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Hey all you that are completely familiar with chassis setup. I can’t seem to figure out from reading what exactly the change is that I should expect if I remove the front brace from my Kart.
From my own mental rendition of solidworks I am figuring that if I remove the front brace from my kart my chassis will twist more on turns. Currently I feel like I really, REALLY have to lean to the outside on turns. It seems as though I have to do this more than I should. According to my guessing I figure that if I remove that brace then I will be able to get that inside rear off the ground easier when I get into the corners because there will be more flex through the middle of the chassis. So I pulled that Brace out and I was going to go test with it this week. Before I went out there I figured I would check in with the smart…experienced people here and see what you guys all have to say. For some reason the writeups that I see don’t seem to mention that front brace.
Anyhow, thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
Morning Josh. Just yank it out and test. Do a session or two to establish a baseline with your current setup, take out the front bar and try it out. It might turn your chassis to useless jello, OR you could drop some time.
I have been ‘afraid’ to make any drastic changes and constantly blamed my crappy driving. Then I talked to Anthony (tuner for the Birel guys under the Centennial tent) and he suggested taking the front bar out…what do ya know, I dropped a second off my times.
Sidenote: No one else I know (with an Easykart) has the front bar out. Go with what works for YOU.
post your testing results and your experience.
Thanks Kirk,
I was noticing that nobody that I have seen out at the track seems to have a front bar in either which seems like a hint. I have it out right now, maybe I will put it in for a few laps at IMI then take it out and see what I feel.Thanks again
There are several Web sites out there that discuss the impact various changes have on kart handling… Some also have lists of “If your kart is doing X, then try these things…” Just always remember to change just one thing at a time so you can gauge its effectiveness, and that every change you make can have multiple effects. Gains in one area can be offset by losses elsewhere. Pay attention not only to lap times but also to your min and max RPM at various parts of the track.
I’m also in the position where I feel like the driver (me) is the biggest impediment to fast lap times. However, I’m finally brave enough to start making small tweaks, and I’ve found I really can tell a difference with changes in, say, tire pressure and track width. Make sure you know the “proper” hot inflation pressures for your tires (I’ve been aiming for 12 psi on MG Yellows – somebody correct me if I’m waaaaay off), document your changes, and don’t make a change unless you know how to un-do it! :loony:
I have been reading websites and writeups on chassis setup, but I haven’t found any real info on the front bar. Most of the sites discuss the back bar, track width front and rear, tire pressure etc, but leave out the front bar info.
I KNOW I am the slowest part of my kart and like you said, I am just now getting brave enough to change things around.
Hmmm… Well, I’ve seen repeatedly that softening / removing the rear torsion bar is said to “loosen up” or reduce the grip of the rear of the kart. Since turning a solid-axle kart relies on breaking traction on the inside-rear tire, that makes perfect sense. I can see where one might deduce, then, that softening/removing the front torsion bar would reduce front grip. However, if the outside-front corner of the chassis flexes up more under cornering load, won’t that also lift the inside-rear corner? Also, doesn’t some flex mean more mechanical grip, such as would be desired in the rain?
My 5-year-old chassis doesn’t have a front torsion bar, so I’m speculating at your expense. 🙂 I still say “test and compare.”
Remember, too, if your torsion bar is blade-shaped in the center, having the blade vertical is the stiffest setting, having it horizontal is an intermediate setting, and removing it altogether is the softest setting (duh). The last part applies even if it isn’t blade-shaped. 😆
I’ll be interested to see what the pros say, but in the end it all comes down to what settings you can handle the best and drive the fastest.
@Greg Welch wrote:
There are some technical articles on the Shockwave site that could be useful as well.
Thanks, I have been reading many of these articles and getting a taste of the chassis setup. I think to some extent I have to just test to feel the difference.
Any word on if you guys at shockwave are going to do another chassis setup Q&A?
Josh
This winter we will be doing a series of them. In addition to the chassis, we also want to take a look at the care and feeding of your Rotax/Leopard and data collection and use.
Stacey
Hopefully this winter won’t be a crazy as last. It seems we got nothing done last winter but worked every day. I would love to come over this winter and do something like what we did last time. Only this time we got a shop to work out of!!!!!!! I’ll call you once we get an idea of the schedules and set something up.
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