All the ways to use laser measurement kits for karts (you certainly won't know the 4th)

INTRO

Introduced to karting by the top teams around 2010, over the years laser gauges have helped many kart drivers, both professionals and non-professionals, to perfect all the tuning operations of the front geometry of the kart, mostly at the front end. This area is particularly delicate because it has the characteristic angles of the chassis (camber, caster, kingpin ...) that directly and absolutely affect the behaviour of the vehicle while driving. Therefore, having these measures under control allows you to have a kart in good condition and to obtain precise set-ups. The laser kit can therefore prove to be a useful tool to adjust the chassis but also to check its condition after intensive use or to check its state of "health" before buying a used vehicle. If you are not yet familiar with laser pointer measurement kits or are thinking of buying them and want to know more about their use, we will be explaining everything about these tools in this article: what they are, what they are for and all the ways to use them like real " professionals”.

An example of a laser measurement kit: usually they are composed of pointers with relative graduated scales and some with accessories: there are various brands, models and prices.

What is it

Lasers for measuring the fundamental geometries of karting are modern, high-precision tools that can be used by karting and non-karting professionals in different contexts: under the tent during a weekend on the track, in your home garage or in a workshop. The battery-powered laser pointers emit a beam of light that generates an imprint on a graduated scale. They have a mechanism for quick attachment to the kart chassis (which can be magnetic or mechanical) and a spirit level and have a graduated scale on their surface for reading the measurements taken from the laser light imprint. Precisely for this reason this instrumentation is generally sold in the form of a kit that includes two pointers, some with accessories (basically supports for reading certain parameters).

The Sniper V2 stainless steel laser kit with magnet attachment, one of the most popular kits thanks to its ease of use. The graduated grid is clearly visible, with a distance of 2 mm for each intersection and 1 mm for each dot. Its purchase price is among the lowest available on the market.

The market for laser meters for karting is also quite varied and ranges from standard kits, which are still able to ensure limited margins of error, available at just over 200 Euros, up to the most precise and complete models that can even exceed 1,000 Euros. What determines these price differences? Without a doubt the functions (for example, not all instruments have a double laser pointer to check the correct alignment of the axes)and the accessories available (such as a support for measuring the caster angle) as well as the techniques for making the instrument, which are able to affect its duration and also the guaranteed tolerances (as in the case of models produced by CNC machines with more precise and sensitive spirit levels).

The magnets that allow you to fasten the pointer to the stub axle.

The spirit level that allows a precise setting of the instrument once applied to the stub axle.

The most advanced laser kits, such as the Kartprof V4 of the Sniper company complete with accessories (a dated model, but precise and well-made), allow a wider use and ensure greater precision thanks to a much more sensitive spirit level. The tolerances are very limited and, in fact, the whole kit has a price range of over a thousand Euros.

LASER MEASUREMENT KIT: WHAT IT IS AND ALL THE WAYS OF USING IT