How much jacking is too much?

Hey there,
So I know that we’re always looking for some jack effect to help the kart corner, since we don’t have differential, but does it matter how high the tire jacks off the ground?

I’ve always assumed that as long as the kart isn’t rebounding or hoping then that’s fine, but I know there must be something I’m missing. Maybe @tjkoyen knows a bit more about this.

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If it isn’t hopping or kicking out/flat-sliding, you’re probably fine. You don’t need a ton of jacking to get the kart to rotate though.

For example, if you’re getting 3" in of lift, there could be a possibility to roll some caster out, sacrificing a little lift, but gaining some rolling speed off corner. Generally though, you’ll see that any amount of jacking over that optimal level will cause some other chassis malady, i.e. hopping or flat-sliding.

My theory is to always run as little caster as possible, while maintaining lift and turn-in response. Less caster means there is less mechanical grip slowing you down at apex and off the corner. Sometimes, the minimum amount of caster for a given situation ends up being max caster as well.

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Unless I completely misinterpreted the title of this thread, in which case I think you should ask your doctor that question.

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