Merlin LM30 - Baseline setup/tips

Picked up a used LM30 today. Any guidelines for a baseline on it? The front wheel hub arrangement seems a bit unusual too. The hub retaining nut seems odd, I’ll snap a pic tomorrow.

@tjkoyen should have plenty of info on this for you. Believe he had a set up tuning guide published for this at one point.

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Figured he might know, it’s got Oktane on the sticker kit :laughing:

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I wrote the tuning guide and I think I uploaded it here somewhere… I’ll look. Good kart! Lots of success on it back in the day.

Baseline should be similar to any other kart.
Neutral everything, front bar soft, rear at 1390mm. I like the green (medium) or white (stiff) axle.

It likes caster too.

Edit - here it is

https://forums.kartpulse.com/uploads/default/original/1X/124f1a29ddca03fa4ee68cb5c83193b1e628c959.pdf

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Thanks TJ. I did find that doc when searching but only kinda speed read it :laughing:. Thought it was more of a study you did on it.

Did you run it with the bar a lot? I always preferred it without the bar when I ran. I think I ran a bar once the first time I drove a Merlin and we took it out halfway through the weekend.

I run a 2016 mr29 but in general for a lower grip condition go wider front, wider rear and run the bar in the front. Seat struts seem to help as well. One box neg camber and one box toe out is recommended. The higher the grip, narrower the kart is what seems to work. With really low grip we run the gold axle, green in the middle and yellow for higher grip conditions. It’s super hooked up on the lower grip MG oranges and new surface at Dousman right now with that setup. This is with a 206 as well.

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I ran the LM30 with the bar exclusively. This was the older model of the kart though, I know they’ve changed quite a bit now.

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Also, what is this sourcery on the front axle? Looks like the kind of fastener that you find on motorcycle clutches? 22mm socket doesn’t seem to work, tried that already :laughing:

I think you need the special tool like an older Comp / Birel setups.

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Yes you need a special wrench. Same as what Birel uses I believe.

If I knew where mine was I would send it to you. I’ll look today.

Appreciate that but I’m fine buying one. I just need to know what it’s called because I’m not having much luck finding it by keywords.

Try searching “Birel POS wrench” :joy:

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At least they are honest. :crazy_face:

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Does anyone have the starting seat position for the LM30? Not having any luck finding it.

On the spindle tool, the Birel one I bought (10.7656.00) is too small… What’s more interesting is that I can’t find this kind of spindle nut (and therefore tool) in Merlin’s catalog :confused:
Did Merlin actually use these style of spindle nuts?

Merlin_Parts_Catalog_2019CatalogRacer.pdf (5.9 MB)

The wheel nut is a Parolin thing I believe.

Call up Franklin and see if Jamie has the seating chart. I’m sure he has a spindle nut wrench too.

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Thanks. No luck finding the tool, or the nut on parolin USA’ site so the plot thickens.

To be honest if I can swap them out that’s the direction I’ll be going because if (when) misplace the tool I’m fecked.

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Thanks. I’ll compare that to mine.

I got the Birel spindle wheel nut tool to work after a tap with a hammer :laughing: Maybe I just needed to use more force.