Best 206 chassis

A website where every last nut, bolt, and widget that the manufacturer offers is available to purchase, including detailed pictures and schematics.

And a manufacturer that is willing to put any item, including a simple washer or nut in an economical package and shipped promptly. (like 2 spindle bearings in a Small Flat Rate USPS box for $8.00.....not a 10x10x10 box via UPS for $23.00 to a residence)

And that same manufacturer making an effort to reach out to a good representative at legitimate racetracks to ensure good trackside support.

And clamshell hangers, like Mr. G said.....those are awesome ;)
 
Great feedback Mike. The clamshell design has some obvious benefits as long as the performance is the same. Personally the axle change benefit doesn't appeal to me cause I don't plan on having complete axle setups lying around. I can change an axle start to finish in under ten minutes pretty easily. I do like how easy they make it for cleaning though.

The Bully seat struts have easy adjustment to raise and lower the seat. You'd just have to add spacers at the bottom. I used to use them on the engine side of my margay and they'd always grind through so I didn't love them. They were the most sturdy though and never broke.
 
Our Edge has the flat plates for the pedals to mount to and many holes for the to adjust leg position. A master with the pedal on it. To eliminate a linkage or cable. Steering locks are a must. Stronger steering columns. I'd rather bend a tie rod then taco a column. Maybe a built in mount for a Mychron. Def something easier for all front end Geometry adjustment. Some way of accommodating tall drivers. Limo etc.
 
I wanted to avoid discussing details on items to avoid it getting bogged down but sharing has slowed so I'll start.

First, I don't see infinite adjustability as a positive. I have experience with the oval style design as well as the pill design. The pill design is difficult for many to grasp since it's somewhat abstract but I prefer it simply because it's not as easy to get away from the baseline. Many people argue that they prefer the heim adjustment because it's independent and you can get everything to the exact degree. I used to feel this way until I realized it's a tremendous waste of time. Not to mention the tooling required to work on this style. Scales, stand, toe gauge, camber gauge. Talking about $2000 plus. How do you sell that to someone new? With a pill style just buy a Sniper alignment system for $298. Once you realize you don't need to live on the scales and chase tenths of a degree you'll be much faster focusing your time elsewhere.

In regards to karts for bigger guys Comet offered a big tube kart for those exact people and had little to no interest. They also have and extended porch option that easily accommodates guys 6'4". Again, very little interest. Maybe 4 extended porches in 3 years.
 
Ill add in a few comments, however I do agree with you Gary, I want limited adjustabiility with a kart that is fast at its baseline for a majority of the tracks.

Rear bumper I like the horizontal bolt through design, I use the 4S inner tube clamp now and i've lost about 3-4 of them at different points throughout the years.

Bearing cassette hangers that can accommodate the thicker cassettes and most importantly the quick cross adjuster, without having to cut the chassis for clearance.

Bolted nerfs, never have been a fan of the spring only attachment ones

No 3rd bearing cassette hanger, for sprocket clearance

I like welded on seat struts however, especially the left side, needs a gusset so it doesn't break at some point

Slider front seat mount attachments to make it easier to mount and keep the seat as forward as possible, especially for taller guys

For some of the peripherals this is what i'd like as well.

Keep things as simple and cheap as possible, MCP brakes are great, cheap, easy to maintain, and stop as good as any. I personally don't perceive the benefit of CNC pedals, i'd rather pay half as much for simple bent tubing pedals if it meant the total cost would decrease. I like a floating brake rotor, i believe it's merits can be debated however it's a comfort having it. Front wheels hubs with slip fit bearings and a spacer in between the bearings so they will not bind when tightened on the spindle. Steering post holder with a needle bearings and aluminum housing, I can tighten everythign down without pinching the steering shaft just making everything a little smoother. Engine mount, cant beat Odenthal IMO simple secure and fast. I like Comet's rear american short hubs, however I wish they were steel, I still have issues with them sliding in without a lock collar. I also like frame sliders that are well thought out for the chassis, there are a few universal ones, however ones built for the specific kart are great. Also if you can figure out a better way to mount a chassis slider on the rear horizontal bar beyond just a lock collar, i'd buy it.

I'm sure there's more but that's my input.
 
Let me add, I did move away from pills to the sniper setup. This was due to the pills rotating during a race, however i think either is fine.
 
Ditto on the Sniper vs pills. Our DR/X30 has the Sniper type front end, but for the added complexity and tools required to use them properly, I don't thinks they're worth it. Especially if you want to go back to factory settings and start over. We also have two Margay Ignite/206's with pills. Super simple and effective! Especially with the the standard and two different pill degree types available.

Here's a couple real stupid thoughts. Offer a steering wheel with a larger diameter grip area. (I told you stupid) Then we won't need to wrap them with silicone tape.

Include two additional seat struts. Assuming we're talking about Eagle/Margay type CIK 4 cycle sprint chassis', you folks have a good idea what type of right side seat strut will fit around an Animal/206.

25 mm spindles vs 17 mm. Or are the 25's a bit overkill for low HP stuff?

Interesting discussion.
Clark Gaynor Sr.
 
We certainly have struts that fit around the 206 but with how budget minded everyone is they don't like seeing an extra $40 on the bill. We always have them as an option but we are careful to say what is included because then they think you should run them when they are usually not ideal.

I like the thicker wheel. Mine is a thick padded one and is easier to grip for long periods. ThAnks for your input!
 
Instead of side mounted seat struts, revert to a Margay style square tube "U" that cradles seat upper, and then goes to bearing carriers via Tie-rod style supports. Weight transfer goes direct to axle instead of nebulous xfer through chassis... Can also be adjusted without drilling up a seat.

horizontal drilled nerf stubs so quick-pins can be used for retention. (already mentioned, just sub quick pins instead of bolts)
 
A hole drilled in the top steering block and steering shaft that you can cotter pin that would lock the steering dead center.
 
A hole drilled in the top steering block and steering shaft that you can cotter pin that would lock the steering dead center.


I have often wondered this as well, Gary.
I get that the sprint crowd doesn't live on scales and use laser aligners like we do on dirt ovals, (though I'm not entirely sure why not) but why don't more sprint chassis at least have a toe-lock to hold the steering geometry in place while you are working on the car (ie camber, toe, etc.)


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Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
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30 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Caution on the horizontal drilled front nerf spuds. IF you can't get a drill in there to precision align a nerf hole you might wish the hole was vertical. I learned this the hard way back in the 90's.
 
19 and 20mm toe locks are available from Riekens (out2win.com) Very simple solution. IMO drilling a permanent hole in your shaft for a toelock wouldn't be wise. Use the proven method that the dirt guys use.

https://out2win.com/catalog/steer_toelocks.html#bush

Have these on all my karts. It simplifies a lot of the tuning (scaling, checking toe or camber, etc.).

Just cause “most guys” don’t scale their karts that often, doesn’t mean the best don’t. I guarantee you the fastest sprint guys know their percentages. I scale mine before every weekend to make sure i’m on my baseline to start every race weekend prep.

I think it comes down to what the average guy wants/needs. I would venture to say most guys don’t know their percentages (and wouldn’t know what to do with the numbers if they did). That’s why my recommendation was a Kart with minimal adjustments. Less stuff to get screwed up.
 
Brian
That's really cool idea.
That's about as simple as it gets but i'm wondering if there would be a liability issue if the Mfg. drilled a hole through the steering column and something bad happened?
 
Brian
That's really cool idea.
That's about as simple as it gets but i'm wondering if there would be a liability issue if the Mfg. drilled a hole through the steering column and something bad happened?


The minimum shaft diameter that I've seen on karts is 5/8" and many/most are now larger for sprint chassis.
An 1/8" hole would be adequate and a hardened pin, or 1/8" drill blank would suffice nicely.
I am sure that the liability would be no greater (or lesser) with this provision than it already is.
If something bad happens; sue-happy, ambulance chaser, blood sucking, liars...err lawyers, will go after the manufacturer, track, and yes even the safety crew individually anyhow. The tubing diameter of some steering shafts would be a bigger factor than an alignment pin hole...Besides, the manufacturer has already made himself liable by opening his doors and selling the first chassis.

We use toe-locks on all of our chassis, and actually sell several different brands through our shop.
I wouldn't even consider scaling or aligning without one anymore.
 
Margay puts a steering lock hole in their karts and provides a locking pin. I bought our chassis used and made my own locking pin.
 
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