Old Kart vs New Kart

Dont over think anything. Ive been out of karting for a while, but Id like to think that the big tubes chassis havent taken over because they arent significantly better. Are they better at all?? In the right hands maybe. I knew some guys that bought one many years ago (maybe nemesis) and they werent fast...in fact, had to learn a new chassis of different design.

Find you something about 10 years old and learn to make it fast!! Know what you buy though. Calls to the manufacturer, the fellow racers at your track, the members on here are all a wealth of information.

I have recently dug my ole 1999 out of the barn. Im putting it together and racing it. Its in the right hands and I can run pretty fast with it.
 
I often hear of karts flexing out but really don't believe it. Empire state building has been swaying in the breeze for 90 years and hasn't 'flexed out' or work hardened. near 50 years in the Chicago winds and the Sears tower is still swinging. make sure your bolts art tight and replacing some worn out bearings and I think your kart may run like it is supposed to.
 
I was saying will the bigger tube begin to flex more, like a smaller tube if I drive it longer
So how would that happen? there are flexible chassis and stiff chassis. you will need to decide what would work best for you and why. I would agree that parts availability would be the biggest factor for me. I have done very well with a 2012 Slack Axiom against every new kart out there including against 'pro drivers' and people with trailers of tires. the best chassis is the one that you have dialed in for your driving style/tire program. you always hear of the pros missing on tires. When have you heard "we lost because we had the wrong chassis"?
 
I often hear of karts flexing out but really don't believe it. Empire state building has been swaying in the breeze for 90 years and hasn't 'flexed out' or work hardened. near 50 years in the Chicago winds and the Sears tower is still swinging. make sure your bolts art tight and replacing some worn out bearings and I think your kart may run like it is supposed to.
Different kind of steel also, 4130 isn't made into I beams.
Flexed out is just a term, the flex points in a chassis will move over time because of work hardening.
Heavier drivers and high HP can and does speed this process up
 
Dont over think anything. Ive been out of karting for a while, but Id like to think that the big tubes chassis havent taken over because they arent significantly better. Are they better at all?? In the right hands maybe. I knew some guys that bought one many years ago (maybe nemesis) and they werent fast...in fact, had to learn a new chassis of different design.

Find you something about 10 years old and learn to make it fast!! Know what you buy though. Calls to the manufacturer, the fellow racers at your track, the members on here are all a wealth of information.

I have recently dug my ole 1999 out of the barn. Im putting it together and racing it. Its in the right hands and I can run pretty fast with it.
Big tube ie 1¼ 095 has been the standard diameter since about 2000.
Just in the last 5 years or so they have started offering 1⅛ tube chassis.
 
There is chassis stiffness in material, and chassis stiffness in design. If you look at certain chassis designs over the years this really starts to show.
It all comes down to the types of tracks you're racing on, and what you're trying to do with a chassis as to whether or not a newer chassis will really benefit you or not. There are places that the newer chassis are absolutely necessary and you could not take an older chassis even with newer components and compete. Then there are places that this gap is significantly narrowed and the older chassis designs actually still could be a good choice. But, that is different around the country depending on the surfaces you run on.
 
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Different kind of steel also, 4130 isn't made into I beams.
Flexed out is just a term, the flex points in a chassis will move over time because of work hardening.
Heavier drivers and high HP can and does speed this process up
4130 or mild steel won't work harden unless the material yields. translation it work hardens where it bends not from flexing. if your kart is bent yes replace it but it won't work harden from doing its job.
 
With sprint karts it is proven that a new chassis will flex out....it's not work-hardening, but the plastic limit. Often they're using multiple diameters, and varying section thicknesses via complex manufacturing methods. But the time loss is measurable and repeatable. It's why OTK karts are replaced every 3 races (or 1...) by top drivers, and other brands have slightly longer windows. It's noticeable on a scaling table -- the OTK's eventually start taking a 3mm distortion past their plastic limit and hold that set. They can be bent back, but usually return to the sag. In contrast, one American manufacturer (Shockwave, IIRC) made a true 4130 Chromoly kart and it didn't seem to ever flex out. It also wasn't as quick.

A good discussion here: https://forums.kartpulse.com/t/chassis-standard-metal-vs-reparto-corse/650/42
 
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With sprint karts it is proven that a new chassis will flex out....it's not work-hardening, but the plastic limit. Often they're using multiple diameters, and varying section thicknesses via complex manufacturing methods. But the time loss is measurable and repeatable. It's why OTK karts are replaced every 3 races (or 1...) by top drivers, and other brands have slightly longer windows. It's noticeable on a scaling table -- the OTK's eventually start taking a 3mm distortion past their plastic limit and hold that set. They can be bent back, but usually return to the sag. In contrast, one American manufacturer (Shockwave, IIRC) made a true 4130 Chromoly kart and it didn't seem to ever flex out. It also wasn't as quick.
tube distortion is going past it's yield strength. if you move it and it doesn't return to its original shape you have bent it and have work hardened the material. the out side of the bend the material stretches bending it back into shape doesn't correct the thinner wall created by the bend
 
Are the Sprint Karts using chromoly or are some DOM material ?
See my revised post for the link on the interesting discussion. One year the CIK manufacturers had a world championship race at the sprint track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track featured more rights than lefts (or at least more CRITICAL rights) and they developed a special chassis for that track....sold them off before flying back to Italia....
 
Ted , that year was 1994 and the karts were direct drive most everything was sold at the track rather than pay shipping back to Europe. It was pretty special I never saw that much new kart equipment in one place even today later Chuck
 

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[HEADING=3][HEADING=3]Ted Hamilton

Design Drafter / Racer​

Are the Sprint Karts using chromoly or are some DOM material ?
" See my revised post for the link on the interesting discussion. One year the CIK manufacturers had a world championship race at the sprint track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track featured more rights than lefts (or at least more CRITICAL rights) and they developed a special chassis for that track....sold them off before flying back to Italia...."

That didn't answer the question . D O M or Molly ?
 
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[HEADING=3][HEADING=3][HEADING=3]Ted Hamilton

Design Drafter / Racer​


" See my revised post for the link on the interesting discussion. One year the CIK manufacturers had a world championship race at the sprint track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track featured more rights than lefts (or at least more CRITICAL rights) and they developed a special chassis for that track....sold them off before flying back to Italia...."

That didn't answer the question . D O M or Molly ?
reading Tony karts website the frames are chrome molybdenum.
 
On FIA world championships sprint chassis chassis for direct drive classes were not usually raced for more than one weekend, and yes, they did flex. that would not be easy to feel by most drivers but those selected good drivers could feel that. On dirt ovals things are different, but every chassis changes and flexes with races.
 
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