jason liddell

Had the rear dampers off to (successfully) deal with seized adjustable platform rings. Just refitting them this afternoon, when..... ...stripped the captive (spot welded in place) nut for the upper damper bolt 😳 ( My build manual copy said 60lb ft, but now discovered on blatchat should be only 40lb ft ). Swear words. So I have no idea on best solution. We leave next Sat 1 July for our Alps touring holiday , so I'm desperate for a quick and safe solution. Other than finding someone to remove and re-weld a replacement, what else can I do 🤔 Hoping some suggestions soon on this ☹️

Personally I'd push for a swap - IMHO they've sold you the wrong size. IIRC R400's standard were 195/45x15 CR500 with the 175 front/205 rear 'R500' 13" dia CR500 as an option. Though I stand to be corrected. BTW - how many miles do your 175 Soft 48s last on the rear 🤔

The green one was Lawrence (confirmed) T'other I don't know. ...and tonight there was a red Superlight on the same road - me! 😬

Green one sounds like Lawrence or Paul's (caligarinet) BECs (...?) Edited by - jason liddell on 23 Apr 2006 22:40:48

I've had this same problem since fitting mine. Appears to weep around the cap/thread. Are you saying ignore the "fill to here" mark and just have half full (say to reservoir joint seam), Mark?

Ian I'm no authority on the matter, just relaying what worked for me following similar crunching experiences... hope it's the same result for you Fitting is a doddle - not sure which box you have (I'd asumed 6-speed), but just be cautious not to drop the clutch gaitor's internal spring clip into the box! Good luck Jason

I had the same symptoms - horrendous crunch engaging reverse when hot. Theorised all sorts of causes (all head-in-sand expensive ones to sort ☹️)... and adjusting didn't solve it. In the end, fitting a new cable did the job Found the old cable was a bit frayed at entrance to pedal box, so perhaps it had been stretching. (The geometry in the pedal box is hopeless IMHO - near the bottom of the pedal stroke, there is hardly any cable take up due the acute cable/pedal angle.)

[shame mode on] MG Metro Turbo (another case of MG badge abuse!) ...and it was white with WHITE wheels (and rust bubbles) 😳 ...and it had a red 'Turbo' sticker in the rear window ...and a new gearbox (regularly) ...and left a smoke trail rivalling the Red Arrows [/shame mode off]

I am that Jason I have a pair of race stays on my 2001 SL. My intention was to try bending the stays because I like the low profile over the trye.... but I may be interested in your offer 😬 Please tell us about your stays, Lancelot. Are they the standard 13" versions? If so, is there a dimension you could give that would give me an idea of how much taller they would be (eg. wheel axis CL to underside of horizontal section - in other words, internal radius)? Cheers Jason

Cracking little cars, but sounds a 'mare ☹️ I bought a new MR2 in the same week! Sadly didn't have it long for reasons of practicality... though I still spent some time at the dealers with niggles. It needed a new seat - the old one had a sharp bit that dug into the driver's lumbar, and geometry sorting. That bits interesting... my car (registered the same week) had an LSD and no traction control. Edited by - jason liddell on 10 Mar 2006 09:12:50

If it helps... I've just changed from 175/55x13 CR500 fronts to 185/60x13 Yoko 48s. I have to assume I have these 'short' 13" stays fitted to my 2001 Superlight because the tyres' inside shoulders were rubbing the stays when under cornering load during a TD on Saturday ☹️. ...going to have to try bending them a little

I spoke to (perhaps a different Mr Avon, Dave?) when I was looking at new rears. He told me, after referring to their technical dept, that compared to 11090/11091s, they are the same compound, but a stiffer sidewall. This reduces overheating issues (I had that big time last summer at the Nurburgring on 11090s ☹️ ), and increases longevity. Interestingly, they have also found them to produce more grip (enough of a differecne apparently to upset balance if only replacing one end of car).

Good stuff. Really appreciate the answers from everyone Looking like I will go ahead and try 185/60R13 48Rs (Soft front, Medium rear) . Any recommended suppliers though, cos looking at George Polley's site here suggests no compound choices for that size 🤔 Cheers

Thanks, ChocolateT. That was just the kind of info I was hoping for I have a softer front ARB, and lots of rake (and would lose ~12mm if going to 175 CR500s), so I'm reasonably happy am getting there balance-wise, but car much more rewarding in the wet - which suggests to me I'd be happier with less tyre at the back too . I do a lot of road use though.... is it being caught whilst out in the wet, or is it wear rates that would lead you to favour CR500s for predominantly road use? I really am tempted by 48s but want to really understand them before committing. I didn't realise the size in question was available in different compounds. That's interesting to know.

I have a real dilemma on my hands with bald rears and only ~2 wks till a trackday ... so I'm hoping someone here can help advise. Car currently on R500 MB rims with CR500s (175f/205r). It's over-tyred, but a reasonable balance is achievable. Trouble is, new 205/55R13s are 12313 coded (my old ones were 11091). Speaking to Avon, these are same compound, but new construction does increase grip - so they confirmed I'd just get more understeer if keeping the 11090 fronts ☹️ I know this has been done to death in the archives, but I'm still too confused to make a decison... I've never been entirely happy with the 205s on rear, so I'm looking at the following tyres (obviously after re-sizing the rear rims): 175/44R13 CR500 all round (blimey, they look puny when on the rear , versus 185/60R13 Yokohama AO48R, versus 185/60R13 Yokohama A032R Any comments (especially from similar-powered SL owners ) GREATY appreciated. PANIC setting in 😳

Steve 😬 - cheaper to downgrade tyres rather than upgrade engine for now! Nobody out there runs 175/55x13 CR500s on 7" rims 🤔 Guess 6.5" is what I'll be re-sizing to then. Offsets - what is the theoretical effect of increasing the rear track 🤔 eg. if I was to keep outer rims and take 2" off inner rims (that would shift the centreline of each rear tyre OUT by 1").

Thanks, Graham . I'm also thinking 6.5"s right now (same as fronts). Just to clarify - Mike's advice was that there are various options available for offset for me to consider, and that I could fit 7" if the tyre will stretch to it. Hence my BC question I'm hopeful somebody out there will have done the same as I'm planning on doing re. different offsets to fronts IYSWIM. Edited by - jason liddell on 9 Feb 2006 14:04:30

My 205 CR500 rears have run out of tread, and seeing as I only have a 1.6 Superlight, I plan on killing 2 birds with one stone (apols to bird lovers ) by taking the chance to improve the car's balance. So, I plan on buying 175/55R13 Cr500s for the rear (same as front)... but what rim size and offset?? Hmm.... 🤔 Hence this posting. Car currently has MB Mags 6.5 front, 8.5 rear (thanks to original owner). I've chatted with Mike Barnby about the various options (ie. 6.5" or 7" width, various offsets, etc) for converting my rears, but before I commit I would welcome advice and comments from the Blatchat Encyclopaedia I'd be particularly interested in thoughts re. 175 CR500s fitted to a 7" rim. Cheers Jason

Another for RS15s front, RS14s rear ...but then that probably means we all spoke to John Freith! VERY helpful chap

They're actually 175/55R13

According to that pricelist, the quoted price of £1,475 includes an upgrade to "Superlight Suspension" - ie. widetrack etc. Not just the wheels.

To bring only further complication to the discussion.... I am an FB (or, indeed, an FALB) who drives an SB 7, with SB Tillets ❗ 😬

Hmmm..... any obvious way of telling whether they're anodised? From what you're saying my rims (whcih the original owner specified on the Caterham build sheet) will be anodised. I'm familiar with anodised finishes on aluminium alloy bike components, looking at my rims it never occured to me they're anodised. Sorry for the hijack, Franky. Edited by - jason liddell on 3 Dec 2005 00:47:23

[slight hijack] So are folks here saying you should avoid salted roads with MB rims? Or can a wipe/clean after any blat (assuming will have to remove to clean inside aswell) avoid the problems described? Fearful to venture out now!

Ah well, guess I'm just a cheap-skate