S55, the “all 30” chassis by TBKART
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Under Review | Mercury R – OK, the latest Kosmic development for the non-shifter categories
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The non-shifter version of the new Kosmic Kart Mercury R shares the main characteristics with the version for the gearbox categories, at the top is the KZ in which, on its debut, the chassis graduated as the World Champion.
Compared to the previous S version, KF World Champion in 2015, the OTK Group technicians have introduced several evolutions, developed in close synergy with the Kosmic Racing Department.
The Kosmic Mercury R 2019 presents interesting innovations in various areas of the chassis, while the frame design remains unchanged, linked to the homologation expiring in 2020. Completely new, for example, are the seat supports, manufactured with a small block welded to the frame on which a bracket which allows you to adjust the seat to the desired height is fastened. This system avoids having to directly bend the support plates of the chassis to adapt them to the seat, an operation which presented the potential breakage due to the repeated bending. The small blocks also offer benefits to the setup of the vehicle, eliminating the tension which is generated by the supports when fastening the seat.
These tension issues are detrimental to the neutral distribution of the weight. Additionally, the automated welding of the frame, a great point of strength in the OTK manufacturing, allows a perfectly identical chassis with error margins which are basically nonexistent.
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Getting back to the new improvements, in the Mercury R we find a floorplate which is raised by 7 mm compared to the S version. The modification, implemented to prevent the fastening bolts from touching the asphalt and wearing out, has also allowed us to align the fastening screws to the chassis pipe in their lower mounting point. The floor plate fastening supports have decreased in this section, so as to develop less heat to the chassis during the welding phase. In addition to the fastening and position, the floor plate presents an important change of shape. Its perimeter, now, copies that of the tubes of the front part of the chassis, up to the Cs, with the aim of closing any space and improving the aerodynamics by optimizing the air flow at higher speeds.
The new position of the floorplate has also made it necessary to revisit the inclination of the steering column support to make room for the raised tank. To conclude on the new improvements in the front chassis, it is worth noting the new M8 steering column nut, which replaces the previous M10 size and allows the use of a 13 mm wrench to loosen it, thus facilitating the disassembly operations quicker.
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