Fitting FIA Bar to DeDion

[David Lynch]

Has anyone documented the process of replacing the standard bar with an FIA Bar on a (1995 joke hankbrake) DeDion Car (when it finally arrives 🙆🏻)? Mainly concerned with the mount onto the rear suspension and tool requirements 😳. (Too tight to have Caterham fit one at over £400 ☹️)

 

Ta muchly 😬

Dave

 

 

[Colin Mill]

According to the assembly guide you have to remove the rear spring damper units to gain access to the lower mounting points in the ends of the main hoop. It says to place the roll over bar in place but before finally tightening the fixings pass from underneath the reduced head set screws supplied with the bar into the threaded holes in the end of the roll over bar. Leave these fasteners loose until all fixings are in place.

 

The top fixings of the spring damper units are capbolts accessed through holes in the seat back panel. On refitting these need torquing to 40 ft lb

The torque settings for the roll over bar fixings are:-

Base of bucket bushes - 25 ft lb

Mounting flange 5/16 UNF 15 ft lb

Rear diagonals 5/16 UNF 15 ft lb

Petty bar fixings 45 ft lb

 

I hope that helps

 

 

[David Lynch]

Thanks Colin, that should get me away, or into a right pickle

 

 

[Bobo W]

It's pretty easy as even I can do it !

 

The only things to note are potential difficulties tightening the bolt in the lower mounting point, you will probably need to get a socket ground down and also when refitting the shock absorbers you should jack up the de dion cause because it's a bugger trying to fit the bolts otherwise.

[MartinWoodham]

if it's the current 'Caged' rollcage (introduced end 2003-ish) then you'll also need to remove the cockpit side trims (if you have them) and trim about an inch and a half off the front end. The front mountings won't go low enogh to line up the bolt holes otherwise.

 

Martin

Roadsports B

If everything's under control you're going too slow (Emmerson Fittipaldi)

[Joespeeder v2.0]

After reading several tales about the short headed bolts and trying to torque them to spec, I ended up using an 6 point impact SOCKET (not the driver) on a torque wrench.

 

Once I had it set level on the bolt head I pushed hard from the head of the torque wrench to keep the socket on the bolt head. As I was doing this I had a friend tighten the bolt until we got it torqued.

 

We were able to tighten both sides to spec this way. The trick is keeping the socket on the head of the bolt.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Joe

TheCaterhamProject.com - Build site with photos here

[Nick Chan]

As a helpful tip to remove the bolts at the top of the suspension turrets (and I suppose to torque them if finding it difficult) use a piece of wood on an trolley jack to apply sufficient upwards pressure with someone leaning over the back end of the car to hold it down. The torque wrench/bar can then be easily turned without slipping on the shallow headed nut

 

We used this technique to free my roll cage that had been on the car for over 8 years and must have been torqued up with an ACME-MAX TORQUE BAR and over 100lbs of pressure - you can't be too sure about these things! Needless to say I used a lesser setting when replacing the new FIA bar...

 

Anyway hope this tip is useful!

 

Nick

 

Now the Orange HPC - A 2.0 VX - 😬

[David Lynch]

Thanks all, many head scratching, blind alleys removed there then Phew. Glad I've picked such a easy first job. I'll report on my findings at end of month when task complete .... and for my next trick, juggling custard

 

David

(allegedly when it lands) 1995 1.4K SS