yesterday at amp I had a big hit in t2 and I ended up cracking the frame horizontally around where the engine is does anyone know if the chassis is still drivable.
It’s likely bent if it hit that hard as well. Only way to know how bad it is would be to throw it on a chassis table and see how bad the damage really is.
1 Like
i was wondering more if the crack would change the way the chassie drives.
1 Like
I would not drive a kart that has a crack in the frame, it has to be welded. A crack definitely would affect handling.
1 Like
do u think it would still handle funky if i weld it im also worried the welds can brake because ill be running x30 at a track with big curbs
My experience has been that once it’s broken, it will break again at weld.
4 Likes
Interesting experience, Dom. Some of the best chasses (is that the plural of chassis?) I have ever owned were welded in 2-3 different spots and were faster and stronger than ever.
Olivier, What kind of chassis is it? Can you show a pic of the crack? If you hit something that hard, it is bent. Get it to someone who can straighten it AND weld it. You want it straightened and welded in its correct spots. Very likely, if welded properly, it will be as strong as the original. Also, very likely, if straightened properly and welded properly, it will handle just as good as before.
2 Likes
Specifically those seat brackets. Popped one of those and rewelded. Did not last.
1 Like
Makes sense. The spot that it is welded definitely matters. Seat posts are the absolute worst to get right.
1 Like
its a okt ill send a pic over once i get back from school
Racing a welded frame is no problem.
I aligned (with help of a very skilled welder) and welded a broken front steering yoke and ran the chassis for a year after that. It worked fine and handled fine. Dumpster diving for a frame is perfectly fine for club racing. If your looking for the last .01 that is a different story and a different race budget. It is a little tricky to correct caster as yoke tends to wander a bit as it cools but small error can be corrected with cold setting.
Also had a frame crack in the motor mount area repaired it without issues. My buddy is on his second season with a frame that cracked at motor mount.
All kart frames will crack it is just a matter or time.
It is not a big deal to repair frames assuming you are skilled welder or send it to a skilled welder. It is also not a big deal to straighten a frame that is bent within reason. If it looks like a banana then it is junk.
1 Like
Welders are fired up every weekend where @fatboy1dh and I race. Crack it, break it, weld it, send it.
2 Likes
I cannot for the life of me understand why this is tolerated at such a high level. Good steel and good welds should not crack
2 Likes
Reggie, its not quite that simple. Yes, anyone can make a frame that is super strong, but it will also be super stiff. Modern chasses have to flex to work. Thats where the speed is. Finding the right material and the right geometry that is both fast and robust is the hard part.
3 Likes
This is my Intrepid after I rewelded it. Your crack in a similar spot? If so absolutely needs welded.
I would bet dollars to doughnuts that you will not see MRC’s new frame cracking.
I have a CTS from 2001 that NEVER had an issue, and that was running at 430lbs plus.
When brand new frames are cracking at the bearing hangars I have a big issue with that. Yes I agree new frames are being made “soft” but I still think that better material and better welds would make for a product far less prone to these issues.
1 Like
when I first started karting I thought that once a chassis was cracked or bent it was never quite the same. Perhaps at the highest SKUSA level racing supernats it is but for anything else you can fix the frame and race them for years without issue. I had a frame with 2 cracks that were welded before I got it, i raced it for 2 years without any issues and the welds never cracked and I put that kart on pole at least once or twice albeit in local club racing but we have some fast dudes.
our local tracks are crazy bumpy and almost every kart raced for time ends up cracking the seat struts is super super common.
I also learned over time that the guys who race a lot put little bends in their frames fairly regularly, and then straighten them, which is why all the local shops have frame tables and they bring them to the local races with them. I believe some of the fast guys in our area check the frames quick on the table before any race.
so long way of saying you can fix the frames pretty easily and chassis will be about good as new, and lots of people do this all the time and fix cracks or welds and keep racing them for years very competitively.