Thursday 30 April 2015

Nitron Race R1 Shocks and Fitting Guide

With a big blat weekend on the very near horizon (this weekend in actual fact) and the warm track day season approaching rapidly, I decided to treat myself (or the R500 should I say!) to a set of Nitron Race R1 one way adjustable shocks.
 
I checked out the price of shocks from various suppliers, and it seemed that buying from Nitron directly was the most cost effective method of acquisition. So I called Nitron, spoke to a chap there called Alex and discussed my requirements with him.  Alex spoke to the technicians and came back to me to advise that for my usage (fast road and occasional track day use) the springs to use would be 7" 225lb for the front and 9" 150lb rear.  I was also happy to go with the one way adjustable shocks, as there's just one dial at the bottom of the shock which adjusts (in 24 increments) the rebound and compression in a single click - perfect for me, as it's only one thing I can mess up!  Joking aside, it should just be a case of turning the dial four or five clicks for track use to stiffen the shocks and then turn the dial back down for road use
 
My only other final concern was that of the spring colour.  I thought that although the Nitron shocks look cool with their standard blue springs, this may clash with the blue of my car... I asked Alex if they would be able to supply my springs powder coated in RAL 2004 to match the orange stripe on my car, which was initially refused, but after some arm twisting (and a small additional fee) they agreed - which was great news.
 
So I took their advice about the springs, done a little of my own research, and placed the order.  Below is a picture of my suspension components on the parts allocation line, prior to assembly - I bet you can't guess which ones are mine?!? 
My Nitron Race R1 Shocks on the parts allocation line ready for assembly
My Nitron Race R1 Shocks on the parts allocation line ready for assembly
For those interested in how the shocks are made, (and to save me going into a whole load of typing) I've embedded Nitron's promotional shock build video.  Although it's a video of their motorbike R3 shock, it's still a good insight into the assembly process.

Around two weeks after placing the order, the shocks arrived and I think they look awesome.  The orange springs look great, and are a perfect match for the stripe on my car.  I also noticed they used a silver spring collar, rather than their standard gold coloured variant for better aesthetics which was a nice touch by them.
Nitron Race R1 shocks ready for fitting to my Caterham R500 Duratec
Nitron Race R1 shocks ready for fitting to my Caterham R500 Duratec
Onto the Fitting Guide
Firstly - the disclaimer... This is my shock replacement guide for my De-dion Caterham R500 Duratec.  I'm not suggesting this is the only way to change your shocks, and this is by no means the best way, but the method that worked for me.  I'd recommend reading the full guide before you begin as there may be variances between my car and yours (if only slight).

I started at the front of the car, as the shocks are more accessible and it just felt like the right end to start at.  Firstly with the handbrake engaged loosen all the wheel nuts, both front and rear.  Next jack the front of the car up (I use the central point behind the horns where the chassis tubes form a cross).  I have a pretty decent jack, so didn't feel the need to use axle stands, but it would be worth lowering the car onto axle stands if you don't trust your jack.

Remove the wheels (and the nosecone if you feel this gives better access) and you should be looking at something like the picture below

Bilstein shocks on my Caterham R500 Duratec ready for removal
Bilstein shocks on my Caterham R500 Duratec ready for removal
Using a 6mm hex adapter in a ratchet or a 6mm hex/allen key remove the lower suspension bolt pictured below.  

Use a 6mm Hex / Allen Key to remove the lower suspension bolt
Use a 6mm Hex / Allen Key to remove the lower suspension bolt
The upper suspension bolt is a more fiddly to do, or should I say 'brave'... You need to push in the body skin somewhat with a fair bit of force to get reasonable access to the upper bolt.  Once you've pushed the body skin inwards, use a long arm hex / allen key, ideally with a rounded end (I found this set from Maplin to be perfect) and remove the bolt as per the picture below.
Removing top front suspension mount bolt using 6mm long arm hex key
Removing top front suspension mount bolt using 6mm long arm hex key
Now both suspension bolts are removed, the shock will either slide out, or may need a little wiggle.  If you pull the shock down through the wishbone this seems to work best. 

Repeat the above steps on the other side of the vehicle and both from shocks will be removed.

With the shocks removed it was onto the 'How much lightness have I added test'...  The original R500 Bilstein shock weighed in at 2.178kg
Caterham R500 front Bilstein shock weighed in at 2.178kg
Caterham R500 front Bilstein shock weighed in at 2.178kg
Now onto the Nitron Race R1 shock... Which weighed in at 1.986kg - nearly a 200g saving per shock, which is a combined 384g saving on the front shocks.  Doesn't sound like much, but combined with the saving of the rear shocks it all adds up.

Caterham front Nitron Race R1 shock weighed in at 1.986kg
Caterham front Nitron Race R1 shock weighed in at 1.986kg
I thought it a good idea to take a picture of both Nitron and Bilsten front shocks, so you can see the difference in size, but the angle of the picture seems to make the Nitrons seem even shorter than they actually are.  They are around 1cm shorter than the Bilsteins and this is due to the higher spring rate meaning that the shock has no sag, in turn the shock doesn't need to be as long.
R500 Bilstein vs Nitron Race R1 front shock comparison
R500 Bilstein vs Nitron Race R1 front shock comparison
Nitron also supply a metal bush fixing kit, which makes the shock swap even more hassle free.  The metal bushes come with an o-ring and require a little grease then are slotted onto the top and bottom eyes of the suspension tube ends
Metal bush shock fixing kit with o-rings
Metal bush shock fixing kit with o-rings
I just put a little bit of grease on the metal bush and on the o-ring, then you push two of these metal bushes together around the suspension tube end (see picture third below)
Metal bush, greased with o-ring fitted
Metal bush, greased with o-ring fitted
You will need to remove the metal sleeves from both rubber bushed ends of the front Bilsten shocks - this should be easy, so long as they were copper slipped before they were fitted.
Remove both metal sleeves from rubber bushed ends
Remove both metal sleeves from rubber bushed ends
Then with two of the metal bushes greased (with O-rings in place) place them together over the suspension tube mounting eye.  I thought it was worth re-applying some copper slip to the metal sleeve prior to inserting - see picture below.
Metal bushes and metal sleeve being fitted to top mount of Nitron Race R1 shock
Metal bushes and metal sleeve being fitted to top mount of Nitron Race R1 shock
Repeat the metal bush fitting process to all four front suspension mounting points, and ensure the metal sleeve is fitted into each mount too.

With the shock complete and ready for fitting it's time to fit the shock.  It's just the reserve of removal and pretty straight forward.  Carefully push the shock into place (note these are spring at the bottom, not at the top like the Bilsteins).  Secure the top of the shock first, by lining up the mounting eyes and then pushing in the bolt.  Use the long arm hex key to gently tighten.  Due to the shorter shock body I found the lower suspension mount requires you to gently lift the wishbone to line up the mount with the bolt hole, but when lined up simply insert the bolt and tighten gently - torqueing the bolts will come a bit later.

Nitron Race R1 shock with RAL 2004 springs fitted to the front of my Caterham R500
Nitron Race R1 shock with RAL 2004 springs fitted to the front of my Caterham R500
With the first shock fitted, complete the process on the other side, refit the wheels (and nosecone if removed) then lower the car.  With the car lowered torque both suspension bolts to 20nm and then that's the front shocks replaced - oh yeah and don't forget to torque your wheel nuts too!

Now onto the rear shocks... This is similarly straight forward as per the front shocks, but I've detailed the process below, skipping some points as I've detailed those stages above.

First loosen the rear wheel nuts, then jack the car up.  Again use axle stands if necessary, but this is the lighter end of the car, so most jacks shouldn't be under too much load. 

You'll need to start by using a 19mm socket to loosen and remove the lower suspension mounting bolt as pictured below.

Use a 19mm socket to remove the lower suspension mounting bolt
Use a 19mm socket to remove the lower suspension mounting bolt
Then using an 8mm hex adapter in a ratchet or a long arm hex / allen key loosen and remove the top suspension bolt through the hole which is located behind the seats (pictured below).

Loosen top suspension mount using an 8mm hex / allen key
Loosen top suspension mount using an 8mm hex / allen key
With both upper and lower suspension mounting bolts removed the shock should just with a touch of force pull out of it's upper mounts.  The shock should now be removed, and at this stage I decided to weigh the rear shocks.  The original R500 Bilstein shock weighed in at 3.768kg
Caterham R500 Bilstein rear shock weighed in at 3.768kg
Caterham R500 Bilstein rear shock weighed in at 3.768kg
Onto a more surprising result than the front Nitron shock, the rear Nitron shock weighed in at 2.168kg which is a saving per shock of 1.6kg. This gives a combined saving of all the shocks of a pretty impressive 3.584kg
Rear Nitron Race R1 shock for Caterham weighed in at 2.168kg
Rear Nitron Race R1 shock for Caterham weighed in at 2.168kg
Again I took a comparison picture of the Nitron vs Bilstein shock so you can see the difference.  On the rears the length difference is probably around 1.5cm - 2cm shorter, and again the reason for this is the lack of 'sag' on the Nitrons.

Rear R500 Bilstein shock vs Nitron Race R1 shock
Rear R500 Bilstein shock vs Nitron Race R1 shock
With the rear shocks removed, remove both metal sleeves from the upper rubber bush (there is only one on each rear shock).
Remove the metal sleeve from the upper rubber bush
Remove the metal sleeve from the upper rubber bush
Repeat the process of greasing the Nitron supplied metal bushes, fitting the o-ring and pushing them together on each end of the suspension tube eyes (which I detailed above).  Also re-apply some copper slip to the outside of the metal sleeve, and insert the metal sleeve into the top metal bushes, then align the upper suspension mount first.  It's a little tricky to line up properly, but once it's lined up push the bolt through and gently tighten this should hold the shock in place whilst you fit the lower shock mount.
Lining up the upper suspension mount can be a little tricky
Lining up the upper suspension mount can be a little tricky
With the upper suspension mount holding the shock in place, you need to align the lower bolt to the De-dion mounting boss.  You have to be very careful here as you don't want to thread the boss in the De-dion tube for obvious reasons!

Carefully line up the lower mounting bolt with the boss on the De-dion tube
Carefully line up the lower mounting bolt with the boss on the De-dion tube
With the lower mount lined up, securely tighten the bolt and then the shock is fitted.

Lower shock bolt secured in place
Lower shock bolt secured in place
Repeat the process on the other side, and then both shocks are fitted.  It's a little difficult to get access to the lower suspension mount for torqueing purposes with the wheels fitted, so I torqued both upper and lower rear suspension mounts whilst the car was still on the jack with the wheels off.  The torque setting for both upper and lower mounts is 54nm.  Your shocks will now be fitted and ready for use, simply refit your wheels, torque the wheel nuts, lower the car off the jack and you're ready to go!

Rear Nitron Race R1 shock with RAL2004 coloured spring fitted to my Caterham R500 Duratec
Rear Nitron Race R1 shock with RAL2004 coloured spring fitted to my Caterham R500 Duratec
 Just to give a good visual overview of the shocks I created a quick video which is embedded below...
 
And then I thought it was worth going for a quick blat to see what they felt like - again video embedded below...

 
So after my short blat, the initial first impressions are that the shocks are much more responsive, and the car turns in a fair bit quicker with less understeer.  I've not fiddled around with the one way adjustment yet, but they come factory preset at -10 out of 24 available settings, so I should be able to crank them up to -5 for the upcoming track day this weekend and report my full findings.

In terms of the quality of product, service and the general 'look and feel' of the shocks, I'm very happy indeed.  You can visit the Nitron website for further details and pricing information by clicking the following link:- http://www.nitron.co.uk


2 comments:

  1. Hi Daniel,

    Firstly, credit to you for an absolutely fantastic ownership blog. Have to say it's been both very helpful and influential in my decision to recently purchase a low-mileage R500D, along eith your quality videos of course!

    I'm coming from a 210bhp Westfield Zetec, which was nicely set up for raod and track so I'm looking forward to the more visceral experience!

    Anyho back on topic, can I ask how you initially found the stock Bilstein set up for road and track use? I do plan to upgrade to Nitrons as I have these on the Westfield and cannot fault them but don't want to jump straight in if the Bilsteins do a pretty decent job.

    Secondly do you have the race master cylinder set up on your car and if not how to you find the standard set up?

    Hope you don't mind me asking questions! (Might have a few more as well at some point!)

    All the best,

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very helpful thanks !...fitted my R1's today...this helped...although my 2001 had imperial hex and bolts..just to make like interesting. Although I did find out the hex bolt at the top of rear shock is the same as the gearbox fill plug....so if you've made one of those (by grinding down a metric key) you can use that !....thanks again !....Graham (GPBox)

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