Technical data

21
 Honeycomb fuel tank or bag tank
 Honeycomb floor impact protection panels
 Rear wheel protection bar
 Bespoke seat
All these parts, along with advice, are available from
the Caterham Parts Department and Caterham online
store.
Whilst a Caterham is perfect for track use, there are a
number of essential checks that should be made to
ensure that your day passes smoothly
 Wheel nuts - must be torqued to the correct
setting (see Technical Data). Check after every
session.
 Tyre pressures – check the hot temperature
immediately after a session. The tyre pressure
will increase beyond that of normal road use and
may need releasing a little. Avon CR500’s
should be approx 22-24psi hot. For more road
orientated tyres, 28psi hot typically gives the best
control.
 Oil and coolant. These should be filled to
maximum marks and checked regularly.
 Remove all loose objects from boot area
 Check brake pad wear and fluid level
 Before taking to the track it is wise to give the car
a general ‘spanner check’ to ensure everything is
tight.
Track usage is among the toughest environments for
any vehicle and even though your Caterham has been
designed around this environment it is vital that careful
monitoring of the gauges is carried out whilst driving
under these harsh conditions. The following
recommendations are designed to reduce the risk of
engine damage:
Water Temperature
Always allow the engine to warm up to at least
65C before using high rpm or full throttle. The
optimum operating water temperature for your
engine is 110C.
Oil Temperature
Once again high rpm or full throttle should not be
used until the engine oil temperature is at least
50C. Oil temperature rises with engine rpm and
loading, so it won’t come up to temperature at
idle like the water. Therefore, if your car isn’t
fitted with an oil temperature gauge, we would
recommend building up the maximum revs used
cautiously for the first few laps of use. The oil will
come up to temperature quickly. A maximum oil
temperature of 120C is recommended. If track
usage causes this figure to be exceeded then
fitment of oil cooler is recommended.
Oil changes
The engine oil should be changed more
frequently with cars used on the track. We
recommend every 1000 track miles as a
minimum. More frequent changes can only be
beneficial.
For Enhanced Track Performance, you may wish to
upgrade your car to include some of the following as
this will improve both your enjoyment and safety whilst
on the track.
 13" wheels fitted with Avon CR500 road tyres
(This may require adjustable spring
platforms to be fitted. For further
information contact Caterham Technical
Department).
 Uprated anti roll bars (front and rear)
 Uprated front or rear springs
 Clutch and throttle pedal stops
 Uprated brake master cylinder
 Race dampers
NOTE: For track use, cars fitted with uprated brake
master cylinder must use race cap to avoid any leaks.
3. Maintenance
Owner Maintenance
In addition to the routine services and inspections
described in this book, the following simple checks
must be carried out more frequently. You can do these
yourself and advice is given on the pages that follow.