Front End Alignment

2/9/2016
Front End Alignment - Kartpedia
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Chassis Setup
Front End Alignment
------Getting Started
Front End Alignment
Carburetor
Written by Vic R
Chassis Setup
As with all racing vehicles, correct and accurately set front-end

geometry is vital to get the most out of any kart. Handling, grip, tyre wear
and even engine performance can be adversely affected by poor
settings caused by neglect and damaged or worn components.
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A kart chassis is quite different to a car chassis, and because of this,

so are the steering geometry settings required to make the kart work
properly. Karts share all of the same steering geometries as a car, but
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by comparison, a kart's settings are somewhat exaggerated. A kart's

combination of solid rear axle (no differential) and very short
wheelbase, in relation to a very wide track, presents particular
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problems for front-end geometry.
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If a kart were to have similar geometry settings to road or racing cars, it

would suffer from severe understeer at the moment of corner turn-in.
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This is because the combined grip of the rear tyres would simply push
the front wheels straight ahead. To overcome this problem, karts have
steering geometry designed to lower the inside front wheel and raise
the outside front wheel in relation to the chassis at corner turn-in (know
as jacking effect).
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This change of front wheel heights causes a weight transfer from the
inside rear wheel to the outside rear wheel and the inside front wheel.
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This mechanically lifts the inside rear wheel off, or nearly off the track
surface at the moment of turn-in. Once the kart is turned into the corner,
this mechanical weight transfer becomes less important and is largely
superseded by weight transfer due to cornering forces. Because of this
weight transfer to the inside front tyre, most of the initial turn in front grip
comes from this tyre. However, most of the mid corner and exit grip
comes from the outside front tyre.
Almost every steering geometry angle and setting is designed around

this need to unload weight from the inside rear tyre at turn-in. A kart that
does not do this enough, or does it too much, will not handle well. If it
does not lift the inside rear wheel enough, the front may tend to slide at
turn-in, then suddenly gain front grip and flick the rear end into a slide.
This can be one of the most difficult handling problems to drive with
and is often mistaken for a rear grip problem since the rear slide can
be the dominant sensation. If it lifts the inside rear too much, it can
make the kart twitchy and difficult to drive smoothly. Getting this initial
turn-in weight transfer just right is one of the most important factors in
tuning the chassis and is mostly a function of correct front-end set-up.
Although it is very important to drive karts smoothly, it is also very
possible to be too smooth when turning into a corner. If you turn the
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steering wheel too gently at turn-in, the kart may behave in a similar
manner as if it won't transfer weight from the inside rear wheel. But this
article is not about driving skills!
So let's have a look at what these various settings are and how they
work:
Toe is the degree to which the front wheels point toward or away
from each other. Front wheels pointing toward each other is toe-in
and toe-out is the opposite of toe-in. Toe-in makes a kart more
directionally stable, but can contribute to poor turn-in to corners.
Toe-out can cause the kart to be directionally unstable, but can
assist the kart turn-in to corners well. With toe-out, the inside front
wheel moves down in relation to the chassis more than it will with
zero toe or toe-in.
Toe either in or out, creates friction at the road contact patch of

the tyre. This friction generates heat in the tyres (contributing to
overheating in some conditions) and can lead to excessive wear.
This heat energy comes from engine power that is not being used
to accelerate the kart. Toe is adjusted by lengthening or shortening
the tie-rods.
Camber is the degree to which the front wheels lean toward or
away from each other, if the tops of the tyres are closer together
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than the bottom, then camber is negative and positive camber is

the opposite of negative camber. To maximise grip when
cornering, it is highly desirable to have as much of the two outside
tyre's rubber on the track as possible. Camber is the setting mostly
responsible for maintaining maximum rubber on the road in
corners.
Camber is adjusted by rotating the camber adjusters at the stub
axle mounting. If the king-pin bearings are housed in the stub axle,
caster and king-pin inclination (see below) will also change when
you adjust camber settings (karts with the king-pin bearings
housed in the chassis have no adjustment for caster or king-pin
inclination). Not all karts have adjustable camber, caster or kingpin inclination, but it is not usually difficult to fit adjusters if you
need them. Generally SL tyres should have zero camber and Open
CIK set at 0-2mm positive (wider at tope of tyre)
Caster angle is the rearward lean of the king-pins (the bolts that
the stub-axles pivot around). Caster angle is responsible for most
of the self-centring action of the steering and is an important factor
in lowering the inside front wheel and raising the outside front
wheel of the kart at corner turn-in. The greater the caster angle, the
greater the height changes of the front wheels.
Caster also causes change of camber when the steering is turned,
resulting in more negative camber on the outside front wheel and more
positive camber on the inside front wheel. Caster is adjusted using the
'camber' adjusters.
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King-pin inclination (KPI) is the inward lean of the king-pins (up,

towards the centreline of the kart). KPI causes some of the self centring
action of the steering. It also modifies the amount of camber change
caused by the caster angle when the steering is turned, lessening
negative camber gain on the outside front wheel and increasing
positive camber gain on the inside front wheel. It would be unusual to
deliberately alter KPI, but it can be adjusted using the 'camber'
adjusters.
Scrub radius (also called king-pin offset) is the distance from the
centre of the tyre at ground level to the point where a line drawn
through the king-pin axis intersects the ground. Scrub radius
works with the caster angle to alter front wheel heights in relation
to the chassis. The greater the scrub radius, the greater the front
wheel height change. Increasing scrub radius will also widen the
front track. This track increase effectively softens the front end of
the chassis, possibly increasing grip. Scrub radius is adjusted
using the track spacers on the stub axles.
Ackermann effect is caused by the relationship between the
position of the king-pins and the position of the outer tie-rod ends
(the inward angle of the steering arms) and by the use of two
separate inner tie-rod end mounting positions. Ackermann effect
causes the inside front wheel to turn substantially more than the
outside front wheel. Karts employ far more Ackermann effect than
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almost any other type of vehicle and it is used for somewhat

different purposes than on a car.
A car uses Ackermann geometry to minimise tyre scrub when the
vehicle is turning a corner. A kart (mostly) uses Ackermann effect (in
conjunction with caster angle and scrub radius), to maximise the inside
front wheel's downward movement as much as possible (by making it
turn more), in order to raise the inside rear wheel at turn-in (jacking
effect). Some karts have adjustable Ackermann, involving the use of
different length tie-rods, and mounting them in different holes on the
steering arms and/or steering column. Increasing Ackerman,
increases jacking effect which is beneficial on tracks with tight turns.
Look around the pits and you will probably see quite a few karts using
noticeably negative camber settings. Some of these karts will be this
way through neglect, but many will have been deliberately set-up this
way. Some kart racers see many full sized racing cars using
pronounced negative camber settings and conclude that if it works for
them, it should work for me too. Unfortunately the only problem with this
theory is that most racing car tyres use radial construction and have
very soft sidewalls, while kart tyres are made with cross-ply (or biasbelted) construction and have much stiffer sidewalls. A cross-ply racing
tyre doesn't work well at large camber settings for this reason.
Many racers will spend a lot of money having their engines blueprinted
and getting the latest new pipe for their kart, in the belief that the only
way to go any faster is to get more out of the motor. Yet many of these
racers are simply wasting some of the engine power they already have,
and every little bit counts!
Engine power can be unnecessarily wasted in three ways, brake pad
drag, friction in the wheel bearings, and incorrect wheel alignment.
These problems cause an increase in the rolling resistance of the kart,
which means more power is required to allow the kart to maximise it's
speed and acceleration. Since the engine doesn't magically gain power
because the kart has more rolling resistance, it goes just that bit
slower. If the increased rolling resistance is due to bad alignment, the
kart will probably handle poorly as well.
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Try thinking about it this way, if you're losing only % per lap to the kart
in front due to poor alignment (or any other reason) then in ten laps, on
a 700 metre track you will lose 35 metres. It doesn't even take a kart
length to lose a race!
So what is good alignment? A well aligned kart will have the toe and
camber settings at, or close to zero toe and camber. This will ensure
that the tyres are being used as they were designed, not slowing the
kart on the straights and also maintaining a wide patch of rubber on the
track in corners. It should also have enough scrub radius and caster to
adequately transfer weight from the inside rear tyre at turn in (a kart
should effectively be almost a three wheeled vehicle in corners).
Most karts, most of the time, will probably handle and accelerate better
with toe set to absolute zero. Sometimes slight toe-out will help turn-in
to corners, but rarely more than two millimetres (except in wet
conditions, when larger toe-out settings can be helpful). Setting camber
to zero will nearly always be the best starting point, and can be fine
tuned using tyre wear as a guide, or tyre temperatures across the tread.
A very general rule of thumb is; the less available grip, the more scrub
radius, caster and tyre pressure should be used. So how do I achieve
accurate alignment? There are several wheel alignment methods and
tools available for this purpose.
Methods not requiring special equipment:
The cheapest way (free!) and most commonly used to set toe, is
the old scribe a line around the tyre method. This involves (oddly
enough) scribing a line around the circumference of the tyre,
setting the steering straight ahead (or as straight as you can
guess), then measuring between the scribed lines at the front and
the back of the tyres with a tape measure. Any difference in these
measurements (in mm's) is the toe setting (more or less). The
downsides of this method are that it is not good for measuring
camber and can be somewhat time consuming and awkward. It
does not set the front wheels equally with the kart's centreline or
rear axle and the effect of Ackermann geometry can throw the
alignment off.
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Also free, and somewhat more accurate, is stringlining the kart.

This involves accurately arranging parallel stringlines along each
side of the kart and measuring in from the stringlines to the
appropriate points on the wheel rims. The downsides of this
method are that it requires careful preparation, a flat floor and lots
of patience. A distinct advantage of this method is the ability to
align the kart with the driver seated in it (dynamic alignment).
Dynamic alignment is definitely an advantage because the geometry
settings of most karts will significantly alter when the driver's weight is
placed in it. Some karts won't change toe at all with driver weight, but
most will suffer some amount of toe change, up to three millimetres is
not uncommon. This is equivalent to about 8 or 10mm of inaccuracy on
full sized car tyres. Just about every kart ever made will change camber
with driver weight, more so than toe change. Most karts will toe-in and
gain negative camber with driver weight. To achieve dynamic zero toe
and camber, most karts will need some amount of toe-out and positive
camber without the driver seated. The biggest downside of stringlining
is that it is almost impossible do at the track.
Special tools available:
The most commonly used, specifically designed tools are
alignment plates or bars. These products come as a pair and are
readily available at kart shops. They have tubes that fit over the
stub axles in place of the wheels and have bars or discs attached
to these tubes at 90-degree angles. Once in position, the
distances between the extremities of these bars or discs are
measured with a tape measure in a similar manner as for the
scribed tyre method. The downsides of these tools are that while
they are somewhat easier to use than the scribed line method,
they share many of the same disadvantages and also are not
designed to measure dynamic settings
Increasingly popular on the Australian market, are the 'Exac-Toe'
alignment plates. The 'Exac-Toe' is made by an American
company 'RLV' and offers the convenience of graduated scales
attached to pivoted plates from which both toe and camber
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settings can be read. These plates are clamped to the stub axles
using four bolts and are connected to each other by means of a
separate straight bar. It is this bar which provides the reference by
which the alignment is measured. Their operation is easy to
understand and settings can be measured and adjusted fairly
quickly. This tool sets both stub axles equally to the kart centreline
so Ackermann geometry cannot affect alignment. The downsides
of the 'Exac-Toe' are that it must be removed and replaced on the
kart between measuring toe and camber and it is not designed to
measure dynamic settings.
Sniper Laser Alignment System uses laser beams for easy and
quick alignment. They can be fitted and removed without having to
remove front wheels,
At the stratospheric top end of the market, is the 'Pro-K Laser
Toe Gauge'. This device is also produced by an American
company, 'Advanced Racing Technologies', and is designed to
measure toe only. It utilises a laser beam passed underneath the
chassis to a second unit that reflects the beam back to the first
unit. This is an extraordinary piece of gear, accurate to a claimed
2000th of a degree. This, I'm sure is accurate enough for anybody,
as you would expect from a company that makes larger versions of
this tool for measuring Indycars and a product costing in excess of
$1,200.00 (Australian $). The ability to measure toe to such a
degree of accuracy, does not mean that it is necessarily easy to
set the toe this accurately. This is because the toe setting will
slightly toe in when the tie rod end lock nuts are tightened. This
change must be allowed for, and is basically something of a
guess regardless of the means used to measure it (and will be
different from kart to kart). The "Pro-K Laser" is perfect for
measuring dynamic toe settings. A.R.T. also produce the 'Smart
Camber II", an electronic tool for measuring camber / caster
settings, and the "Rear Axle Alignment Fixture" for accurately
measuring wheelbase (used with a tape measure). The
downsides of the 'Pro-K' are cost, and it is not designed to
measure camber.
The newest product available is the Zero Toe Bar (ZTB) kart
alignment system from 'J.L. Racing Products'. This Australian
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made tool consists of two alignment faces which can be adjusted

closer together or further apart to suit the width of the kart. These
alignment faces are two rectangular flat plates, which are in perfect
alignment with each other and are placed against the stub axles to
measure settings. Any variations from zero toe or camber are
immediately obvious as tapered gaps between the alignment
faces and the stub axles. These gaps can be measured with feeler
gauges to adjust to any particular toe or camber setting required.
Optional to the ZTB, are the 'Dynamic Alignment Stands'. These
stands are used in conjunction with the ZTB to measure dynamic
toe and camber. They are placed under the stub axles in place of
the wheels and allow the chassis to flex with driver weight as if the
wheels were fitted. An assistant can then perform a dynamic
alignment. After the driver exits the kart, any change of settings due
to removal of driver weight can be easily measured with feeler
gauges and these measurements later used to re-set dynamic toe
and camber without needing assistance. It's operation is easy to
understand, and settings can be adjusted at least as quickly as
with any other tool. The only downside of the ZTB system is the
need to use feeler gauges to measure settings other than zero toe
or camber, however with a small amount of practice this is a
quickly and easily mastered skill. It is not necessary to remove the
ZTB from the kart between measuring toe and camber and as with
the 'Exac-Toe', Ackermann geometry cannot affect alignment. The
ZTB can be used to measure wheelbase in the same way as the
A.R.T. "Rear Axle Alignment Fixture". To avoid becoming inaccurate
through wear, the ZTB has no functionally moving components.
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