ARB issues

[Michael Murphy]

I have the thick front ARB with wide track, uprated springs and stock shocks all round.

Some time ago I removed the rear ARB because, being a Caterham engineering special, the bar achieved a significant proportion of its roll-resistance by burying itself in the aluminum bodywork above the suspension. I did manage to reduce the frequency of impact by bending, fettling and crossing my fingers, but in the end I declared it to be a "useless piece of sh*t" and pulled it off the car. Note that this is one of the older "top mounted" bars. I do not know whether the later "bottom mounted" bars are a simple bolt-in replacement.

Not surprisingly, the car understeers badly under duress. I want to fix that. I could take an axe to the remaining rear bodywork and then re-install the rear ARB. Or I could find a thinner front ARB. Or I could remove the front ARB altogether.

Has anyone swapped from a top mount to a bottom mount bar? Lessons/observations from that experience?

More broadly, has anyone experimented with different front/rear ARB combinations under TRACK conditions? If so please share.

[magnusfeuer]

I use freestyle's adjustable ARB drop in replacement with a rotatable blade. It takes a few sessions to set it up correctly, but it has worked for me.

http://www.freestylemotorsport.co.uk/products.htm

The only engineering retardedness (and, yes, that is a word) I found was that the surface contact between the rotating blade and the rest of the bar was powder coated. True to form, this paint crumbled after a couple of months and the blade came loose. After some tightening things have stayed in place, though.

/Magnus F.

[escondidoron]

Any advice / suggestions on how best to contact the folks at Freestyle? I've been trying to reach them since early December. No phone answer in their morning or afternoon. And no email response from their web site.

[Doug Liedblad]

Ask Sean, he's been trying for months.

I can't speak from personal experience but have heard that he's not the only one that has waited months to get parts.

The only UK supplier that has ever responded to my emails is Caterham UK. I try to call and as you're finding out that doesn't always work.

Check Blatchat as they sometines keep track of the goings on at Freestyle.

[escondidoron]

Thanks. Will do.

[slomove]

Ask Sean, he's been trying for months.

I can't speak from personal experience but have heard that he's not the only one that has waited months to get parts.

The only UK supplier that has ever responded to my emails is Caterham UK. I try to call and as you're finding out that doesn't always work.

Check Blatchat as they sometines keept track of the goings on at Freestyle.

I know some people had more difficulties in the U.K. than with domestic companies but my experience with suppliers over there was mostly good. Burton Power, ProTech Shocks, Cobra Seats and Raceco were all responsive and had good customer service. Dunnel was not so great and I never dealt with Freestyle.

[Rod]

I have had very good luck with suppliers in the UK. However I can not recommend Freestyle. Based on my experience it would be easier to jump through your own asshole than to get the parts your order and pay for from Freestyle.

[sdcat]

I also had trouble getting parts directly from Freestyle a few years ago, but did eventually get them. I ordered Freestyle bars for my current Caterham from MOG racing, and they were easy to deal with, very responsive, and quick. Their website is:

http://www.westermann-motorsport.com/shop/index.php?cat=c119_Caterham.html&XTCsid=fc2d84b6687cd77685787c1a4ed24272

Justin

[Sean]

Michael - Freestyle recommended to me running without a rear ARB. Also, my car was supplied without one.

Ron - Nothing I could add that hasn't been said before. Best of luck.

[Rod]

Funny, Freestyle recommended, and sold both a front and rear anti-roll bar.

[Sean]

There's a rumor going around today... here

[Michael Murphy]

Thanks for all the feedback. I measured the front bar and it is mighty stiff -- 18mm. Adding to that, I am running heavier springs. So... methinks I should go down a notch or two with the front bar and re-fit the rear bar to even things up.

I'm not interested in going down the Freestyle yellow brick road due to cost and time (although the solution is elegantly simple if not visually elegant).

Does anyone have a cast-off front bar thinner than 18mm, and/or an underslung rear bar that they would like to sell?