4 specific collars for karting neck protection
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The Expert Advices | How to change the set-up of Tony Kart chassis with a roll bar
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The roll bar or anti-roll bar is a mechanical component that correlates the right wheel with the left wheel of a kart and, from a technical point of view, performs the function of a real torsion spring. On a kart there is normally the possibility of installing two stabilizer bars, one at the front - which can vary in shape and materials - and a rear one, that is rarely used, because generally, at the rear, chassis torsion is managed using more rigid or softer axles. Helped by the Tony Kart Racing Team technicians' with many years of experience in racing, let's find out how a roll bar is used.
N.B Although the information and technical advice provided may be useful to guide you in managing the setup of the Tony Kart brand chassis, it is equally applicable to all other chassis brands of the OTK Kart Group, namely: Kosmic, Eos, Exprit and Redspeed.
1 What is a front roll bar?
A front roll bar is a kind of spring that connects the right side and the left side of the front axle. When it undergoes stress, which normally corresponds to a load variation, probably generated by steering, this puts the two wheels in relation and transfers the load and force to the opposite wheel in order to balance the imbalance generated. It is therefore fair to say that the front bar serves to increase the stability of the front axle and to decrease the roll that the chassis would have when changing direction.
The roll bar should be chosen with the aim of balancing the set-up between the front and rear axles
2 How does it affect the performance of a kart?
Without doubt, the front anti-roll bar increases the stability of the front axle and the rigidity of the chassis. With the roll bar installed the chassis will be more responsive and the roll effect will decrease. This does not mean that an infinitely rigid bar will always improve the set-up: you must always take into account the balance between the front and rear axles. In fact, excessive stability at the front makes it difficult for the driver to manage the directionality of the kart and an imbalance between the front and rear axles, triggering unwanted oversteering or understeering phenomena.
3 Does mounting a roll bar increase a kart’s grip?
If you mount a front bar, this does not increase the grip of the chassis accordingly, but, if anything, it makes the front end more stable. Having a very stable front is not always a good thing. In fact, a balance must be sought between the two axles to have a balanced set-up. When there is a very stable front, it can be negative for the rear because, for example, by turning the steering wheel to go round a bend, the front will follow the set trajectory while the rear will tend to slide, worsening the kart's smoothness.
Editor's note
The term oversteering basically means a loss of grip at the rear compared to the front. In the article "Setup and driving tricks to reduce oversteering" you will be able to learn more about and understand how to stem this sometimes unwanted behaviour of a kart.
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