Ten options you can use to improve the grip when the kart starts to slip

INTRO

The grip! The joy and pain of every kart driver. This issue of traction, if you make it your ally, makes the difference like few others, yet, if it decides to rebel…it is not a fun situation to be in. As every driver knows having the right grip on the track is one of the essential requirements for optimizing performance and aiming to obtain fantastic lap times that you will never forget. At the same time, however, finding the “right grip” is anything but obvious because there are many factors involved and the actions you should use are not so clear. When you feel that the kart is beginning to “slip” or losing grip, many kart drivers especially if they are beginners, get discouraged. It is even more frustrating, after an initial modification, perhaps suggested by someone in the paddock, the situation does not improve. Indeed, many factors come into play, as everything also depends on track conditions and driver's driving style. However there are some basics rules of thumb. If we consider the scenario of a grippy track and the use of soft tires, i.e. a situation that’s very likely to occur in a race weekend or anytime there are a lot of drivers on the track at the same time, there are 10 fixes that can be made.

1 HUBS AND AXLES

The aim is to have an axle with less deformations, which increases the tire’s grip to the track surface. To achieve this, you can work on the hubs, opting for longer ones, or you can decide to use a rigid axle. There is no particular logic to prefer one operation over the other, except that based on the available spare parts and considering that replacing the hubs is a much faster option than replacing the axle.

2 REMOVE THE BARS

Eliminating the bars increases the chassis torsion and enhances traction. The most noticeable result is obtained by removing the bar under the seat. The rear bar, on the other hand, has contrasting effects because its impact is to help limit the deformation of the chassis (which decreases the grip), but at the same time it also inhibits flexibility, including the axle too. Which of the two effects prevails, it depends on the chassis.

10 THINGS TO DO… WHEN THE KART LOSES ITS GRIP