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@Doug Welch wrote:
March 28-30 X-Plex Las Vegas, NV
They’re re-opening? :idn: http://www.xplexlasvegas.com/
…And if you need glycol to increase the boiling point of the water in your kart, you have other issues. 😛
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.
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:
Kovalainen would’ve had a rather early apex if he didn’t give way to Webber… I agree, that was very well done.
@gpkart#5 wrote:
…and put it on you tube or some then 😀
Might want to bounce that off of the folks at Altitude, unless that was a sarcastic smiley (this works better for that: … 😉 ) :idn:
Whoa Nellie! $100 million! Dunno what else to say. :idn:
Sounds like the 2008 season might still be salvageable, although it may be awfully tough at this stage to design the appearance of impropriety out of next year’s car. I’ll volunteer to be one of the independent experts… :loony:
Personally, I thought the production quality (camera work) was top-shelf. Sure they focused on the leaders, but they did show a whole lap of Maverick “pink helmet” Bartlett while discussing his climb through the Masters field.
It would’ve been nice to show a lap from a helmet cam while discussing the track layout. I was also reminded that cramming the view of the track into the TV screen doesn’t do TTAC justice. How lucky we are to have this place. 8)
I agree that the jump from Lap 12 to red/checkers in the Senior race left me kind of deflated. Surely the other races could’ve each been trimmed a wee bit to fit in the drama of the rain starting to fall? Too bad. :idn:
In the final analysis, I don’t think the show will scare away any prospective karters. If you’re warped enough to want a kart in the first place, the action at Grands would just get your blood pumping more. :loony:
Again, I worked the opposite problem. In my case (Rotax), the bracket that connects the air box to the engine had been bent to move the air box to the right and away from the seat. When I put in a narrower seat, I bent the bracket back to reduce the bends between the air box and carburetor (and between the carb and the engine).
I dunno what engine you’re running, but bending the mounting bracket, fab’ing a new bracket, modifying the air box, or trimming the seat appear to be your initial options.
I have the same issue… Word on the street is that IMI could weld it up in a jiffy if you catch them at a good time, but pretty much any kart shop ought to be able to set you up. To expedite things, I suggest you remove the seat and any other nearby components before taking the kart in.
I’d rather take it to a kart shop than a general welder because the kart shop would have a better idea of what type of steel and what wall thickness they’re dealing with.
No way! Even I have removed my axle, and my Post Count is waaay lower. 😛
I would’ve benefited from Doug’s post when I took mine out, but I just took my time, made sure everything was loose before I got the hammer out, and used plenty of good ol’ PB Blaster Penetrating Magnetic Lubricant (As Seen On Tee Vee!). Having a purpose-made axle removal tool helps a ton and prevents damage to the end of the axle.
The main problem I faced was that, before I bought the kart, one of the collar set screws had managed to “walk” all the way around the axle. This left a really rough ring that was a pain to drive through the bearings and other items. If I’d had a clue, I would’ve smoothed out that area with emery cloth as soon as it was exposed instead of driving it through. Live and learn… 😳
I second the zip tie approach. Velcro is supposed to “get tighter” with vibration as more hooks engage the loops, but zip ties are cheap and you can really get them good and snug. Plus, you don’t have to worry about how well the adhesive on the back side of the Velcro is holding out.
This all reminds me of one time at TTAC where I didn’t realize the beacon was sitting on the “outside” of the finish line pointing toward the infield. As such, my receiver was pointing the wrong way. I was getting lap times, but not at the right spot on the circuit! Thankfully I figured that out during the first session, snip snip, zip zip, and I was back in business.
[p.s. Gunnar, in my avatar, the black spot near the top of my front number panel is my receiver. Some guys put it at the centerline of the kart.]
LOL… Been there, done that. I came this close to having to drill my engine mount bolts out due to prior curb strikes, but with persistence (dead-blow hammer, then using a pick to pry out excess metal in the hole) I managed to get a hole an 8 mm hex could fit in.
Now, that’s just one more thing I check before each run. So far, I seem to give the curbs a wider berth than the previous owner. It shows in my lap times. 😛
Simple answer: bend the struts.
At least, that was the simple answer for me and y 5-year-old kart. I had the opposite problem, going from an XL seat to a S/M. I slid a long pipe over the ends of the struts to do the main bending, and used a dead-blow hammer to get the ends of the struts more-or-less parallel to the seat. Steel is a wonderful material. 🙂
