Kart’s height: 6 quizzes on their adjustments

Generally, when it comes to kart’s heights, the advice especially for amateur kart drivers, is to adjust both the front and rear axles according to precise guidelines provided by each chassis manufacturer. Modifying these parameters, in fact, shifts the center of gravity of our vehicle, a variable that plays a fundamental role on track performance and which, if not correctly done, may make driving the kart really complicated – and inefficient from a performance point of view. Sometimes, however, you will find yourself in a situation where changing the height of the kart is the only solution left to improve its behavior on the track. How? And with what consequences? To answer a number of doubts that may arise, we asked six questions on this topic to Lorenzo Abò, Marco Ardigò’s mechanic for many years and currently part of Sodikart Racing Team. Here are the questions:



1. RAISING THE KART BOTH AT THE FRONT AND REAR (AND THUS THE CENTER OF GRAVITY) IS ALWAYS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE

2. WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF GRIP, IT IS BEST TO HAVE THE KART AS LOW AS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE LOAD TRANSFERS

3. WHEN YOU LOWER THE KART AT THE REAR, THE STEERING BECOMES LIGHTER AND THE FRONT IS LESS PRECISE

4. THE HEIGHT OF THE DRIVER DOES NOT AFFECT THE CHOICE OF CHASSIS HEIGHTS

5. RAISING THE KART IN THE REAR REDUCES STABILITY WHEN BRAKING

6. THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES IN THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CHASSIS HEIGHTS BETWEEN SHIFTER KARTS AND DIRECT DRIVE KARTS