Can I run caster adjusters with the complete range not just the 4 screw, on the top and bottom to get more camber and caster range. And do you want more contact patch ie a more neutral setup on a cold track?
And what ways are there to determine a bent chassis. The kart drifts off to the right on every set of tyres I have and we have the front alignment perfect. I’m just worried the chassis is bent and having an effect on performance at club level. I’m leading the championship at the moment but don’t want to fall off due to setup.
Thanks to TJ in advance
I don’t know what kart you’re on, but yes running eccentric or adjustable pulls top and bottom will double your effective range of caster/camber adjustment.
Regarding camber; generally you would want negative camber to help reduce the contact patch and heat the front tires up quicker on a colder track, but it’s impossible to tune a kart from home, so you really need to see what the kart is doing on track before making adjustments. If you’re struggling to get heat into the front tires, this could be a way to help that.
If the kart is bent it may not show up on the lasers. There could be a twist in the waist or something so that it lasers normally but still has some bend somewhere. I would recommend getting it on a frame table and taking some measurements if you have a consistent problem like that.
Yeah, lasering straight + drifting = twisted chassis or, easiest case, misaligned ride heights. Check your spacers on the front kingpin and check your rear bearing blocks to make sure they are all square. Setting the rear ride heights different, for example, can make it act like a bent chassis when it really is a simple fix.
Regarding camber and grip, remember that the kart flexes under load. When cornering hard, the front of the kart will twist and the dynamic camber (what the tire sees under load) will change. To have the correct dynamic camber on the outside tire under a lot of grip, you need more static camber. When there isn’t as much grip, less static camber is needed to achieve the same dynamic camber. It’s not as much of a difference as, say, with a car and a compliant suspension, but it is still there, especially for adult classes.