I’ve recently switched from OTK to a Kart Republic KR2 chassis in DD2 class. Still trying to adapt to the platform and learning all the setup options. However, i am having a bit of hard time figuring out the rim option that came with the kart (does not specify on the rim barrel, unsure if its 9F, 6F, 3F).
Been doing some testing days on green & cold track and can not seem to get the tires to melt up properly, felt like the kart doesn’t dig into the pavement too well. I tried different tire pressure and once i ran a little higher, it started sliding sideways but tires still weren’t melting up properly (chewing-gum like). wondering if i should be buying a set of Lynx or Tiger for such conditions?
The KR comes with its own version of 3Fs I believe.
The Lynx wheel has been very popular lately in similar situations where you need the tire to heat up better.
When the track is very cold and low grip, you may not get the tires to really work as they are supposed to, so bumping up the air will help but the trade-off can be that the contact patch gets smaller and the tire stiffens and starts to have a lower limit of grip.
I’ve found KR and its offshoots like axle changes and for me, going to a stiffer axle generally improves side bite in faster corners and a softer axle will make the rear rotate more.
Also raising the rear ride height or seat can help produce side bite too.
However at SuperNats this year many of the KR guys (and I) were really liking the rear ride height lower to help the kart squat and get rear traction on corner exit, so there are multiple ways to approach the issue if you want to tune the chassis.
may i ask why’s that the case? Tiger / Lynx seem to be designed for a cooler/green track thats on the less grippy side of the spectrum. isn’t high HP class like KZ supposed to be generating alot of heat to dissipate and the 6F 9F thats designed for grippier conditions more suitable?
Generally in KZ we’re trying to generate as much traction as possible through the rim, as power delivery is what’s most important for fast lap times. It’s very common to run high-grip wheels like the Tiger, MXJ, etc…maybe that’s a US thing as our main tire (MG/Evinco) doesn’t lay much rubber at most tracks.
Of course, managing tire temps is still very important, but this is done more with the driver’s right foot.
Not sure what they call these wheels, but they’re basically a low volume version of the standard rim. The offset is the same but the shape of the wheel is a bit different. I tried a set last year and found I lost too much side bite/rear grip. But some people really liked them and helped free the kart a bit.
Hi Tommy! Thanks for the info! thats kinda what i suffer from during low grip conditions as well, my mechanic told me it should be quite spot on when the track is gripped up, i’ll have to wait for theres more kart and weather gets better to find out! the standard rim as in its a low volume version of the 3F?
Thanks Evan, that totally make sense! i didn’t think of the harder compound that you guys were running until you mention. hence the need for extra grip. i’d like to test the Lynx someday. looking at the AMV website its getting me all confused since they have all the different rim types in different versions and the spokes look different
fun fact: we run Maxxis Prime (the OK senior tires) for KZ here in Taiwan (where Maxxis is produced). On the first race that the Maxxis Prime were introduced, they laid down so much rubber on track that our DD2 karts (we run right after their session) on Mojo D5’s won’t rotate on the same setup and we were scratching heads and couldn’t figure out why for a little while haha.
Thanks Evan, that totally make sense! i didn’t think of the harder compound that you guys were running until you mention. hence the need for extra grip. i’d like to test the Lynx someday. looking at the AMV website its getting me all confused since they have all the different rim types in different versions and the spokes look different
fun fact: we run Maxxis Prime (the OK senior tires) for KZ here in Taiwan (where Maxxis is produced). On the first race that the Maxxis Prime were introduced, they laid down so much rubber on track that our DD2 karts (we run right after their session) on Mojo D5’s won’t rotate on the same setup and we were scratching heads and couldn’t figure out why for a little while haha.
Yes i saw this on AMV website, but i’ve also seen two different version of this graphic where the Lynx Tiger were placed on opposite end (and Puma was also included), which i find a little confusing. All in all, I think so far from what i’ve gathered, MXJ would be around Lynx & Tiger range, 3F would be around MXC, and 9F would be around MXQ? does it sound about right? Thanks TJ!
