Steering sweep

B

BCB racing

Member
I have a sprint kart and the left tie rod is 1” shorter than right side. The steering bracket is off about 1”. How do I set the steering sweep equal with different length tie rods?
 
Set your pitman arm 90 degrees to the frame rails, and set camber and toe loaded dynamically. A bent spindle arm will make setting steering geometry inaccurate using the sweep method. You want the pitman arm timed as perfectly as you can get it.
 
BCB racing said:
I have a sprint kart and the left tie rod is 1” shorter than right side. The steering bracket is off about 1”. How do I set the steering sweep equal with different length tie rods?
Click to expand...
So is the steering column offset? Meaning if you go to the back of the kart and look at it...The steering wheel will be offset to the right? Which is why you would have a longer tie rod on the left. If it is offset to the left you need to swap tie rods.

 
Interesting video .
Sweep adjustment was never mentioned .
In my train of thought its adjusted via tie rod location on the spindle and or pittman arm. Otherwise set as Maxslack said and your done .
 
Roger : so it is simply having both , sides turn an equal amount without toe ?
Or is it simply zero toe ?
 
Basically just achieves equal ackerman through the steering, "sweep". In most sprint racing circles it is the practised method of setting equal ackerman. And most typically equals a kart with a bent spindle now also having a pitman arm that's 10 degrees to one side to compensate.
 
Yes . Im a why fanatic . Turn plates or string line, chalk line on the floor and two plumb bobs you could do same thing . Even a pair of protractors .
The sniper set up is nice i never did understand how it really worked till today . Its all clear now . Two lasers and an few modifications to a rlv exact toe . Add a grid to aim at .
Toe plates or toebars and a tape measure .
Laser set ups are sweet and fast .
 
Kartiac Arrest said:
So is the steering column offset? Meaning if you go to the back of the kart and look at it...The steering wheel will be offset to the right? Which is why you would have a longer tie rod on the left. If it is offset to the left you need to swap tie rods.

Click to expand...
Yes the lower mount of the steering shaft holder is to the left side 1'. I set sweep just as the above video but with tie rods different lengths as I turn the wheel each way and measure the sweep its off 1"
 
Maxxslack said:
Set your pitman arm 90 degrees to the frame rails, and set camber and toe loaded dynamically. A bent spindle arm will make setting steering geometry inaccurate using the sweep method. You want the pitman arm timed as perfectly as you can get it.
Click to expand...

Yes I set it 90 degrees to frame rails, the camber and toe set equal but as the video shows when I turn wheel each way its off 1"
 
BCB racing said:
Yes I set it 90 degrees to frame rails, the camber and toe set equal but as the video shows when I turn wheel each way its off 1"
Click to expand...
Move the tie rod ends on the spindle arms in or out as needed .
At full lock ? Check it at 10 or 20 degrees of steering wheel input .
 
Wherever the pickup point centerline on the pitman arm lies in the center of the distance between the spindle arm pickups. Is gonna determine tie rod lengths. If the steering shaft is offset to the left 1 inch, then the left tue rod should be 1 inch shorter.
 
BCB racing said:
I have a sprint kart and the left tie rod is 1” shorter than right side. The steering bracket is off about 1”. How do I set the steering sweep equal with different length tie rods?
Click to expand...
This seems odd . why would a sprint kart have an offset steering shaft ?
Is the steering wheel support offset also ?
 
I've never really checked the "sweep" on our karts. Is sweep the European term for ackerman? It looked like he adjusted the tie rod to adjust his sweep? But then adjusted toe at the end and didn't go back and double check the sweep?
 
American made sprint chassis it was common to see an offset.

Sweep from what I can see is an easy way to make sure you have equal ackerman from side to side if you were in a crash and needed to check real quick if a spindle change was needed.
 
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