Go Kart Frames - Choosing the Right One for You

Karting enthusiasts emblazon the image of the perfect chassis in
their minds: lightweight, yet powerfully durable material
capable of launching a kart forward without the slightest wear or
tear. Rare material that comes with the likes of professionally
built popular race-cars like the illustrious McLaren. What about
karts that could rip through side turns at speeding bullet
speeds without raising a wheel a centimeter above the ground,
gliding swiftly like a falco such as the futuristic cars in I,
Robot? And along with perfect frames comes perfect tires, tires
"grooven" to perfection providing the finest traction and
downright freakish controls when running the curve.

Let's discuss the intricacies and place a perspective on frames
for your go-kart. The chassis as it is called in professional
and enthusiast circles, is by far the most important piece of
this machine. The construction is paramount in maintaining a
solid go-kart. What constitutes a frame? Think of a frame simply
as parts holding a component together. In the case of these
speedsters, the frame is welded together by torsion bars. Stiff
frames are a result of shorter bars crossed together, and more
flexible frames are associated with longer bars.

Stiff frames that do not provide flexibility were the backbone
of earlier go-karts and broke down easily. First off, simpler go- karts do not have the specifications needed (most important,
suspension and tire traction) to ease the punishment frames go
through while turning, accelerating, and stopping. Running on 2
or 4 cycle engines does not help compensate the health of a
frame. A lack of traction on your tires will cause uneven weight
transfer and stability on your frame, ripping one or both sides
loose at the same time. In essence, the frame is responsible for
determining how well your vehicle moves zipping on asphalt,
concrete, or dirt - dictating your performance on wide turns and
shorter turns.

A sturdy, well-built frame is the key to manoeuvring well on the
track, especially when turning. Wait, isn't a frame supposed to
be resistant to the rigors and demands of punishing your go-kart
as it explodes forward? Of course - but the most important
criteria for an excellent frame is to negotiate turns well.
Frames are directly responsible for how well go-karts turn left
and right. Weaker go-karts with cheap components are known to
slide and drift along turns - in some instances, flipping to its
side entirely with careless driving. "Side bite" is referred to
keeping a go-kart planted to the track without sliding. Without
the proper frame, go-karts will manoeuvre out of control, even
shutting off in some cases due to over pressure to the engine.

The design of the go-kart chassis has everything to do with how
well it moves on turns and maintaining side bite. If the width
of the rear rails (go-kart frames constitute front rails and rear
rails) is narrow, with measurements ranging from 24¨ to 25¨ -
from "kingpin" to "kingpin", the ends of the rail - it will have
less side bite. Wider rails barely ever exceed 30¨ on standard
go-karts. The dynamics of the front and rear rails can be
effectively pictured using this example: suppose you had two
bottles - a two-gallon jug and a 16 oz. Water bottle. Giving it
a swift, hard poke to its side - which container has the best
chance of tipping to its side? If you guessed the water bottle,
you guessed right! Wider rails provide stability and
"foundation" while turning, reducing the side bite overall.

Choosing the right frame for your go-kart can largely depend on
the surface you are riding on. Whether it is asphalt, concrete,
or dirt - different types of frames behave differently according
to surface. For example, dirt track frames should consist of a
short front rail and a longer back rail. Dirt tracks place a lot
of stress and challenge on the front rail and stiff back rails
zipping through dirt can cut power to the engine while cutting a
turn. The best frame for riding dirt tracks are ones with narrow
fronts and longer backs, vice versa to asphalt and concrete.

The A-1 performance of a frame largely depends on tire traction
as well. Low traction tires (tires that do not "stick" well to
the ground) are not grooved enough to withstand the rigors of
the surface, rattling the stiff frame to oblivion. It also causes
uneven weight transfer throughout the go-kart, and that is a no- no for maintaining optimum control of your money maker. Consider
this scenario: you have two pairs of roller skates. One has
wheels half-an-inch in width and the other has 3-inch-wide
wheels. Which pair would provide better balance as you roller
skate? If you love mathematics, treat traction as a formula with
the equation: traction = stability. Go ahead, transform yourself
into a karting aficionado with this valuable piece of knowledge!

A major issue among karting enthusiasts is the durability and
longevity of flexible frames. Exposure to punishing breaks and
turns, along with the gruelling hits to track walls every now
and then, can distort the frame which cannot be "popped" back to
its original condition. Experts recommend replacing frames every
year. There are many maintenance techniques you could practice
on your kart to keep flexibility intact like running your kart
through a course backwards. Racing a kart using the finish line
as your starting point and your starting point as the finish
line will have a "reverse effect" on the frame, shaping it
opposite of what it would be shaped if you were racing the
course normally. It's like turning back the hands of time on your
speedster!

The question over choosing the right go-kart chassis boils down
to flexibility. High traction tires and a stiff frame is a
recipe for disaster, causing your machine to turn stiffly and
generate strenuous effort on the curves. Low traction tires will
cause uneven weight transfer and break apart your frame like
bread crumbs. Options for frames mainly depend on what type of
go-kart you're riding, as each go-kart and their engine work best
under certain scenarios. Stiff frames are a staple of 2-cycle
and 4-cycle engines and flexible frames are found with higher
horsepower engines. Remember, the more rigorous the circuit, the
more flexible a chassis should be!

Michael Walker is a freelance author providing information about
a variety of go-kart topics including http://www.go-kart-kits. com , http://www.go-kart-kits.com/go-kart-frames.html and
http://www.go-kart-kits.com/go-cart-parts.html His articles prove
to be both a useful and entertaining resource of valuable
information for the karting enthusiast.