Too many assumptions based on guess work and listening to others!
E.g:-
* Rims - Harder rims provide more leverage, aluminium rims are harder than magnesium.
..... do you think the construction (shape and thickness) of all Aluminium rims is IDENTICAL to all Magnesium rims....? Manufacturers build the rims based on the strengths and stiffness of the material being used. Thus, they will construct a DIFFENTLY shaped rim if they are using a 'stiffer' material. Thus the PROPER answer (despite what you will have been told) is that SOME aluminium wheels will be stiffer than SOME magnesium wheels! You MIGHT be right when comparing IDENTICALLY manufactured Aly and Mag rims but you are LIKELY to be WRONG otherwise! Personally, I'd have said that Mag wheels were STIFFER if identical construction..... but what do I know????!
...... and......
* Seat stays - Seat stays will push down on the rear axle's outside bearing and lift the rear axle's inside bearing
Oh really....?
You are mounting your seat stays into a FLOPPY, loose piece if fibreglass that is 'stiffened' by a floppy body in the seat and you think that the height you place the seatstay make a DIFFERENCE....?????
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Trust NO-ONE!
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Test one or two of your ideas ON THEIR OWN!
1) Take your kart out 2) Send driver for a coffee 3) Move from normal to LOW caster angle 4) send out your driver WITHOUT telling him what you have changed!!!! This is E*S*S*E*N*T*I*A*L! 5) Ask him to report on the kart and take his lap times. 6) Send him for SECOND coffee! 7) Set caster to MAXIMUM 8) Send him out again WITHOUT telling him what you have changed 9) Ask him to report on changes!
Whatever you do.... DO NOT skip the 'coffee' stages. If you do, you driver will report EXACTLY what he has been TOLD he will 'feel'.... and it'll be RUBBISH!
Now...... if he cannot tell you that the handking has changed, drastcially..... then it's simple..... he is NOT quick enough yet to detect the changes! Without the SLIGHTEST doubt, any good driver will be able to detect THAT change.... if he can't, he simply needs MORE PRACTICE!!!! Thye FIRST thing he SHOULD notice is that the steering will have got HEAVIER!
ON the other hand..... it'll take a GREAT driver to tell you if you have stiffened the floor tray, bumpers et6c..
It'll take GOD as a driver to tell you if you changed to Mag wheels, seat stays, side pods (unless he hears them rattling......) etc.... Some changes..... if they occur AT ALL.... are SERIOUSLY subtle and (in may opinion) CANNOT be detected!
Some changes make HUGE differences, some don't. Don't get confused tgrying to compare a MICROSCOPIC change withn a DRASTIC change.
For me, the BIG changes are:-
Seat and weight forward/backward (C of G) Seat height and weight height (other C of G) Caster Camber Track Width (spacers/hubs)
The rest are just TOO esoteric at your stage!
Finally...... if he can repeat 5 laps in a row (normally) with A*L*L the lap times within 1/10th of each other..... then he's ready for stiffening the kart, etc. If he's within 0.5 secs, he's ready for seat height and weighting. If he's within 1 second.... he's ready to move the seat back and forward! Basically, the more ACCURATE he is with his lap times, the more SUBTLE you can be with the changes!
Do NOT believe what ***I*** tell you...... TEST it for yourself!!!! You WILL be shocked when you discover that you have been told a load of utter B*LLSH*T!
Ian
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