UK Karting - Notice Board (2-Stroke Karting) : Re: Welded chassis query

Notice Board (2-Stroke Karting)

Re: Welded chassis query
Posted by 'itpro' on 19 Jan 2013 @ 16:34

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itproJoined: August 2001
Total Posts: 6
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If you start to come here regularly, you'll find that Paul and I usually disagree on most things. However, this time, we're fairly close to agreement.

However, the welding is not that unusual. It takes people years to discover quite how much karts flex during a lap. The seat stays suffer terribly in most karts. The whole weight of the driver is taken through them. The front ones are short and don't suffere a great deal of flexion but the rear ones are long, thin and carry the entire 'mass' of the person mid corner.... sideways..... Peak force of 5g to 10g occur quite regularly (for 1/10ths of a second at at time) when hitting kerbs, other karts, landing and gripping, 'hopping' (a term you'll get to know!) etc., etc., and they are only quite thin tubes mounted by butt-welding with the top section flattened to let it bolt to the seat. That really IS a recipe for fractures. It'd be hard to make things much WORSE for the material! So, they do break quite often. In some ways, you should think of seat stays as 'consumables' ... like tyres and brakes! However, it does show that the chassis is not 'new' and has not only been 'driven to the church on Sundays by an elderly lady'.

So, broken and re-welded seat stays are a function of the kart not being new. I've given you the reasons for NOT buying a new chassis on which to learn... so....

I'd join Paul in recommending a 'retirement sale', not to avoid broken seat stays, but because you will (should ) probably get many of the other items that can be so expensive to buy 'individually': e.g., tyre gauge, trolley, a set of wets, specialist tools etc..

Ideally, go to a few races and see what's for sale THERE. Secondly, get to know a few peop;le at the races and they will (probably) be happyto helkp you sort the good from the bad. MKost karters are pretty helpful! Just DON'T interrupt them when they are desperately trying to re-bolt the thing togther for the next heat....

Ian

Message Thread:

Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (16 Jan 2013 @ 16:05)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'Howtogofaster' (16 Jan 2013 @ 16:14)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'Farrang' (16 Jan 2013 @ 17:57)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'Howtogofaster' (16 Jan 2013 @ 19:44)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'itpro' (17 Jan 2013 @ 1:14)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (17 Jan 2013 @ 12:20)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (18 Jan 2013 @ 21:45)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'itpro' (19 Jan 2013 @ 1:32)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (19 Jan 2013 @ 8:41)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (19 Jan 2013 @ 12:44)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'PaulMRotax' (19 Jan 2013 @ 12:59)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'itpro' << You are here!

Re: Welded chassis query by 'michaelg36' (19 Jan 2013 @ 17:19)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'itpro' (19 Jan 2013 @ 17:25)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'michaelg36' (19 Jan 2013 @ 17:29)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'gashead' (19 Jan 2013 @ 18:03)

Re: Welded chassis query by 'Adstomko' (24 Jan 2013 @ 9:54)

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