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So having recently bought my second caterham (an R500 Duratec) I now find myself with 3 sets of dampers and need help to work out which ones are best for the track! One set of dampers are the standard black Bilsteins. These I will keep as spares. The other two sets of dampers are two different versions of the fat Bilsteins. One set is mounted upside down and is all silver - these were supplied by Caterham when I upgraded my R400 Duratec to race suspension a few years ago. The other set is mounted the same way as the black Bilsteins and has the silver body with a blue Bilstein label round one end - these are the dampers currently sold by Caterham as Race dampers but are cheaper than the all silver ones. So - does anyone know the difference between the two sets of race Bilsteins? Which is best?

Thanks all!

Help! Have driven all the way to the Nurburgring and just as I was heading to the track my throttle cable has snapped! It's gone at the pedal end. Car is an r400 duratec with throttle bodies. Anyone got any ideas as to how I might be able to fix it or get another one?

Might be set up related. Changing tyres hasn't made a difference, but the problem is worse one up vs two up...

A question for the wise... I have a duratec R400 with zzrs and race suspension. Diff is the one it came with in 2007. It was flat floored a couple of years ago. When on track going round right hand corners and accelerating hard, it's great - grips and goes. However, on some left hand corners - eg downhill cascades at Oulton or coming out of the hairpin at Silverstone and accelerating hard, the inside left wheel is spinning up loads under power. Is this a diff issue or a set up,issue?

Ammo gave me his advice when I placed my order which would be at least 3 years ago now. The rear entry repack method you describe sounds plausible, so I'll make a note to try that one next time!

Problem solved! I lifted the core slightly and managed to get enough overlap to seat the inlet cap pipe. Plain sailing after that... Reason for working on the inlet side is that Ammo told me to go in that way and replace the inlet side packing when the outside of the can starts to show signs of discolouring at the inlet side. Saves replacing all the packing when it isn't needed. I'll work from the outlet side when I do a full re-pack though!

Bit of a numpty question... But it needs asking! i'm repacking my Raceco silencer. I've taken it off the car, taken the inlet end cap off, whipped out the old packing, loaded up new packing and I'm ready to reassemble. When I try and refit the end cap, the inlet pipe is fouling on the core pipe and I can't get them to mate... Is is there a simple way to solve this problem? Does the core pipe go inside our outside of the cap pipe? How can I persuade them together? See - told you it was a numpty question, but enthusiastic beginners have to start somewhere! Thanks.

Done it! Took a combination of WD40, impact wrench and breaker bar, but got it loose in the end! And yes- I was turning it anti clockwise... :) thanks is all for the tips!

Darn it! Rear pads done, now trying to do the fronts. The Caliper bolts are very tight and won't budge... Any one got any top tips for how to persuade them to loosen? Have applied some WD40 am letting that soak in before having another go...

Yes Alcester is useful but doesn't cover 4 pot front calipers. Does a great job on rears though.

Thanks for the procedure and top tips chaps! I'm changing pads all round - have done the rears myself before, but never the fronts. Bit of fun and as you say, it's good to develop a better understanding of the mechanicals.

I'm changing my front pads. Got AP 4 pots (R400 Duratec 2007). Can anyone tell me the procedure please? Thanks!

Andy- I thought we could pick up some used Pirellis in Abu Dhabi??? :)

My rears need replacing much more frequently than the fronts. I used a heat gun to measure temps and the rears were massively higher than the fronts. This doesn't help pad life. However... This year I made a massive rear pad breakthrough and wear rates are much reduced. The source of this miracle???? My right foot. I finally twigged that under hard braking, I was catching the accelerator. Rear brakes didn't like that. Now that I have adapted my brake application technique, my braking distances are shorter, rear temps are lower and the pads are lasting miles longer. Simples!

Chaps I have an R400 with 220hp. The car is used mostly on track with very limited road mileage. Currently running ZZRs and loving them. Am now tempted to get another set of wheels and some slicks to fit at the track. Questions for the esteemed forum as follows:- 1. Would slicks give a meaningful improvement in lap time vs ZZRs? Would suspension settings need to change? 2. What are the recommended wheels for slicks? 3. What width/offsets front/back are required? (naturally, 13inch) 4. Any other slick top tips?!

ZZRs are a significant step up from CR500s and don't go off too quickly. I have been using them for a couple of years, and will never go back to CRs. My car is a 220hp R400 Duratec used mainly on track - and driven there/back. The set up needs to be properly sorted though. I got Fauldsport to do mine after Caterham made a right pigs ear of it the first time round. They are very sensitive to set up and if you don't get that right then the fronts burn up on the outer edges even though the rest of the tyre surface could be reasonably even.

ZZR = a great performance upgrade! Make sure you have a dry sump and set the geo up to get the best from them. I switched from CR500s and I'm not going back. Re performance in the wet - they are not lethal on the road. Certainly, be careful, you can quite easily cruise around in the wet without risking life and limb. On the track, you will not set any lap records in the wet, but the sideways fun is great!

Only by the rear bracket and manifold studs. Didn't even know there was the option of a mid mount? I have a Raceco silencer and straight through pipe set up. There is clearly decent amount of vibration going through the exhaust as I've also had to replace the rear mounting bobbin.

Quoting Stationary M25 Traveller: Out of curiosity .... what made you replace one primary ? It developed a significant crack that extended nearly half way round the pipe about 1/4" away from the weld that links the primary pipe to the bracket that bolts into the engine block... No idea why and none of the other primaries have any problems.

^^^ Thanks for that!

I'm about to replace one of my primaries (Primary number 1 in fact..). Similar exhaust to yours I think - Duratec 2l. The build guide says tighten to 32Nm (24 lb/ft in old money). As an aside - if you change a primary, do you need to replace the gasket too?

I'll have a pre 2010 S3 is one's available?!

I have been using ZZRs for 2 years. Moved on from CR500s. On 13s. R400 Duratec with 220bhp. Overall, I would highly recommend them. I have done a good few track days with them - mostly higher speed stuff - Silverstone, Spa, the Ring, Oulton, Abbeville. I have also driven them big distances - Cheshire to the Ring for example - and in all weather conditions including torrential rain. They are highly sensitive to set up, but once geo is right, the benefits are worth it in terms of overall grip and longevity. Eventually, they do start to go off after a few hard laps, but I have found that this usually happens around the time I want to come in for a break, so it has never been a problem for me. I've just had a new set fitted for this coming season. I'd never go back to CR500s. Can't comment on performance vs V700s unfort.

Thanks for the responses so far! Sounds like a bit of localised upgrading to 250(ish) is possible... Who are the best folk to talk to (I'll call HWR - thanks for that suggestion)?