A GO TO thread for the new or newer dirt oval racers offering Info & Support

What's the signs that your kingpin bearings and your spindle bearings are worn and should be changed? How often do you clean these?
Play in them or for the spindle bearing front wheels don't spin freely enough, After every race at least spray them good with Tri Flow, but better to pressure wash blow dry then lube.
 
You will have movement in them and scale numbers will not stay put. That’s one of those things I do a visual on halfway through the season. I race a dust bowl but if I was on hard biting clay that grips up I’d check them sooner
 
Some Basic Stagger Info: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A HOT BOX TO SET STAGGER, It's Simply the Right side tires being bigger than the Left side tires, You can Shrink a tire by heating it even if just setting it in the sun, pull the valve gut and cool it quickly, If I need more than 1/8" I put the tire in the freezer for 30 min, sometimes you may have to repeat steps a few times. Growing a Tire Heat it up in some manner I use a torch put tape measure around it add Air until it's at least 1" bigger than needed or little more, let it set for 30 min leave air out set pressure and check, Again may need to repeat steps, If your not sure what stagger does get a Foam or Solo cup taller one with bigger top smaller bottom, lay it on a table put big end to the right and roll it straight forward, You will then learn the affect of stagger. To hold proper stagger once you get tires right BEFORE you leave the track purge LR of all air, purge LF at least 2 lb less than normal race pressure, Pump air in Right sides around 12 lb and store them on the rack till next race, your stagger will then hold REAL CLOSE.

Front stagger : If you cannot clarify where to set it just use between 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" keep it the same and LET it alone.
NOTE : adding front stagger will add cross ( REMEMBER CROSS is a FINE tuning adjustment )

Rear stagger : 12th mile track use 1 3/4" at least 1 1/2", 10th mile track use 1 5/8" at least 1 1/2", 1/8th mile track use 1 1/2" at least 1 1/4",
1/7th mile track use 1 1/4" at least 1 1/8", 1/6th mile track use 1 1/8" at least 1", 1/5th mile track use 1" to 7/8", 1/4 mile track use 3/4" Bigger than 1/4 mile you can go as low as 1/2". NOTE : Don't trust advertised track size they usually over estimate them, a tenth mile is 528 lf you can get close by walking the groove a good full stride is roughly three feet. Also with rear stagger IF LOW grip track you can use little less.

AGAIN experienced guy's especially tire guy's feel free to chime in.
From what I’ve read of your post do you recommend for me being new to set the kart up and leave it and mainly apply all adjustments to tire prep, air psi and stagger?

i can see how that would help a ton. But, I’m concerned about not making adjustments for tracks that are flat vs banking. Is that nothing to consider?
 
From what I’ve read of your post do you recommend for me being new to set the kart up and leave it and mainly apply all adjustments to tire prep, air psi and stagger?

i can see how that would help a ton. But, I’m concerned about not making adjustments for tracks that are flat vs banking. Is that nothing to consider?
Don't over think it and try to run before you walk, get that baseline set up in it leave it alone focus on tires, once you figure tires out and your driver has more seat time, then tweak chassis for that little xtra.
 
From what I’ve read of your post do you recommend for me being new to set the kart up and leave it and mainly apply all adjustments to tire prep, air psi and stagger?

i can see how that would help a ton. But, I’m concerned about not making adjustments for tracks that are flat vs banking. Is that nothing to consider?
The kart dont know which track you are on, once you have all the correct numbers, the rest is tires. You may need slight camber changes, not much.
 
Just a general question for now and I will get into the details when I get all the numbers.
How would more negative RF camber affect corner entry ? Would it loosen the kart or tighten it up some ?
thanks
 
Also interested in LF camber settings. I set mine at +.25 per the track owners advice. I've heard as high as +.375 and others at 0. I've read camber dictates timing but I think that's mostly talking about the RF. Also, what amount of camber movement is the driver going to be able to feel (is 1/4º a lot)?
 
Kartracer3
More negative for me it's going to be looser . Allow it to too roll over more toward the right front .

Burris Racer
The driver likely will not feel the change .
More camber in the left frt more weight jacking .
Personally I think I should have used left frt camber adjustment more .
Always was the right .
You should be looking for tenths of a second gains .
 
Kartracer3
More negative for me it's going to be looser . Allow it to too roll over more toward the right front .

Burris Racer
The driver likely will not feel the change .
More camber in the left frt more weight jacking .
Personally I think I should have used left frt camber adjustment more .
Always was the right .
You should be looking for tenths of a second gains .
Thanks , thats what I was thinking but we have been having a serious debate among our crew/ teammates and one of us has it backwards in their head. Was thinking I was the one who had it backwards cause I do that from time to time, lol.
My thinking was if more positive RF camber loads the LR it in turn, adds cross , on corner entry ,it would make the kart tighter and vice versa. More negative RF camber takes cross away which will make it looser.
 
Help me out on what more weight jacking will do and when will it do it (entry, exit, or both)? I guess what I'm after is an understanding of when I would look to use this adjustment?
 
LF Camber description from the smart guy's, Going more positive on LF camber will turn the kart in quicker and loosen the chassis when exiting the corner middle out, and will also magnify the effects of LF caster. Going more negative on the LF camber reduces the pull to the left, and will tighten the chassis when exiting the corner middle out, and reduces the effects of LF caster.
Excessive LF camber is indicated when the kart becomes to loose exiting the corner sever laps into the run, Insufficient LF camber is indicated when the kart is tight from the middle out of corners. The kart will simply be slow off the corners.

RF camber going more negative on the RF will magnify the effects of RF caster, making the kart turn in quicker and loosen the chassis throughout the corner. Negative RF camber keeps the RF sidewall from rolling under when weight is transferred to it durning cornering, and frees the kart up throughout the corner. Excessive negative RF camber can result in a push late in the run due to overheating on the inside of the RF causing the tire to give up. Tires do have designed operating temp ranges, which once exceeded will cause the chassis to become extremely loose.
Going more positive RF camber reduces the effects of RF caster, will slow the kart turn in and tighten the chassis.
 
More negative rf camber tightens the kart up and can create a push doesn’t it? Less negative rf camber loosens the kart?
 
I wrote that before you had submitted yours and didn’t see it when I hit submit. It’s all good! Got my bell ring pretty good this weekend at the track so maybe still not thinking right.
 
I wrote that before you had submitted yours and didn’t see it when I hit submit. It’s all good! Got my bell ring pretty good this weekend at the track so maybe still not thinking right.
Never good to take a hit to the head, good to see your OK enough to be posting.
 
If I knew how to post videos I would post it! Thanks that’s the second time in about eight years of racing I have flipped.
 
LF Camber description from the smart guy's, Going more positive on LF camber will turn the kart in quicker and loosen the chassis when exiting the corner middle out, and will also magnify the effects of LF caster. Going more negative on the LF camber reduces the pull to the left, and will tighten the chassis when exiting the corner middle out, and reduces the effects of LF caster.
Excessive LF camber is indicated when the kart becomes to loose exiting the corner sever laps into the run, Insufficient LF camber is indicated when the kart is tight from the middle out of corners. The kart will simply be slow off the corners.

RF camber going more negative on the RF will magnify the effects of RF caster, making the kart turn in quicker and loosen the chassis throughout the corner. Negative RF camber keeps the RF sidewall from rolling under when weight is transferred to it durning cornering, and frees the kart up throughout the corner. Excessive negative RF camber can result in a push late in the run due to overheating on the inside of the RF causing the tire to give up. Tires do have designed operating temp ranges, which once exceeded will cause the chassis to become extremely loose.
Going more positive RF camber reduces the effects of RF caster, will slow the kart turn in and tighten the chassis.
Exactly the information I was looking for. Is there a camber range I'd generally stay in? Numbers for both sides would be appreciated. This is for Burris 33A's on dirt
 
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