68 replies to this topic

[Mike (Cliffie)]

I agree with Jimmy. We need a no compromise company out there like Nitron, making fantastic bits to a quality and not a price. And long may this continue. If you want cheaper options, they are out there from Elise Shop and Spitfire.

[Hark]

I have the Elise Shop kit. Yvo has sent me a pack of new parts to try and cure the play I have in three of the ends. The play in the outers is significant.

It may be an issue with the late style mounting to the upright, but the OE links I removed from a car that had covered 80K very hard miles were in good order. I really wish I had fitted new OE kit, the only reason I didn't was the desire to 'improve and upgrade.' The only think I've upgraded is the amount of time I've spent under the car.

How can it be that there are threads where uprated kits such as elise parts and spitfire have developed play in them after some time. Part of me thinks just put OE kit on there and change every couple of years. I don't do many miles and a geo every couple of years wouldn't hurt. I'll be pissed off if I spend £250-£350 'upgrading' to find it doesn't last as well as the lesser OE kit.

[Graeme Lambert]

DG will be changing mine in prep for a couple of TDs, and we'll be going with the OE kit. Don't think the problem with the OE kit is its not up to the job of sticky tyres (surely same kit as found on R888 equipped VXR?), but due to age and metal fatigue etc. So new kit, I reckon safe for a good few years. G

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I have the Elise Shop kit. Yvo has sent me a pack of new parts to try and cure the play I have in three of the ends. The play in the outers is significant.

It may be an issue with the late style mounting to the upright, but the OE links I removed from a car that had covered 80K very hard miles were in good order. I really wish I had fitted new OE kit, the only reason I didn't was the desire to 'improve and upgrade.' The only think I've upgraded is the amount of time I've spent under the car.

How can it be that there are threads where uprated kits such as elise parts and spitfire have developed play in them after some time. Part of me thinks just put OE kit on there and change every couple of years. I don't do many miles and a geo every couple of years wouldn't hurt. I'll be pissed off if I spend £250-£350 'upgrading' to find it doesn't last as well as the lesser OE kit.

It's the joint not the threads that go. The OE kit uses ball joints which are very small given the stress people like Partridge will give them. OK for a general production car but Partridge is a big guy on sticky tyres who can DRIVE the nuts off his 300(ish)bhp car.

The aftermarket kits tend to use rose joints which are more durable but you have to invest in proper joints. Get a RaceParts catalogue and check the prices of 'proper' rose joints like NMB or Fluro.... They cost a fortune.

The amount of strain some guys give these kits will wear most setups out. Look at Partridge, NickB777, and the situation with MAXR and the Spitfire kit. They're just not up to the job (imo).

[dw1]

I'll ring this Ollie from Phoenix and still if he still sources the kits, if Jimmy was happy with his.

If not I'll have to get a Spitfire one.

Worth getting the brace bar at the same time?

I've got the spitfire kit, they look a quality piece of kit and I bloody hope they last as they cost a lot!

I got the brace bar and I personally found it worth it. I noticed an immediate and obvious difference to the rear of the car giving less flex out of a tight bend, it gives a better drive out of the corner. Difficult to prove if it was placebo or if it really does make a difference, however you just have to look at the car to see how it can flex at the rear subframe on a tubby quite easily and that by putting a bar of any kind would reduce the flex (like they added in the exige).

[Tony VXR 56]

I had a phoenix kit on my VXR which was great!! Hand machined and very strong. Not sure what rose joints were used (certainly not Fluro standard) but did the job very well!! A pain in the arse to source though!!

Yes indeed as I'm discovering now ;-)

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I had a phoenix kit on my VXR which was great!! Hand machined and very strong. Not sure what rose joints were used (certainly not Fluro standard) but did the job very well!! A pain in the arse to source though!!

Yes indeed as I'm discovering now ;-)

Tony. I'm not sure the brace bar will fit mine yours as the 2bular might get in the way

[GeorgeBC]

I'll ring this Ollie from Phoenix and still if he still sources the kits, if Jimmy was happy with his.

If not I'll have to get a Spitfire one.

Worth getting the brace bar at the same time?

Ollie slagged them off to death to me last year and said that hes had plenty of unhappy customers with them knocking after a relatively short time. Convinced me to go standard and change them regularly.

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

Ollie says the same story to everyone! Reckons he helped design them for Spitfire then disassociated himself with them after they decided to go with the cheapo rose joints.... The joints do seem nesh on the Spitfire kit from what I've heard, the Phoenix one's are HUGE

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

With the costs involved in changing standards regularly you may aswel pay for the hard as nails version in the first place.... A new set of links and a geo each season soon adds up!

[ArticMonkey]

So to sum this all up. Buy stock toe links every 2-3 years (As they do the job just fine). Or if you've won the lottery, buy some race spec ones (that JJJ gets for free/very cheap) and hope they last.

[rob999]

I very much doubt Jimmy gets them free or very cheap...

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I very much doubt Jimmy gets them free or very cheap...

Correct. My Nitron discount is sh*t! JG and co can get Nitron kit much cheaper than me, I back the stuff as it's great quality. Same as I say Pro Alloy, Tillets and Safety Devices are the nuts and I have no arrangents with them....

So to sum this all up.

Buy stock toe links every 2-3 years (As they do the job just fine). Or if you've won the lottery, buy some race spec ones (that JJJ gets for free/very cheap) and hope they last.

As above, what I pay for bits isn't why I'm recommending them.

Your solution is to keep replacing a weak part and paying for a new geo each time.... My option is MUCH cheaper in the long run, more accurate to set, lighter, stronger and better for the environment ( I made that one up, but it could be true).

Not saying the other aftermarket kits don't do the job well either, I've fully recommended the Phoenix kit and until recently I'd not heard of a single problem with the EP kit.

Just because you guys are tight doesn't mean the best parts are not worth the investment.

Buy cheap, buy twice (or on this forum buy 15 times and still not learn ).

[ArticMonkey]

I very much doubt Jimmy gets them free or very cheap...

IIRC when at time attack JJJ was showing you or someone some nice new rose joint bushes, donated or near enough from Nitron. Could be wrong mind.

Anyway, only jesting on the 'sum up' part. I know the score with parts for these cars (as my bank account is working out). However, for someone who doesn't know how long the car will be there's, a kit that lasts 2-3 year might be better than forking out for top end.

[Hark]

Isn't there a fair chance that your geo would be out and need re tweaking after 2-3 years anyway though? So you'd be talking 6yrs + before the oem ones are more expensive?

[rob999]

IMO even if you haven't been replacing bits, a Geo is a good idea every 2-3 years as a matter of course...

[ArticMonkey]

So my theory of raplacing every 2-3 years with OEM isn't so far fetched. Frow in upgrading the springs, wanting a different set up as you progress on track, will all involve a geo. Have we had anyone own a set of the high end toe link for more than 5years, who can give their opinion?

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I very much doubt Jimmy gets them free or very cheap...

IIRC when at time attack JJJ was showing you or someone some nice new rose joint bushes, donated or near enough from Nitron. Could be wrong mind.

Dude, I'm afraid you are wrong. I paid a fair chunk of my own dollar on them!! I'm not a business either so get stung on vat too just like everyone else!!

Isn't there a fair chance that your geo would be out and need re tweaking after 2-3 years anyway though?

So you'd be talking 6yrs + before the oem ones are more expensive?

Yeah but if you look at cases like MAXR who went through about three different sets of rod ends from Spitfire within 6 months.... Each time he'd do a track day he'd find play, Spitfire would say sorry and send him some new ends which MAX would have to fit which would mean a new geo each time. Ask him how much his Spitfire links have cost him to date and it'll be well over a grand!! £500 ish Nitron one's don't seem bad value then.

IMO even if you haven't been replacing bits, a Geo is a good idea every 2-3 years as a matter of course...

Agreed.

So my theory of raplacing every 2-3 years with OEM isn't so far fetched.

Frow in upgrading the springs, wanting a different set up as you progress on track, will all involve a geo.

Have we had anyone own a set of the high end toe link for more than 5years, who can give their opinion?

I wouldn't fancy giving it some on track on standard links that I'd been trackking with for three years....

Alot of it is down to how you drive it too. Max is exceptionally quick and his car gets unparallelled abuse.

I think the Hofmann's Europa has been on the Nitron toe link kit for some time with zero issues. Only kit ever to have problems was incorrectly fitted.

[NickB787]

I had a phoenix kit on my VXR which was great!! Hand machined and very strong. Not sure what rose joints were used (certainly not Fluro standard) but did the job very well!! A pain in the arse to source though!!

Yes indeed as I'm discovering now ;-)

Tony. I'm not sure the brace bar will fit mine yours as the 2bular might get in the way

It does Now Jimmy I have the updated unit on which allows you to lower the bar enough to clear the exhaust I have a 3inch 2ublar on and it's no longer a problem I had to replace the allan head bolts for normal head as it gave me more clearance on the diffuser, Gaz has also changed supplier of toe link parts so much less wear issues, so I am told I have them on also and will report back.

Edited by NickB777, 14 March 2012 - 11:06 AM.

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

Cool, hope the new joints do the job. Out of interest Nick how many times have you had to replace the joints...?

As for the brace bar.... Tony is after a Phoenix bar not the Spitfire one. Like what you've done with yours though!!