Repairing the front end of a kart

TKART Staff

23 February 2017

Accidents or simple, normal, use can wear or damage arms, the steering column and uniballs. The “doc” shows how to replace these fundamental parts for the set-up of the kart properly

time 30 min

difficulty Easy

The front end is the front part of the kart. It is a particularly delicate area, mainly due to its position, which exposes it to physical impact more than other areas, but also because there are several quite fragile components, such as the steering arms. All of these parts need to be checked regularly, both to ensure that the wear caused by normal use has not resulted “play” between elementsthat can potentially affect safety and driving precision, as well as, above all, after any knocks during sessions out on the track. In the event of more serious knocks, the frame may suffer damage to the front end, but in order to make sure, you need a flatbed. In this article, Dr TKART merely shows you how to work on the “removable” parts of the front end, presuming that the chassis is intact and, therefore, does not require any work.

NECESSARY TOOLS

■ THREADLOCKER
■ A MARKER PEN
■ TOE DISCS
■ A TAPE MEASURE
■ 5 MM COMBINATION WRENCH
■ 3 MM AND 10MM FIXED WRENCH

STEP

30 MIN

The very first thing to do is put the kart on a trolley, to allow you to work more comfortably. After which, begin by removing the screw that secures the support of the steering wheel to the steering column using a 10 mm fixed wrench and a 5 mm Allen key. Having removed the steering wheel, unscrew the four nuts on the arms to make it easier to replace them at a later stage. Next, unscrew the uniballs on the stub axle side).

1. Free the steering wheel support from the steering column

2. Unscrew the nuts on the arms

3. Unscrew the uniballs on the stub axle side

STEP

10 MIN

At this point, use a marker pen to mark the position and order of the washers that secure the uniballsto the stub axles. This operation is performed to keep the kart’s initial set-up when you begin to reassemble everything. Upon finishing your “reminder”, remove the arms from the steering column. How? Use a 13 mm fixed wrench and a 5 mm Allen key to unscrew the nut and bolt that secure the uniballs to the steering column itself. Youhave to pay close attention to the assembly sequence of washers and spacersduring this phase as well and, as was the case for the stub axles, use a marker pen to mark the holes previously used for the screws.

4. Mark the order and position of the washers

5. Free the uniballs from the steering column

6. Pay attention to the order of the washers and spacers