Suspension System Refurbishment and Maintenance

[drewbrese]

Looking to do some refurbishment and maintenance on my Caterham's suspension system. It is a live axle car. Bushings are cracked and rotted. Springs and dampers are of an unknown age and service history. The rear A-frame bushing is the spherical type and looks to be in good condition. Front wishbones, top links, and roll bar look undamaged but have surface corrosion and show their age. Same with rear.

 

Looking for recommendations on where to buy parts, what must be replaced (bushings), and what can be cleaned up (wishbones). Want to be smart with my money while bringing everything up to a high standard.

 

Thanks

[The Stig]

Unless the wishbones and top links are really rusted, just a clean and repaint should be OK. All bushings can be had from Redline in the UK and relatively easy to replace using a press. Don’t bother trying without one. Great service and knowledge from Chris Mintoft.

 

http://www.redlinecomponents.co.uk/

 

They can supply springs and dampers although there are many options available either from Caterham or independent suppliers such as Redline, Merlin Motorsport, Gaz, Avo etc. Start with Chris if you want standard spec.

[James A]

i highly recommend having suspension components powdered coated. Once the bushings are removed send them to a local powder coater, if you can't find one there is one near me who does a great job on suspension components, wheels, frames, etc.