3rd (middle) bearing cassette for 206 chassis?

Mac_49

Mac_49

Member
I've seen people run them tight, loose and not even at all but I'm wanting to know more about the science behind them in low power situations like the 206.
To add onto that...the Intrepid FK-4 chassis doesn't even have the 3rd bearing cassette and is based around the 206 class.
So if anyone would like to share some science it'd be very much appreciated.
Thanks!!
 
I'm certainly no expert, but anyone I've talked to or anything I've read says that the third bearing makes the chassis too stiff for the 206. I can see how the third bearing can make it stiffer if it's bolted down tight.

I picked up a used 2015 Top Kart Twister last year and called Top Kart directly to get a chassis setup for a 206. One of the first things they told me was to remove the third bearing if my chassis had one.
 
What could it hurt to try it?
If the data does not support the theory, get a new theory. (Al Nunley)
Over the years I've heard a lot of suggestions for going faster, my theory is; Try Everything Bench racing is fun, but seldom useful!
 
I'm not so much thinking about 'what will it hurt to try and see what happens' as I am just finding out what the science is about it from the beginning. I'd like to first know WHY it was implemented and what was it's intention....after that I can test different setups knowing in my mind what I'm testing for. It's there for a reason, but can anyone share where the idea came from and for what purpose it's supposed to serve. Until then, I'm running tests looking for an outcome on a part I don't understand and have no clue how it's supposed to affect the outcome.
 
Hi happy traveler, IMO the third bearing design came about from the use of high torque shifter motors that distorted the axle at the gear hub. The R axles (reinforced), which is a peace of steel added inside the axle is another effort in stabilizing the axle form deforming in that area. This allows the use of a softer axles for maximum flex from the bearings to the wheel hub without becoming bent at the gear hub from launching the kart with sticky tires.
 
Brettm57 said:
I'm certainly no expert, but anyone I've talked to or anything I've read says that the third bearing makes the chassis too stiff for the 206. I can see how the third bearing can make it stiffer if it's bolted down tight.

I picked up a used 2015 Top Kart Twister last year and called Top Kart directly to get a chassis setup for a 206. One of the first things they told me was to remove the third bearing if my chassis had one.
Click to expand...

How does the Top Kart Twister perform with a 206?
 
Hawkeye79 said:
How does the Top Kart Twister perform with a 206?
Click to expand...

First, a little background: I'm 61 years old, most certainly not the most talented driver on the track, and this is my first foray into modern kart racing after an almost 30 year absence. That being said, I'm still learning all of the chassis settings, but I'm pretty happy with it. Over the course of the past season I've finally hit on a setup that is making me competitive with the group I run with. It's taken me a while to adapt to SO MANY adjustments! I feel that it can be a competitive chassis in the right hands. This is about the best I can do for you as far as an opinion, I hope it helps.
 
We started running them in the late 90's early 00's when we were still running karts with lots of mechanical transfer and the tires had some grip. The thought was that it would help unhook the inside rear and free the kart up a bit. At that time, when running two hangers on some grip, I felt like the rear of the chassis was deflecting too much and the .250 wall axles we ran were just short of folding in half. It did stiffen the kart up quite a bit, but it made the two wheel nearly impossible to control. It only free'd the kart up a touch, but the penalty in driveability seemed to outweigh any gains I made in the free department. I ended up unhooking it after trying it a few times and never going back. The kart did seem to roll a little better, but would snap instead of gently pull up onto two wheels. Made it very tricky to hit that perfect lap time as it was not very forgiving. That was my experience with it anyways!
 
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