

I am thinking of raising the front of the seat rail. (tilting the seat a little back). This way I think that when my wife want to drive and we push the seat forward it moves upward. And if I want to drive (and I always want to drive just to have a laugh) then the seat will be lowered down to the lowered floor. At least the back of the seat. The seat would of corse be a little tilted backwards. More like the driving style of the young peoples, but hopefully not that much.

What do you think? Am I on the wrong track or would this be an good compromise?

 

Best Regards

Kenneth

 

[rj]

Kenneth,

When you say rollbar is it then a cage you're after or just the rollbar behind the seats?

If it's just the rollbar, then I'm fairly certain that the one I have will fit your car. I could bring it to Ring Knutstorp in Sweden this Saturday, maybe I'll be there on the 11th and the 26th as well, which is probably better than relaying it to England given your "N" on the numberplate.

Like Jonathan says, I don't think there's anything available that can tilt or raise the seat easily.

[kenneth.mula]

Hello rj

I live in Bergen, Norway. On the west coast of Norway. Unfortunately to far to drive even for a Caterham :) about 1000km one way.

I am thinking of making a wedge/bracket under the seat runner. This will have to raise the seat in the forward position, and lower it in the aft position

The "tilt" I was thinking of is like this: 

 

[Wrightpayne]

What about making a booster seat - I was considering making one for my son for the tillet - plastic bag & expanding foam? Some people just cover with gaffa tape. Or go upmarked and get a bead seat kit that you sit in to mold to your shape.

Ian

 

[rj]

Hm.

Do you ever visit Sweden or better still Zeeland?

[kenneth.mula]

Hm... 

The have thought about the booster seat..... but... have not the guts to ask my wife to sit in a makeshift seat... with plastic padding and foam.. 

Just think about this: " Honey. can you please sit here so that I can make a mould of your bum?" :)

Have you tried that aproach?  he he

Think I will try the bracket first, see how it goes. Will report back here with pictures :)

 

 

[Jim 123]

With your seat runner idea, you may want to check if you can get the seat to slide forward enough as the seat pad might start to foul on the side of the transmission tunnel and inhibit travel forward?

[elie boone]

There is a new trackday cage https://caterhamparts.co.uk/rollcages/7115-sv-trackday-rollcage-academy-style.html

[kenneth.mula]

Jim 123 

I will have to "try" to see if the seat will run as planned before I swap the florpanels. 

Would not want my wife to "not like" to drive the car. Today she likes to drive the car. Maybe because us guys dont expect a woman driving such a "toy". And of course it is a fun car, as you all know.

A little bit on the noisy side, but still. Changed from 3.92 to 3.62 or so.. and the noise lowered alot. The original diff was all wrong setup and was screaming from 30mph....

 

Elie boone

I´m not shure if I want a cage. Maybe if I could have one like I have today, one that I can screw onto the roll bar, then I should be allright

 

 

[Wrightpayne]

Just tell her a lot of racers have bag seats for a ‘perfect’ fit ;-)

Also, looking at your design picture I think the headrest at a different angle may stop the seat going back as far.

 

[kenneth.mula]

Yes, maybe I should try telling her that ... :) she is a little bit afraid of the car 200+/500+kg... but I think I´m more afraid of her :)

I have to try a test bracket without changing the floor just to se if the headrest will stop the seat 

 

[Jonathan Kay]

The have thought about the booster seat..... but... have not the guts to ask my wife to sit in a makeshift seat... with plastic padding and foam.. 

Could be a whole cushion that you swap from side to side rather than a booster. And it doesn't have to look makeshift... once you've got the size right and know that it works you could have a properly upholstered version.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Kay]

That's nice in that the runner is supported along its length so it doesn't carry any new bending forces. But I can't see a neat development that offers alternative heights and rapid change between them that doesn't have that problem.

Jonathan

 

[Wrightpayne]

When you watch endurance car racing, with multiple drivers, you often see a tailored insert going in or coming out when they change drivers.

Perhaps ‘booster’ seat is the wrong terminology to sell it. Perhaps custom or bespoke seat insert making it ‘much more comfortable’ would help ;-)

 

[Golf Juliet Tango]

I think if you explained the issue to Oxted Trimming +44(0)1883 712 112 https://www.oxtedtrimming.co.uk/contact/ they would help.  Tell them you are a member of the club and explain that you are in Bergen, Norway.  You might be able to get them to send you the plastic base that the foam for a seat squab sits in, so that you could add the right amount of foam and cover it.  They might tell you the right specification for the foam too.

 

[kenneth.mula]

Jonathan

I was thinking of the wedge/bracket more like a "ski" jump style of height adjustment. If I use the car with the seat fully back then I´m at the lower setting. If the seat is at the front, then it will be on top of the "jump" and the seat would be higher.

 

[Jim 123]

You may want to consider how your ski jump might affect the seat base tending to "submarine" if something solid gets in your way with the seat in the fully forward position? 

As per Stephens comment, I have seen a custom made, leather trimmed, one piece supplementary seat and backrest  cushion that the Caterham dealership uses for demo drives where the customer is vertically limited.  The main benefit is that it allows the driver to sit about 50mm nearer to the pedals because of the backrest padding.