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Surely, he means 'set the tracking'!
The tracking is VERY simple and does NOT need complex kit like a set of lasers! All you need is a tape measure and bit of chalk! You CAN even use a piece if STRING!
1) Place kart on stand
2) Place a chalk mark of ONE 'dot' on each front tyre
3) Rotate both front wheels so that they have the 'dots' as far to the rear as you can.
4) Measure the gap between the dots with your tape. Make CERTAIN the tape is STRAIGHT (see later note) when you do it!
5) Rotate the wheels so that the dots are now as far forward as they can go and RE-measure the distance.
6) Subtract one measurement from the other and you have the amount of 'toe-in' or 'toe-out'.
'Toe in' is when the wheels point TOWARDS each other at the front, toe-out' is when they point AWAY from each other at the front.
The exact amount of toe-in/out is NOT fixed. It is altered with conditions but, CRUDELY, 1 mm toe-in is a ROUGH target in the dry but some people go for up to 3mm (and sometimes more) of toe-OUT in the wet!
You need to speak to you chassis manufacturer to get the EXACT figures (but these'll be WRONG, too!)
* Track rods usually have a left hand thread one end and a right hand one on the other. Loosen BOTH ends and rotate the ROD.... One way, wil shorten it and the other will LENGTHEN it. That's the basis of adjusting the track.
* Ideally, ensure the steering wheel is EXACTLY 'dead ahead' when you set the tracking. Check this by ensuring the 'drop link' formn the speetring column (at the bottom) is STRAIGHT DOWN! Accuracy of this is NOT critical at YOUR stage of driving and not THAT important for the best drivers eauther...... but they will deny this!
* When you get IN the kart, it will alter the track CONSIDERABLY.... depending on chassis stuiffness and weight. It would be BETTER to measure it while being aboard..... MUCH harder, though! So... set it on the stand and TEST the effect6 of setting it 1, 2 or 3mm in either direction, in or out..... ask your son if it FEELKS different but don't TELL him what you have done or he will tel YOU the effect he THINKS he should... we all do!
* You won't be able to get the tape DEAD STRAIGHT if the 'dots' are FULLY forward or backward. Adjust the wheel rotation to get the NEAREST that you can,,,,, and always meaure at those points, in futire.
* Mark the 'dots' near the outer edge of the tyre.... in the ned you want bother with the dots but just use a mark on the tyre.
* Later in your karting carreer, buy or borrow 'tracking disks' which are, effectively super skinny front wheel made of steel or aluminium and measure using them. They are MUCH m,ore consistent.
* When you have money to burn..... and if you like expensive (but silly) toys.... buy a set of laser alignment tools. Use these to set you wheels to an accuracy of 0.1mm.... as though that makes ANY difference AT ALL!
* this is a tougher one...... when you have set the rod length, notice that BOTH rod ends allow movement around the bolt holding them to the steering rod and stub axle. Adjusted correctly, you will be able to rotate the rod 'forward' and 'backward' so that BOTH 'rods-ends' are stopped by their 'bolts' at the same moment. Make sure that one does NOT hit the 'bolt' before the other by careful adjustment. If you don't do this, the steering will get VERY stiff as he moves it as you need the FULL amount of 'play' in BOTH rod ends.
* Once adjusted, lock-off BOTH ends of the track-rods with the lock nut against the track-rod-end! And re-measure.... for 'luck'!
Ian
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Set up help for newcomer by 'luccadog1' (16 Aug 2010 @ 8:11)
