I have an 2012 arrow XE, the torsion bar is permeant, is there any way to make the chassis feel less stiff if that cannot be adjusted.
Can you talk a little about the handling characteristic that you want to remove? A lot of “stiffness” in feel is down to tire sidewall and tire pressure…
Is the lower steering support attached to the torsion bar on this one? If not, cut it out and leave enough room that you could clamp it back in.
If the steering attaches to the torsion bar on this one, we gotta look elsewhere.
Can you explain to me know the tire sidewalls and tire pressures would effect stiffness. I don’t know how to explain it but driving it feels stiffer then a briel kart. It’s hard to turn and kart doesn’t flex compared to a other cassis’s.
I don’t think it is attached to the steering support, but if cut it off how do I know if I add softer torsion bar which one would fit. If I did this would this effect the kart chassis in any way, like causing it to bend.
Post a picture and I’ll draw it out for you. We’ve done it on the Arrow TaG chassis before for 206 and normally just left the space empty.
If it is, you cut the front bar instead.
Didn’t one of the old Arrows have a split front hoop that had a clamp for it?
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How much room should I keep for the clamps to get the clamps on
The tires are your suspension first, chassis flex second. I asked so that we could isolate or focus on one of those two for you.
Just enough for a normal torsion bar to clamp on each side, and you’ll cut your softer bars to fit the gap… If you’re worried about keeping a bar there in the future.
Just to be clear, I agree with Burpo, but I would try a few things before cutting it just based on your feedback above about it being hard to turn and feeling stiff.
- Less caster
- Narrow front and maybe even some more negative camber
- Remove seat struts and third bearing
- Softer rear axle
- Cut away
Just to be clear, Burpo and I get beat weekly on the stiffest go kart I have ever seen with a stiff bar in it. Stiff chassis does not mean bad things.
Ok thanks that I’ll try adjusting some of those things first then cut away last if that doesn’t adjust it enough
I usually keep my tire pressures around 10-11.5 psi and my tires only have like a quail race day and a half a practice day on them
In or in mm what is common range those clamps should have to grab on to, should it basically be half and half for what they need to grab onto
I’m curious what the handling issue you’re chasing is, other than “it feels stiff”.
Some karts will feel stiffer or heavier and that isn’t necessarily a reflection of poor handling.
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I want it to be easier to steer and so when I take the corner/curb it feels like the chassis moves / flex, I don’t really have a preference but I just want to see if I get my chassis to a point where it feels less stiff then it is now. Get it to a point where I’m fighting with the kart less to turn
If it’s physically hard to turn the wheel the you need to dial out some caster and/or narrow the front track width.