Caterham Tuning Tips and Modifications
Maximise your Caterhams driving pleasure
Caterham car tuning tips and advice. We have a wide range of tuning articles covering all models of Caterham from small classic Caterhams, bike engines models right up to track day set up race spec models. Following our tuning tips you will avoid many of the common mistakes and actually achieve the car setup you desire. Please join the forum for model specific questions and answers and to meet other owners and see what modifications they have done.
TorqueCars started providing Caterham modification help, car track day setup and car tweak suggestions and advice and tips back in 2003 and have grown from strength to strength with a fast growing membership of all types of cars including many, Caterham owners. We are currently one of the fastest growing car tuning clubs around and certainly one of the friendliest. In 2007 we also organised our first full car show.
Our Caterham comprehensive modification articles on tuning and styling are kept upto date so for the very latest Caterham modification,track day setup and tweak suggestions and advice, tips and pointers please check back regularly – we aim to cover in more detail the superlight, R300,R400 and R500 which are already great track day cars and not very expensive to run and the latest evolution of the Caterham – the CSR and SP/300R. We strongly recommend that you join our Caterham forums and swap modification ideas with like minded Caterham owners in the modification forums.
If you have a Caterham project underway we would love to hear about it, the Gallery section in the forum contains some interesting projects. Scroll down the page to see our latest tuning articles for your Caterham.
Fuel systems
"A car with a drink problem!"
Cars need a precise mix of oxygen and fuel to burn effectively. Much of the engine tuning done by TorqueCars members involves increasing the cars capacity to burn the air and fuel mix. Much attention is generally given to the air intake and we have discussed the various aspects of forced induction.
We should not overlook the fuelling as it is essential to keep the mix right. Power is lost when the engine adjusts itself to stop it running too rich or lean. Many power losses at certain points in the rev band can often be traced to a fuelling issue.… Read More...
Alloy wheels and their impact on handling and performance.
Some rally style alloy wheels are lighter – (less weight = more speed) and also are designed to increase the cooling of the brake disks.
Some designs hold up better to being curbed than others and some break very easily when hitting a pothole or curb at speed.
Always go for the best quality alloy wheel that you can afford and read the reports and reviews. If you do go for a different overall size you must get the suspension and tracking realigned to avoid uneven wear under acceleration. Read More...
Best cold air intake induction kits and performance impact
Cold air intakes and induction kits and the effect on performance.
"Suck it and see – induction kits."
Improving the Suck – if you put a piece of cloth over your mouth and suck in air you will not have too much of a problem but if the cloth were wet or a double thickness things start to get harder. Your engine, just like you, needs to breathe air.
Increase engine displacement with a rebore.
You can increase the power of an engine by increasing its capacity. This is a fairly involved process and requires a good deal of research and preparation. Unless you want to have to retrace your steps and go a different route midway in to the job.
Some of TorqueCars.com members have had their engines rebored ,and this does seem a good way to increase power. However there are a few things we should take into account. Read More...
Todays featured car tuning article
Sports ignition coils and performance coil packs
Lets look at the job of the coil in the spark system and see what it does.
Just as a power transformer converts mains 240 volts into a usable 9 volts for your charger or appliance a coil will increase the voltage.
A car battery/alternator will produce a paltry 12volts, certainly not enough to jump an air gap and create a spark.
An ignition coil raises the voltage in some installations between 20 and up to 40,000 volts and this allows the creation of a spark which can jump the air gap between the plugs. Read More...
Car Tuning
Camshafts
Induction Kit Intro
Diesel Remaps
Twincharging
Boost Controllers
Engine Knock
Rebore Engine
Car Styling
Under Car Neons
Spray Painting
Painting Calipers
Chrome Paint
Carbon Vents
Suicide Doors
Dashboard
Articles
Fuel Octane Ratings
Car Servicing
Sleepers
Double De Clutching
Oil Change
France Driving
Polishing Waxing