Ratios....Not a Debate

running wide open is not the end goal with gearing .
You could put a 11/68 on and likely run full throttle , all the while getting lapped .
again refer too Post #2.
early in the year a 14 /62 may work well as it drys out a 15 may be needed . with just a 2-3 tooth change on the rear , less as the day or night goes on because the track should gain speed .
Of course there are always exceptions .
 
I just skimmed through most of this thread so I may have missed some valuable information. But I am very curious as to why you went from a 13-57 in practice to a 13-64 for the feature. Did the track slow down that much? Were you not turning anywhere near enough rpm in practice?
 
I just skimmed through most of this thread so I may have missed some valuable information. But I am very curious as to why you went from a 13-57 in practice to a 13-64 for the feature. Did the track slow down that much? Were you not turning anywhere near enough rpm in practice?
I judge things by losing distance.....I am new. So I was half a lap down at the end of 13/64.......and got lapped at 13/57.....so I worked my way back to 13/64
 
I may have missed it…but what rpm were you turning
I am home now.....

So it's 1/8 mile.....line runs 2/3 up the straights to mid track halfway through the turns to a low pass exiting. High banked. Owosso, MI is the track. OMP.

Weighed my kart on house scales and then turned the Kart around and weighed it again on even pavement and the numbers were so different, it wasn't worth it. Just finished the year, finished 2nd the last race, but I earned it through aggressive driving and blocking. Not aggressive to other drivers, just the track.

I was racing a 13/57 in practice to a 13/64 by the feature. I am 430 in clone heavy total weight. My tire prep consists of black sand Wednesday and Friday...then drpw the day of the race. I also resurface the tires with 80 grit flap sander.

I have a feeling my setup isn't right and my tires are the problem. I watch other races and they never let off either.....I can't do that. I know my engine is very powerful, sometimes I think too powerful. I raced my first 6 races ever this year and have been up the 15s, 14s, and now 13s... I can't find the magic sweet spot to run wide open.

So I am leaning to chassis setup and tires is the problem. You can't through 350 laps of practice, qualifying, heats, and features have run every single lap wrong. Expert Folks watching say I run solid lines. I just can't figure out which ratio/gear combo will let me run wide open.

Like I said.....I am down to needing to buy 1000s of $$ on rotisseries and prepping tires as well as chassis setup.

Thanks for your input.

I use the app Iraceweigh to input my scale numbers and I do have the 2005 prc phenom manufacturer suggested setup sheet.

I only have problems exiting when accelerating. So by the end of the race I enter 1 and 3 coming off the gas almost all the way.

Question: Am I supposed to stay full throttle and apply the brake at the same time? Would this hold my rpms up or ruin my brakes faster?

Tires are the typical maxxis....pink outside....blue inside. Can't remember the sizes, but it's the same as ev1 else. Rear stagger is 1.25"....front is 1", same as the top guys have for stagger. Camber and caster setup just like manufacturer suggests. I was told to drop the spindle on both sides front by 3 washers, which I have not done yet.

Typically, stagger will be 1.5” front, 1-1.25” rear

I may have missed it, but what rpm are you touring with the gears you mentioned? Is it a clone motor?
 
So I am still a beginner also, but that is what the ratios do. Change takeoff and top end. They do not effect how the kart handles in the corner. That is tires, stagger, chassis setup. I have not found that there is a lot of secrets in Karting. Most are mort than willing to share.
believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear !!
 
believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear !!
That very well may be true, but they were willing to get me on the same lap. I think they got tired of trying to lap be on the final lap and messing them up. Honestly I have had lots of help. Some from my class, but those that ran other classes were like an open book. Let me look at and measure chassis. Anything I wanted. My biggest problem was too much help. I find that there are multiple ways to fix a problem. If you follow everyone's help I would over correct. I am learning to listen to it all and make my own decision.
 
I judge things by losing distance.....I am new. So I was half a lap down at the end of 13/64.......and got lapped at 13/57.....so I worked my way back to 13/64
I am assuming that you don't have a tach then? If that is the case and you are learning by trial and error and you were fast out of the corner and slower down the straightaway then I would definitely try a 14/60 and go from there.
 
I may have missed it…but what rpm were you turning

Typically, stagger will be 1.5” front, 1-1.25” rear

I may have missed it, but what rpm are you touring with the gears you mentioned? Is it a clone motor?
I was told to throw the rpms to the wind.

6960 at 13/64

Yes clone
 
I am assuming that you don't have a tach then? If that is the case and you are learning by trial and error and you were fast out of the corner and slower down the straightaway then I would definitely try a 14/60 and go from there.
So go from a 4.92 ratio 13/64 to a 4.28 ratio 14/60?
 
shootout-dark.gif
 
Quote the op . Though something is off , Here .. (....other folks at the track "take off faster than me, then after a lap of getting up to speed they eventually pass me.". ... Here's the kicker....they run wide open....I have to let off middle of the two turns to keep'er from getting loose.)
Here's where the questions start . ;)
with the first question being if they take off faster that should mean there already ahead of you, so how do they eventually pass you later ?
 
I was told to throw the rpms to the wind.

6960 at 13/64

Yes clone
First off I'm not always correct on anything:

So with that being said I hope what I offered made sense to you just starting out. and ... ?
I'm not into trying to remember what to do for anything, I'm into trying to understand how to use what your racing efficiently and if you can do that you will be fast, per ... theory on how stuff works.

Your original concern was about IMHO ... "how the heck do I know if my gearing is ok especially if I have a lot of other stuff off?".
ok I hope?

IMHO Throw rpm into the wind is a good way to help you get fast being new.
IT NETS OUT TO throw what ever gear you have to throw at it to get your RPM's to where everyone says they should be.
If you throw too much gear to it it will suck the life out of your engine and you will be a toad.
If you throw the right gear to it ... "for your experience level" you will hit the RPM everyone says you should but you will not be as fast as those who are into the game with experience and skill.
... So what the heck should you do?
1. throw gear at it until you either hit your RPM goal, which if I'm reading correctly you CAN do.
2. If that's the case there is no number 2 so flush and move on.
3. After that it's about doing stuff to get around the track better allowing you to take a tooth or two off and move on.
4. There is no number 4 because the whole game is about being able to get around the track efficiently with the least amount of gear on.

5. ... it's late and let me know if what I spent so much time and effort writing made any sense to you?
6. ??? bed time as soon as the Chargers kick Denver Butt. ... :)

It all nets out to make your expected rpm, get around the track better then take gear off and go faster.
it's a game about being able to go faster then the other guy or gal and having a better chance to win. ... period.

You said your a beginner and I tried to explain the game to you.
What you do from here out is about how you play the game.
What makes YOUR game fun for us on here is to be a part of your game and read about your "FIRST" win.
If we hear that ... we all win in our individual way. ... :)

edit: me i'm all about the BS of it.
 
with the first question being if they take off faster that should mean there already ahead of you, so how do they eventually pass you later ?
Because as that kart racer says "it takes me one lap to get up to full speed",but he runs wide open is the key.....he holds a constant speed
 
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