04-02-2020, 01:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-02-2020, 01:23 AM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 27
The next thing dad turned some focus to is the front wheel bearings. These are tapered rollers, more commonly referred to as a Timken bearing, since the company came up with this type design. His advice was to wash them clean and remove all grease.
I ask why they shouldnt be packed in grease like he showed me on a car. He explained that for this application grease is not needed. For one, the bearings are exposed. Another reason is they dont need to be installed like a car to last 20,000 miles. These also dont take anything near the same load as a car. So there is no real build up of heat either. Still the most important reason is the amount of drag from that grease.
These bearings had been packed with grease. I noticed that when the kart came apart. Mr Cates had put it together that way. Thats why I had repacked them. Dad again explained the most likely reason for this. The kart has been used as a loaner and for people to get their first time ride in. He had spent time to make sure it would last long term without a lot of maintenance. Maximum speed was not a priority, but being near bullet proof was more a consideration.
I began tearing everything apart and did as he suggested. As I assembled the wheel this time, simply put a couple drops of motor oil on each bearing. I tightened them down and started to install the cotter pin. He stopped me again. Then went on to explain the difference on adjustments here. Let me show you the right way, he says.
When you tighten these bearings properly, only use your fingers. When castle nut just stops, back off one notch until cotter pin hole lines up. Before installing it, try to move the wheel back and forth. If you can feel a very slight movement, then it is good. If it is slightly looser to get cotter pin to fit then go with that.
For this particular use it is perfect. Tightening the bearings this way is also acceptable for light duty trailers, but absolutely a no-no for front wheels on a car or truck.
After all of this reworking I was starting to get frustrated. Just wanted to get the kart together. It wasnt until those wheels were put back on and we spun them was I completely sold on the extra detail with work now done.
Both front wheels and rear axle now spin so smoothly. Its like you could walk away and come back ten minutes later. They would still be spinning. From now on I am going to fight impatience and try my best to see things thru the right way. Even if that means everything has to be torn apart a dozen times. I look over to see those front wheels are still just spinning and spinning. Wow!
Dad kept up with offering his help. Before I was not feeling so appreciative, but now realizing more and more the importance of details. He focuses on the front end. How to set the toe in. I had always thought you wanted these set toed in slightly. He explains how it affected the steering.
After some measuring and discussion on how the kart had driven last time, he recommended initially setting the toe at 1/16" out. If this makes the kart a little squirely, then try moving in to zero. If it doesnt act funny but will not steer in to the turn very well, might even adjust it out a little bit more.
Some more setup information I had not taken in to consideration. He made suggestions about using some small spacers on the rear axle step to adjust the tread width of wheels. You dont get much adjustment here, but if it is already close, you can fine tune it for the track conditions that day.
If the width is not close, then you can at least figure out if axle needs to be longer or shorter for optimum handling.
After an evenings worth of all these details, I realized that a log book would be of extreme value. Especially if setups change very much between different tracks and even from week to week. What started out as a great project at first just turned in to real work. But now things are really working.
The next thing dad turned some focus to is the front wheel bearings. These are tapered rollers, more commonly referred to as a Timken bearing, since the company came up with this type design. His advice was to wash them clean and remove all grease.
I ask why they shouldnt be packed in grease like he showed me on a car. He explained that for this application grease is not needed. For one, the bearings are exposed. Another reason is they dont need to be installed like a car to last 20,000 miles. These also dont take anything near the same load as a car. So there is no real build up of heat either. Still the most important reason is the amount of drag from that grease.
These bearings had been packed with grease. I noticed that when the kart came apart. Mr Cates had put it together that way. Thats why I had repacked them. Dad again explained the most likely reason for this. The kart has been used as a loaner and for people to get their first time ride in. He had spent time to make sure it would last long term without a lot of maintenance. Maximum speed was not a priority, but being near bullet proof was more a consideration.
I began tearing everything apart and did as he suggested. As I assembled the wheel this time, simply put a couple drops of motor oil on each bearing. I tightened them down and started to install the cotter pin. He stopped me again. Then went on to explain the difference on adjustments here. Let me show you the right way, he says.
When you tighten these bearings properly, only use your fingers. When castle nut just stops, back off one notch until cotter pin hole lines up. Before installing it, try to move the wheel back and forth. If you can feel a very slight movement, then it is good. If it is slightly looser to get cotter pin to fit then go with that.
For this particular use it is perfect. Tightening the bearings this way is also acceptable for light duty trailers, but absolutely a no-no for front wheels on a car or truck.
After all of this reworking I was starting to get frustrated. Just wanted to get the kart together. It wasnt until those wheels were put back on and we spun them was I completely sold on the extra detail with work now done.
Both front wheels and rear axle now spin so smoothly. Its like you could walk away and come back ten minutes later. They would still be spinning. From now on I am going to fight impatience and try my best to see things thru the right way. Even if that means everything has to be torn apart a dozen times. I look over to see those front wheels are still just spinning and spinning. Wow!
Dad kept up with offering his help. Before I was not feeling so appreciative, but now realizing more and more the importance of details. He focuses on the front end. How to set the toe in. I had always thought you wanted these set toed in slightly. He explains how it affected the steering.
After some measuring and discussion on how the kart had driven last time, he recommended initially setting the toe at 1/16" out. If this makes the kart a little squirely, then try moving in to zero. If it doesnt act funny but will not steer in to the turn very well, might even adjust it out a little bit more.
Some more setup information I had not taken in to consideration. He made suggestions about using some small spacers on the rear axle step to adjust the tread width of wheels. You dont get much adjustment here, but if it is already close, you can fine tune it for the track conditions that day.
If the width is not close, then you can at least figure out if axle needs to be longer or shorter for optimum handling.
After an evenings worth of all these details, I realized that a log book would be of extreme value. Especially if setups change very much between different tracks and even from week to week. What started out as a great project at first just turned in to real work. But now things are really working.