Advice needed: Best Caterham model for road and occasional track days.

[repsna]

thks Mike, are the 13inch wheels in the shape of the original 15 inch wheels still available? I do not find them on the Caterham webshop thks again Hanns Per

[Croc]

Caterham never sold the 13 inch wheel for the CSR. The standard 13 inch wheel for S3 or SV will bolt on the front of a CSR without a problem. The rears are the issue since they have a different offset to the S3 or SV. Also the rear brake calipers prevent clearance with a 13 inch wheel

 

So you need a non-Caterham 13 inch wheel - I use the Westermann BBS wheel as it has a larger inner barrel and I like the styling but you could use other brands just as easily once you have the offset correct. You still need to modify the rear calipers to provide inside wheel clearance. This involves modifying to use new tighter caliper banjo fittings and grinding the cooling fins off the calipers. Westermann sell a kit but you could do your own method.

 

Race CSRs do not have the same issue as they use a different upright and rear brake set up to the road CSRs. They also have no handbrake.

 

The shift to 13 inch wheels is an intricate process to do but it does transform the car from less rotational mass of the wheels plus I find the handling improved with more predictable break away. Pity you are not closer - you could check out my car to understand the changes better.