chassis twist

lbishov · Joined: 01 Aug 2001 Posts: 7

How can you tell if your chassis has a twist in it without using scales?
Thanxs

Rick Blood · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2001 8:49 am Post subject: chassis twist

There are two quick and dirty ways.
Grab a front wheel and lift just off the ground then do the other. If the weight does not feel equal then it may have a twist.
Or...turn the steering wheel full left and observe how much the right wheel comes up then full right and check the left front.
Better yet is to borrow scales from four of your neighbors.

Steve F · Joined: 05 Sep 2001 Posts: 134

Its not a simple matter as some have suggested. Turning the steering wheel side to side and comparing "lift" can be deceiving, as caster and the number of wheel spacers on the spindle (scrub radius)have a dramatic effect on the the amount of weight jacking in the chassis.

I have heard that some of the top teams set their completely stripped down chassis' on a surface plate (an extremely flat polished steel or granite table) and use dial indicators to determine the "squareness" of the chassis to with a few thousandths of an inch.

All kart chassis are manufactured in tooling jigs to keep the tubing aligned properly during the welding process. If you're really concerned about a bent chassis, you may be able to get the manufacturer to agree to checking your chassis in its jig. This may be possible with some of the US manufacturers, but unless you know somebody in very high places, this will not happen with a foreign chassis.

Besides, most chassis manufacturers would prefer to sell you a new one anyway, and if you expect to run up front, its not a bad idea to consider replacing your chassis every year or two. They are designed like a spring, and after a certain amount of flexing cycles, they will "soften" and not work as they were intended.