WHAT THE TOP TEAMS USE: IMPACT DRIVER
Luca Basso
08 September 2022
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4
min. read
There are instruments and tools that change the life of a kart driver but how much can only be understood when you start using them. One of these is the impact driver for kart wheels. It avoids having to screw and unscrew the three lock nuts that anchor the wheel to the hub each time with a specific socket wrench. An activity which, if applied to all wheels, must be repeated 12 times. Carrying out this work by hand always takes a few minutes too long and is rather ... Boring: you have to put the nuts on the studs by hand and then proceed to screw them with the wrench until they all abut against the wheel and, finally, tighten them firmly with one hand holding and turning the key while the other holds the wheel still (not a very easy activity). The same is true when the wheels must be removed, with the complication deriving from the fact that the nuts are often tightened too much (for fear of losing a wheel during driving sessions), so unscrewing them often becomes a nuisance. All this "effort" can be reduced to the effort made using a screwdriver that, in less than 5 seconds, screws and unscrews a nut from its stud.
Having established that a screwdriver is an almost indispensable tool for those who practice this sport, you need to understand which one to choose among the various models on the market. Our advice is not to consider those from 10-20 Euros that are located near the check-out counters of the most common DIY stores (due to low power and very minimal battery life). So let's try to take a cue from what professional kart teams use, those who attend the most prestigious international races (FIA Karting and WSK). We took a trip under the tents of 12 top teams (Birel Art Racing, CRG Racing Team, DPK Racing, Energy Corse, IPK Official Racing Team, KR Motorsport, Koski Motorsport, Leclerc by Lennox Racing, Parolin Motorsport, Sodikart, Tony Kart Racing Team, Ward Racing) during the last round of the 2022 OK/OKJ FIA Karting European Championship and we found out about the most popular screwdriver brands and models. In more than 95% of cases, the choice falls on the impact drivers, while only a small part choose the common screwdriver drills. The preferred price range is around 150 Euros (for impact drivers which include, in addition to the tool, their cases and battery), but there are some who prefer to spend less. Let's find out why.