Kart Setup

Kart Setup (5)

Various articles related to setup on a modern kart chassis.  Click on an article to open, images can be enlarged on the main article.

Thursday, 08 December 2011 12:18

Ackerman Settings

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Ackerman settings can make a good deal of improvements, and I personally like to use this area on the kart for fine tuning.  You might also find that it helps to have extra sets of tie-rods that are already setup for different Ackerman positions, make sure you mark which side of the kart they go on as not all karts are perfectly symmetrical when it comes to the placement of the steering shaft.

What is Ackerman:  This is a fun one!  The concept is to have all four wheels rolling around a common point during a turn.  This means that the inside front wheel needs to be turned more compared to the outside front wheel.  Changing the amount of Ackerman then changes how much the inside front wheel turns compared to the outside.

 

By increasing Ackerman the toe angle increases (toe-out) as you turn the steering wheel, while neutral Ackerman results in the wheels staying nearly the same.  Increased Ackerman results in greater turn-in for your kart, also creating more forces on the inside front tire and changes the weight jack effect on the chassis (see this article on weight jacking - coming soon).

Ackerman can be changed on the kart in two areas, both on the spindle arms (some karts only have one hole), and the steering shaft as seen in the image above.

To increase the amount of Ackerman you would move the tie-rods to the inner hole on the spindle arm, while moving it to the outer hole reduces this effect.  Some steering shafts will have a range of holes to use, using the outer holes will increase the Ackerman, while the inner holes reduce it.  The steering shaft pictured also allows you to reduce the amount of steering movement it takes by moving the tie-rods up or down as well.

So how do we put this to use?

Setup Tip: The rear of my kart slides/oversteers upon entry to the corner

Reduce the Ackerman on the spindles by one hole.

Setup Tip: My kart has too much front steering or bite on turn-in

Reduce the Ackerman on the spindles by one hole.

 

Opposite is used for understeer or lack of bite. 

If you have the ability to use upper/middle/lower holes on the steering shaft like pictured.  Using the upper hole as shown will result in less steering input compared to your hand movements, while using the lower holes will result in a faster steering rate.

Author's Notes:

It is important to use controlled hand movements, don't be jerky, concentrate on smooth inputs in your steering to avoid steering too much initially.  This will improve your lap-times more than you realize, when you are correcting for too much steering input you are most likely sliding and therefore scrubbing off speed. 

Thursday, 08 December 2011 10:24

Rear Axle Height Adjustment

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Adjusting the rear axle height changes the center of gravity (cg) on the kart, when you raise the axle this lowers the cg on the chassis.  Lowering the rear axle will then raise the cg on the chassis.

Setup Tip: My kart two wheels, or raises the inside rear wheel by an excessive amount in the corners

In this case raise the rear axle up, do this by loosening the bolts on all axle bearings.  Some chassis will have keyed holes with three positions making it easy to move up or down in steps.  If you chassis has keyed holes you will need to fully remove the bolts.

Setup Tip: The rear of my kart slides/oversteers upon entry of the corner

Lower the rear axle using the steps above, this will give you more ride height in the rear.  (Most chassis builders recommend starting in the full bottom hole on ride height)

Thursday, 08 December 2011 09:47

Third Axle Bearing Adjustment

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Most modern karts will have a third axle bearing, this bearing is located on the inside rail where the motor mounts and can be used to adjust rear grip on the kart.  Kid Karts and Cadet Karts will not have this bearing, some older frames may not have it either.

Setup Tip: My kart lacks rear grip

On a track that has low grip or in low grip conditions, loosening this center bearing can help you recover some of that grip.  It is advisable to remove these bolts instead of just leaving them loose, this will help prevent a bolt from backing out and striking the sprocket hub.  Take tie wraps and insert them through the holes, secure them lightly so they will not break as the chassis tweaks in a corner.

At HCKC this may help you regain some grip in colder conditions.

Thursday, 08 December 2011 10:53

Front Height Adjustment

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Not all chassis manufacturers recommend adjusting this outside of rainy conditions for example, it is good to start with this in the center setting - equal amount of spacers on the top and bottom of the spindle.

Setup Tip: The rear of my kart slide/oversteers upon entry to the corner

Raising the front ride height by lowering the spindle one spacer at a time.

Setup Tip: The front of my karts has too much steering or bite on turn-in to the corner

Lower the front ride height by raising the spindle again one spacer at a time.

Theory

By adjusting the height of the front of the kart, we are adjusting the center of gravity (cg) either towards the front of the kart, or moving it to the back.

For example when you lower the front ride height (by raising the spindle a spacer), this is lowering the cg towards the front of the kart.  This will make the kart want to be a bit quicker on reaction to initial steering input; however, towards the apex of the corner front grip will start to reduce.  The opposite is true if we lower the front ride height by raising the spindle.  Here the kart will have a slower reaction with the initial steering input, but the front will have more grip towards the apex of the corner.

By moving the cg of the kart backwards in this case, it results in more rear grip through the entire corner and the kart will tend to sit flatter on the rear axle.  Since karts do not have a differential, when they sit flat you can experience what feels like a loss of power in the engine.  What is basically happening is with both rear tires on the ground, you are not freeing up the kart to turn as easily through the corner.  When you lift the inside rear wheel this allows the kart to go through the corner as if it had a diff, making up for not allowing each tire to turn at different speeds.

Changing the cg in this manner can help free up the kart and allow the engine to pull easier and not bog off the turn.  Example here - you are fast into the corner and the kart is tight, but everyone pulls away from you on exit. 

Thursday, 08 December 2011 11:48

Bars - Sidepod, rear, front

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The bars supporting your sidepods can actually be considered a tunable item on the kart, as are the front and rear bars.

Setup Tip: Sidepod Bars

The default setting varies a bit by manufacturer, most racers at HCKC leave these loose for example.  Having the bars tight can improve grip, while loosening them can reduce grip and help with lack of front grip/understeer.

Setup Tip: Rear Bar - unless you have a CIK style plastic bumper

Keeping this bar tight can improve grip at the rear, in very much the same manner as a rear torsion bar.

Setup Tip: Front Crash Bar

Bolts shown with the blue arrow - normally left tight with a rubber spacer between, can be loosened which will result in less front grip.  When you loosen this bolt make sure it is not enough to cause the bar to slide forward or back, as this also changes the angle of your nose.

Weather

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New Braunfels

Clear

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Wind: SW at 13 mph

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    82°F 48°F

  • Fri Mostly Sunny

    61°F 45°F

Volunteer Information

If you would like a close seat on the racing action, and a free one as well, we welcome anyone who wishes to volunteer.  Corner Workers have the best seat in the house, on race day HCKC can use up to three in the outfield.  Pit-passes are free for volunteer corner workers, and you do not need to be a member to help out, anyone who is willing to help is welcome.  Please show up around an hour early and ask for the Race Director, so we can show you some of the basics - flags, radio operation, etc.

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