You sir, will be one of many happy campers when I create a full series of video tech tips, coming very soon! (Seriously, I've started prepping to make a whole series of tech vids to complement the KartBook TV race vids I've done...)
Until then, I wrote a reasonable document on front end setup years ago, which is still available on www.phoenixracekarts.com.au.
I know yours is a Top Kart, but 99% of the info still applies, no matter what kart you drive.
Cheers,
Col.
Thanks Col, will have a look. Cheers!
Col Fink said:I wrote a reasonable document on front end setup years ago, which is still available on www.phoenixracekarts.com.au..
Those are great articles Col
Yeah, I downloaded them this morning, will take them home and have a good read, Cheers.
Set it up loaded with you in the kart, it saves a lot of mucking around. Most people use a laser aligner and if you can sit in the kart with your legs clear of the laser it becomes a very quick exercise. The only special equipment you need are four small steel plates and a bit of grease. Put grease between two plates and put those under each wheel. You will notice that the plates move really very easily and that is the important bit. The wheels must be able to move freely when adjustments are made and these plates allow that. So with that done place the front wheels on each pair of plates with the front wheels adjusted to maximum width and centre the steering column and after that jump in and get comfortable. Your mate will now adjust the front end to zero camber, zero toe & minimum caster. Run the kart at these settings before changing anything.
By doing it this way you have set the front in one easy go at the exact loaded weight you will race at with no guess work. Caster is evil and best run at minimum if possible, as the more caster is used the more camber change happens at the road wheels when steering is applied and this is the last thing you want. Camber change means less tyre contact patch and that means less grip. Maximising the front track actually does the same thing as caster while keeping camber change to a minimum but and there is always a but, the front will be a little softer and the steering a little more sensitive. If you are really heavy you may have to bring the wheels in to stop the chassis flexing and add a little more caster to overcome this. This is really a very complex subject and there are no hard and fast rules for the most part. The front controls the kart, get it right and it will reward you but to do that requires a bit of study and experimentation. Every chassis and driver has a certain recipe that works and no two karts are the same.
I use a ZTB for loaded wheel alignments as it is far simpler than lazers and just as accurate but I don't think that they are being made now. Using a ZTB and I guess you can do it with a magnetic lazer, we remove the wheels and put stands under the bare stub axles, this negates having to use the plates under the wheels. As a matter of fact I just use a bit of 100mm pipe under each stub and this is high enough for the front to be totally supported on the pipe and thus all the kart weight is placed on the stubs. To make the whole thing easier I place the kart on a flat sheet of board which is in turn up on saw horses so I am not crawling around on my knees and trying to adjust things. It all sounds complicated but it is quite easy to set up and having the kart in the air makes it easier.
Thanks very much Chris your post will be very helpful. Cheers.
Col i read through all the tech pages on your phoenix website last night, great job mate, easy to read, no jargon and babble about angles of the dangles etc etc. It's easy to see that you are passionate about karting!!! You give a great service to karting & karters.
I hope Reif Corbett's head is feeling better, with all that headbutting of the outside front wheel he does while driving in the wet.......
i'm not sure if i want to know what angle the dangle is on mate!!
=D
thanks for the compliment, i'm really excited about the tech videos i'm about to start filming, i think they'll be a lot more accessible to a lot more people because we don't all love reading as much as i do...
i'm off to buy a new camera in the morning, pretty excited! :)
That's good advice Chris.. I've been using a straight edge, steel rules and set squares for years and only recently became aware of the zero toe bar. I'd love to get hold of one, but seems like they are a bit rare. The only disadvantage i can see with lasers is that you don't get a visual comparison with the rest of your chassis to the straight edge to check for twist. The first alignment check i do is to lay the straight edge across the king-pins and sight back to the axle.
Good on you Col for sharing info around, that's what helps grow the sport!
Tom, PM me your email address and I might be able to help you re the ZTB.
Comments10
You sir, will be one of many happy campers when I create a full series of video tech tips, coming very soon! (Seriously, I've started prepping to make a whole series of tech vids to complement the KartBook TV race vids I've done...)
Until then, I wrote a reasonable document on front end setup years ago, which is still available on www.phoenixracekarts.com.au.
I know yours is a Top Kart, but 99% of the info still applies, no matter what kart you drive.
Cheers,
Col.
Thanks Col, will have a look. Cheers!
Col Fink said:I wrote a reasonable document on front end setup years ago, which is still available on www.phoenixracekarts.com.au..
Those are great articles Col
Yeah, I downloaded them this morning, will take them home and have a good read, Cheers.
Set it up loaded with you in the kart, it saves a lot of mucking around. Most people use a laser aligner and if you can sit in the kart with your legs clear of the laser it becomes a very quick exercise. The only special equipment you need are four small steel plates and a bit of grease. Put grease between two plates and put those under each wheel. You will notice that the plates move really very easily and that is the important bit. The wheels must be able to move freely when adjustments are made and these plates allow that. So with that done place the front wheels on each pair of plates with the front wheels adjusted to maximum width and centre the steering column and after that jump in and get comfortable. Your mate will now adjust the front end to zero camber, zero toe & minimum caster. Run the kart at these settings before changing anything.
By doing it this way you have set the front in one easy go at the exact loaded weight you will race at with no guess work. Caster is evil and best run at minimum if possible, as the more caster is used the more camber change happens at the road wheels when steering is applied and this is the last thing you want. Camber change means less tyre contact patch and that means less grip. Maximising the front track actually does the same thing as caster while keeping camber change to a minimum but and there is always a but, the front will be a little softer and the steering a little more sensitive. If you are really heavy you may have to bring the wheels in to stop the chassis flexing and add a little more caster to overcome this. This is really a very complex subject and there are no hard and fast rules for the most part. The front controls the kart, get it right and it will reward you but to do that requires a bit of study and experimentation. Every chassis and driver has a certain recipe that works and no two karts are the same.
I use a ZTB for loaded wheel alignments as it is far simpler than lazers and just as accurate but I don't think that they are being made now. Using a ZTB and I guess you can do it with a magnetic lazer, we remove the wheels and put stands under the bare stub axles, this negates having to use the plates under the wheels. As a matter of fact I just use a bit of 100mm pipe under each stub and this is high enough for the front to be totally supported on the pipe and thus all the kart weight is placed on the stubs. To make the whole thing easier I place the kart on a flat sheet of board which is in turn up on saw horses so I am not crawling around on my knees and trying to adjust things. It all sounds complicated but it is quite easy to set up and having the kart in the air makes it easier.
Thanks very much Chris your post will be very helpful. Cheers.
Col i read through all the tech pages on your phoenix website last night, great job mate, easy to read, no jargon and babble about angles of the dangles etc etc. It's easy to see that you are passionate about karting!!! You give a great service to karting & karters.
I hope Reif Corbett's head is feeling better, with all that headbutting of the outside front wheel he does while driving in the wet.......
i'm not sure if i want to know what angle the dangle is on mate!!
=D
thanks for the compliment, i'm really excited about the tech videos i'm about to start filming, i think they'll be a lot more accessible to a lot more people because we don't all love reading as much as i do...
i'm off to buy a new camera in the morning, pretty excited! :)
That's good advice Chris.. I've been using a straight edge, steel rules and set squares for years and only recently became aware of the zero toe bar. I'd love to get hold of one, but seems like they are a bit rare. The only disadvantage i can see with lasers is that you don't get a visual comparison with the rest of your chassis to the straight edge to check for twist. The first alignment check i do is to lay the straight edge across the king-pins and sight back to the axle.
Good on you Col for sharing info around, that's what helps grow the sport!
Tom, PM me your email address and I might be able to help you re the ZTB.