L777JDP Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Hello everyone,I'm getting an engine upgrade to take my 2013 Roadsport 140 up to approx. 175bhp. It already has Caterham's Supersport engine upgrade applied, including the uprated brake master cylinder. Otherwise the brakes are standard Caterham issue. As far as I can tell Caterham use these up to their current Seven 360 model which is broadly equivalent engine-wise.I'm hoping that someone can give me some advice as to whether the brakes spec will be fine for the uprated engine, or suggest what enhancement might be worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted May 26, 2018 Member Share Posted May 26, 2018 Road use only?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L777JDP Posted May 26, 2018 Author Share Posted May 26, 2018 Hi Jonathan,Yes, road use only planned so far. Just don't want to follow in the legacy of the great James Hunt. It has the standard (for 2013 at least) Caterham R pack suspension. Tyres are Avon 185/60 R14s. Just don't want to follow the legacy of the great James Hunt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadsport06 Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Your brakes will lock up so no need to change the callipers. What pads are fitted? Something like Mintex 1144 will stop the car being over brake at the rear. The initial setup will have the rears locking first. What Avon tyres? ZV something? If so they are the things needing to be changed. The grip is not great. Toyo R888 are a massive improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L777JDP Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Hi Roadsport06I have no idea what pads are fitted, but it will be whatever came with the Caterham kit (assuming brake pads are included... otherwise whatever the original owner sourced). Yes, the types are Avon ZV something or other. What are the Toyo R888s like in the wet? An improvement over the Avon ZVs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadsport06 Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 If you brake hard and the rear feels like it wants to over take the front then swap to Mintex 1144 pads. It may already have them fitted from the last owner. R888 are a good improvement in the wet, remember the car is light and they are semi slicks so nothing is going to be great. The side wall is flexible and work nicely on the seven. I'm getting R888r fitted next week to replace my worn R888. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrp Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 Hi Dr JohnI did things in reverse from you and fitted the big master cylinder and the uprated discs and calipers, I also got the rear calipers refurbished and repainted by Red. The difference is a world away much better braking and pedal response. This is a lead up to a visit to Stuart later in the year for the same 175 upgrades you are proposing. I should add just to potential damage your wallet even more I also added Simon Rodgers Caterham special NTR 1 dampers which transformed the ride. RegardsMrp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bone Rat Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Hi,Have a road use only RoadSport 150 - one of the fairly rare critters but it has the 14" wheels.Really would look at changing the tyres first if you still have the OEM Avon ZV3 fitted. Was one of the first things I changed after purchase, initially had the late lamented A021s which were like night and day. Could stop confidently and corner. Now have RainExpert 3 fitted while not as good as the A021 are still light years ahead of the Avons.Not a huge difference in power but never felt the need to upgrade the brakes for road use once the tyres were sortedAndy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L777JDP Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 Thanks for the comments about tyres everyone. I've also been PM'd about Avons ZZS as being a good alternative. Clearly there is a lot more to this topic than meets the eye, and I expect it is a trade off between dry and wet performance. Just looking at images of the tyres they broadly look like they fall into two categories - inters and full wets. I'm going to stick with the OEM Avon ZV3s for the moment, until my bank account recovers a bit, and I need to see how I get on with the F175 upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Hi John - sent you mail.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadsport06 Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 I wouldn't be looking to up the power until I had better tyres. I wouldn't exactly call them OEM tyres, it's just that CC have a deal with Avon. Your tyres will be 5 or more years old now and will be rock hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L777JDP Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 So it looks like Toyo Proxes R888 tyres are available in 185/60 R14.Is it simply a case of getting the Avon ZV3s changed for these? The car has standard Caterham R-pack suspension (non-adjustable). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadsport06 Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Yes, simple tyre change only. Adams and Page had the best price each time I've brought them. I paid £10 a corner for a tyre fitter to fit and dispose. I bet your ZV3 will have loads of tread left so with putting them on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now