Caterham Seven - Page 28

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As track days cater for the general public in their
regular road cars, only personal safety equipment
(such as a crash helmet) is a requirement.
However, many owners choose to make use of
race-developed safety enhancements for peace of
mind. Caterham would recommend the following
options if you intend using your car on circuit:
 Race harness safety belts (4 point or 6 point)
 Track day roll over bar
 Arm restraints
 Battery master switch
Further safety enhancements include:
 Plumbed in fire extinguisher
 Full race roll cage
 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 Caterham Aftersales or by visiting the 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 CR500s should be no more than 22-
24psi hot, while Avon ZZR’s should be no
more than 29-31psi 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, especially areas noted below:
 Lower front diff bolts should be torqued up
and secure. (CSR / 620R only, See Table 9 &
10)
 Top wishbone ball joint nuts should be
torqued and secure. (See Table 9 & 10)
 Lower front damper bolts should be torqued
up and secure. (See Table 9 & 10)
 Grease prop shaft regularly.
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. A
rule of 1 track mile equals 10 road miles should be
considered in relation to service schedules.
It would also be prudent to carry out the above
checks before, whilst and after visiting the track.
If in ANY doubt, please contact our Aftersales
department for further details on servicing and
track use.
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 an oil cooler is
recommended. This can be carried out by our
Aftersales team, speak to Caterham for more
information.
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 or Avon
ZZR road tyres
 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.