is there any way I can straighten a bent chassis at home without any fancy tools? Like any methods you guys tried that worked? I know if you're doing this way it won't be 'perfect' but I just want something good enough than it is currently.
It depends on where it is bent
It's the front end, it's tweaked. When laying the kart on flat ground and moving steering from side to side.... one side lifts higher than the other. I have a sprint chassis, btw.
This doesn't necessarily mean the chassis is bent. Check rear track and check front end adjustments. Set it up neutral and check again
We always placed a bucket or a wheel under the front tire we wanted to move up and held down the rear tire on the same side and had someone jump on the the other front tire just be carefully you dont twist it too much.
Trust me, it is bent. There's a pretty sizable difference in height when turning full lock on opposite ends...... just hope I can get it to where it's at least not too bad, I know it won't get back to being squared but any improvement is better than it's current state!
We never straightened a chassis, once bent and bent back you change the flex properties, the area it bent and bent back becomes work hardened,
old chassis are cheap, youll always wonder about it, might be better just to find another bare chassis and swap parts over
One bend doesn't work harden 4130 material. So what you're saying is when I bend a piece of 4130 tubing in my bender that that piece is now work hardened and won't flex? I straighten 3-4 chassis sometimes in a week. I have a few customers who have an arrive and drive business. After I straighten then , they are as good as new. I built a special fixture to do just kart chassis. Some European chassis I don't mess with, they are soft material and have no flex. That's why Tony Kart and several other Euro builders race them 3 races ?and throw them away. The tubing has to be bent slow and steady, That's why I tell everyone....do not jump on them. I've saved a lot of people money by straightening their chassis. Not everybody is Big Daddy Bucks as yourself and can buy new chassis.