Padding is brilliant but..... what is really going on here is that you have your seating position wrong!
The concept (which seems to have been forgotten by many) is that you SHOULD be able to support yourself FULLY in the seat using ONLY the seat and (most crucially) your HEELS!
Test this by sitting in the kart and getting one or more friends to lift the kart SIDEWAYS so it's standing vertically on the rims of it's inner or outer wheels ONLY. That's equal to 1g cornering force if it's now vertical. If you find that you MUST hold the wheel and/or MUST grip the 'tank' with your knees to avoid falling out.... we've found the problem! You SHOULD be able to sit there comfortable, hands off the wheel and heels and seat supporting you. Remember, when you hit a bump while cornering at FULL force, you can easily develop over 3g cronering force: that's equal to having the two frinds who helped you lift the kart SIT on your side while you are in that vertical position....
It's become fashionable to do away with heel stops and hope that your heel will be able to rest on the front-most hoop of the main chassis. Unless you have adjusted your seat and pedals perfectly (and most don't) then your heels will be floating about somewhere on the floor tray. When you come to brake.... you can't help but slide forward unless (you try to stop yourself by pressing the brake pedal harder....) and everytime you hit a bump, your foot will fly off the floor.
However, if you fit cheap and cheerful heel-stops, make CERTAIN your seat FITS you, then you will ba able to sit firmly in your seat, heels WELL held in position by the heel stops and able to maintain your seating position WITHOUT using your arms or knees to hang on for grim death!
The reason I suspect this is because YOU are using your knees to grip the tank/column! That usually happens because your legs are too 'straight' when racing(and thus your knees are banging against the tank/column) and/or, you do not feel securely held by the seat and heels while driving.
Obviously, I could be MILES out in your case..... but.... what's the betting I'm right?
Ian
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Sore knees by 'richardmcculloch69' (03 Jun 2012 @ 21:49)
