1) I never disagreed with that... but that is NOT what you said in your first message which said...
" If any given kart were infinitely stiff, rear wheel lift would be directly proportional to steering angle and load, i.e. you would have to maintain steering lock to get through any corner. Flex allows the kart to take a "set" such that the inside rear remains unloaded and the kart can continue to corner in a controlled four-wheeled drift.'
It's NOT the 'flex' that 'allows' the rear wheels to remain unloaded, it's the 'flex' whcih REDUCES the unloading while lock is applied.
2) the flex does NOT 'maintain it' because WE don't CHOOSE to maintain it! We reduce the steering input and it returns to 'sitting flat'!
3) the loading is NOT evenly distributed once cornering, not least because the KART is not evenly distributing the weight even when STATIC and I put my statement about 'evenly distributed; in inverted commas to represent that. However, the uneven loading is from corner-induced-roll and has nothing to do with axle stiffness, chassis stiffness, caster etc.. unless you have steering 'input'.... which you SHOULDN'T have! The poiunt I was making was that the kart was no longer 'biased' by steering loading/caster loading!
4) That would be plausible if we didn't both understand about Young's Modulus! The degree of flex is NOT enough to control the HUGE angle of 'lift', nor is the difference between a stiff axle and a soft axle enough to make the difference you are suggesting! What IS plausible is your explanation that it's the VIBRATIONAL stiffness (i.e., the axle's harmonics) what has VARIOUS effects. BUT.... there would NOT be linear change in performance between various axles nor the length of 'free' axle as the likelihood of selecting the perfect 'frequency' would be almost RANDOM! However, that does NOT mean that changing the axle would NOT have an effect.... it just wouldn't be even slightly PREDICTABLE! Also, the effect of reducing/extending the 'free axle' length by 1mm would have the same 'random' effects and would have as LARGE an effect as changing the rear axle! Try this for yourself. Twang a two rulers on a desk, changing the free length of one by 1mm would have the similar effects as swapping the whole ruler! If it IS the natural harmonics which alter the handling, then changing the you free axle length by 1mm will have SIMILAR effects to changing the axle!
6) I'll accept the damping effect of the axle ..... IF you show me the axle displaying the same 'properties' as other sorts of 'dampers'. A damper absorbs the 'deflection' by changing the momentum energy that it's damping into 'heat' energy. Please show me the rise in axle temp near to where it's having this damping effect..... Now go and grab your car's shock absorber after a 5 minute energetic drive..... I don't doubt the 'damping' effect...... but it's MINUSCULE in a kart axle!
7) agreed!
(un-numbered summary) I can show you the QUICKEST drivers making total HOWLERS. I was IN the building when Terry Fullerton was telling (screaming!) at Paul Deavin that the reason he'd lost the World Champs was because the others has TIG welded chassis and he DIDN'T!
Not ONE of us (even Terry!) truly understands the kart nor what it does!
Anyway.... let's stop it here or we'll be accused of being boring again!
With respect
Ian
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