Installation
instructions are for the following sprint karts used primarily for road course
racing not oval racing :
FreeRoller, WideTrack, WideTrack LE
& FX1. These instructions should be used as a guide to help with
the set-up of your new COYOTE
Racing
Chassis.
To
install your seat in your new kart, bolt the lower seat mount kit to the kart
with the sliding seat mount flat tab facing the rear of the kart. Do
not tighten, just snug to allow for final adjustment
at end of installation. Next install both rear seat struts with flat
side of strut toward the center of the kart on both sides.
The seat location is determined by locating the engine side seat
strut first. Set strut from the outside edge of engine side frame rail to the
edge of seat strut at 7 1/2” - 7 3/4”. This dimension will allow all Briggs
engines to be run with an inboard clutch and clear the frame at the rear of
mount area. We also recommend using our 2 piece angle motor mount with the flat
plate containing studs as this is the best possible arrangement for the clutch
clearance and engine stability while operating. Lightly snug strut on tube at 7
1/2” - 7 3/4”. Install the other strut between the brake lines. The size of
the seat will determine how far to the left the strut will go. Small
and Rookie Seats the strut will be just to the inside of the inside
brake line. Medium seats the strut
will be in the center of both brake lines. Large
& XLarge Seats the strut will be as far to the left as possible.
Sometimes it will be necessary to bend the left side strut more to the outside
off the kart to get enough clearance on the engine. It is not unusual to bend the seat strut to be directly above
the main frame rail or even farther on
the brake side. Simply tighten the strut to the frame as indicated and use a bar
to bend. We use a piece of 1 1/4”
square tubing about
3 ft. long, slide over the strut as low as possible and bend as needed to
make clearance for the larger seats or you can purchase one of our pre-bent
struts designed for this purpose. Medium & small seats will not require
this. On some of our different designs the tube the strut attaches to is on a
slight angle. Some are forward, some are back and because of this you may need
to twist the area of the strut where the bolt goes though. To do this use a
10” crescent wrench and the 1 1/4” bar to adjust as needed. We do not
recommend using bolt together struts as we feel these are not rigid enough
especially with the larger size
seats and today’s tires.
We also make a 90 degree seat strut which can be used on the brake side
frame rail to attach to the seat if the normal one behind the seat won’t work.
The strut is 8” long. Some of the XXLG seats need this type. In order to get
enough engine room the seat must be way over. If you use the 90 degree seat
strut on the frame rail it is suggested to buy a pair of seat braces which bolt
to the top of the cassettes on both sides and then bolt to the top of the seat
for extra support. A 200 lb. driver should use these braces for extra stability
to make the seat assembly more rigid which seems to not let the kart stick to
the track as much. You will have to custom bend these to your kart and seat. We
send these out cut to the correct length with a hole in each end. You will need
hardware to attach them to the kart as well as the seat. When installing the
seat remember to keep as close to the ground as practical. We recommend 5/8”-
3/4” at the max from the floor. Recline as much as possible especially adults
over 160 lbs. Set back of the seat 14”-14 1/2” from the ground. Do not
adjust above 14 1/2” (very important).
You will most likely need to cut a slot in the seat where it hits the frame on
the left side in order to get the seat under the frame. This is well worth the
effort as the lower the center of gravity, the better!! A high center of gravity
makes the kart much too unstable and in general creates very poor handling
characteristics and will also tend to grip to the track too much.
After a slot is cut in seat,
place a spacer for the seat back height gauge. Set max height at 14 1/2” from
floor. Start by drilling the lower left hand bolt first. Be sure the engine is
in place with clutch, pipe etc. This is for 2
or 4 cycle. All cutting to fit should be done before you drill anything.
The sliding seat mount can be tipped or slid to properly line up on the seat.
Extend the slider back till it touches the seat where you want the seat to be
placed, drill this hole. If needed, you can bend the tab on sliding seat mount
but that is not usually necessary. If you are using a flat tab seat mount it
will need to be twisted as required in order to match up to seat. Once you are
sure the seat is far enough left to properly attach to the engine side seat
strut and low enough to be on top of spacer on the floor and that the seat back
is at 14” plus, drill lower left hole on slider first. Install the bolt
supplied with grommet and snug in place lightly. Next drill the seat strut on
the engine side. Be certain to level seat on top with a torpedo level to make
seat look level after installation. Before
drilling strut be sure strut is in the proper location to allow as much
clearance for engine as you need. Be certain that the seat back height is in the
proper place for the size seat that you are installing. Drill and install the
bolt with grommet supplied and lightly snug. Next drill the strut on brake side
and install mounting hdwr supplied. Before drilling brake side hole level the
top of the seat with a torpedo level. The seat back height has already been
determined by the engine side strut. Finally drill the RH lower slider bolt in
place. Be certain it is tipped to line up on seat good. Bend if necessary. Now
tighten the seat in place, including strut clamps and slider clamps. Be certain
when attached, the struts are vertical or lean forward a little as we find the
struts last longer if they are. Some seat struts, if not vertical, you should
install braces for best results. Be sure the seat you are installing is going to
be correct as follows:
Medium
& Large - 14” min from the floor
Small
Seats -
12” min from the floor
Rookie
Seats
- 10” min from the floor
These dimensions for the seat
back heights are set by WKA in their rule book in the chassis section along with
nose cone dimensions and fairing size. Normally with medium or larger seats you
should set the seat in the kart approx. 25
1/2” - 26” from the outside of the front axle (front frame decal) to the
crotch or front edge of the seat. This should get you close to the recommended
front percentage.
We do not recommend using
bathroom scales to weigh your new kart. These scales are much too low
quality and they compress way too much to remain level when using. The
electronic scales are without a doubt the best combination. However, they must
be absolutely perfectly level. If they are level the results are very good and
also very repeatable.
How to figure the Front End Ratio is
done in the following way: Take all 4 corner totals and multiply times the ratio
you want. This will give you the
combined weight of both front tires. Then divide in half for each front tire.
Example: 350 lbs. total weight times a ratio of .42% = 147 lbs. for
both front tires. Divided by 2 = 74 lbs. for each tire.
If your front tires are off more
than 5 lbs. side to side (rear 10 lbs.) you should adjust the weights by
twisting the kart not by adjusting
the spindles. When you adjust the spindle you are wedging the kart which makes
it turn much more aggressive one direction & retards the steering the other.
It can make karts actually hop in some instances. The front angles have no
impact on the static weight so adjusting those will not change wheel weights
unless you turn the steering wheel, which is exactly what happens on the track
when different angles are used on either side.
Front End Castor Adjuster Set-Up does
not change your toe in or toe out when adjusted. The castor adjustment was added
as an option to offer more adjustment to the overall effectiveness of the
chassis. The concept is quite basic: more castor equals more weight transfer and
less castor equals less weight transfer. From the factory the kart is set at 12
degrees. We recommend this setting as an initial starting point. When the line
on the frame and the line with dot in the center (located on the yoke) are lined
up, your castor is set at 12 degrees. Each line forward or back represents 2
degree of angle change. Moving or rolling the entire yoke towards the back of
the kart is more castor. Moving or rolling the entire yoke towards the front is
less castor. To adjust, simply loosen 4 nuts on the yoke and move whichever
direction you prefer, then re-tighten. We recommend adjusting at least 2 degrees
at a time until the driver is use to the effects of each adjustment. After a
general idea is achieved by the driver and mechanic smaller adjustments can be
used for a greater fine tuning. Remember that both sides do not always have to
be set the same. It is not unusual to increase one side and not the other. Example:
Say the kart is loose turning left but not to the right. You would
increase the left side angle and leave the right side alone. This will tighten
up the chassis turning left but not turning to the right. Normally a kart setup
to run 4 cycle will run a castor angle of 12 degree or less and a 2 cycle kart
will run a 12 degree or more. Of course this is directly related to track and
weather conditions so use your own discretion for proper adjustment. Do not be
timid with adjustment; if you are not happy with an adjustment simply put it
back at 12 degrees to start from scratch.
Our 3 bearing rear end karts which have 2 bearings on the engine side
(W/T LE) are close on sprocket clearance at the rear of frame. The motor mounts
we mfg. ourselves fit fine but to get a little additional room on the Briggs
engines you can put a blade spacer on the crank
before you install the clutch assembly which will space in on the
frame and in turn move the rear gear more to the inside. Then install some 3/8
AN washers in end of clutch to make
up for the amount the clutch hangs off the end of the crank. This will have
absolutely no effect on the function of the clutch.
1) After each race, check
all bolts and nuts for tightness in the steering
assembly especially check the spindle bolts.
2)
Make certain that the nut on the spindle where the hub attaches is snug.
3) If you are using
Dunlop/Bridgestone tires start your tire pressure in the front at 14-20 lbs. and
rears at 18-22 lbs. Rule of thumb on tire
pressures: to make the tire grip more you raise the pressure, to make
the tire grip less you lower the pressure.
4)
Set your rear hubs on the axle at 5 1/2”- 6” minimum (measure from
the side of the frame tower to the flange on the wheel hub where the wheel bolts
too). With the tire technology we have now the rear tracks are run much wider
than in the past. Adjusting the rear track will have an effect on the front
steering as well as the rear of the kart. When the rear of the kart is widened
it will make the back of the kart looser and let the front steer better. The
adjustments should be made to suit your personal preferences from side to side.
5)
Adjustment in and out on the front has very little effect on making the
tires grip more. It does however have a significant effect on the reaction speed
of the steering which can change the feel and grip on both the front and the
back. The rule of thumb on steering is: narrower
steers faster and wider steers slower. Once again there is no reason why you can
not space them differently on either side to get the desired steering response.
We currently use steering shafts which increase the rate of speed which one
wheel has to the other. This is called Ackerman Steering. This system also reduces the effort to turn
the wheel. The steering is much faster and easier. Some kids find these too
sensitive and make the kart very jerky. Others experience no problem at all.
6) If it is necessary to
add weight to the kart putting lead shot in the frame will add about 18 lbs.
This will be the easiest way to increase the overall weight front to back. If
more weight is needed bolt it to the seat or in the center of kart on the
steering posts. Be certain you take into account the weight you add to be sure
your ratio is correct. Sometimes it may also be necessary to put weight on the
front to maintain good steering
control.
7) Be sure to torque the
rear bumper bolts at all times to 150-200 inch lbs. You need to re-check the
bumper bolts continuously as the rubber in the frame will squish down a little
every race (very
important).
8)
Torsion bars work different for all drivers. You will need to experiment
at your track to see if you run better or worse when you use it. Torsion bars
are usually not installed when
karts are scaled as they are used more as a trackside tuning aid and not
permanent. If you wish to use the torsion bar all the time it is very likely the
flex at the rear of the kart will be reduced. It is impossible to say that it
will give you the same desired effect each time you run it. Trial & error is
the best way to tell.
The logic is that
the bar flat stiffens the frame the least and as you tip up it becomes stiffer
and makes the rear end less flexible. We find for some people that is good and
others it’s not. When weighing your kart is absolutely
imperative the
kart is exactly as you will race it.
9)
The optional front stabilizer bar that we have developed will fit all of
our karts. The kit includes 2 billet aluminum 2 pcs clamps w/hdwr and a 3/4”
steel tube to match frame bends. The clamps attach to the main frame rails and
to the tube on each side of the kart. We find this to be a very productive
method of fine tuning.
10)
Always check brake system for air. Re-bleed to get rid of air. The master
cylinder is equipped with 3 adjustments for pedal pressure. Top hole will give
you the most pressure, the middle is medium pressure and the bottom is least
pressure.
The front end ratio you choose will be determined by the type of
racing you will be doing. If you want to use a nose cone you will have to
install the seat much farther back than without it. There are some drivers who
have better results without noses especially with 2 cycle engines. The majority
of drivers use full noses in Briggs road course racing. There is one significant
difference on a kart which has a nose. The front end ratio is much higher and it
seems that the karts are not as adversely affected by higher front end ratios as
they are by higher rear end ratios. Also, with noses on the kart, the drivers
are at least 2” farther back in the seat opening. We believe that this
position of the driver is also affecting the overall handling of the kart.
Whether it is better or worse is dependent on the drivers themselves.
For a 2 cycle, having the nose does exactly the opposite. It will totally
overload the front tires and make them run way too hot. This creates real
handling problems and can make karts tip up on 2 tires which is definitely not
acceptable. The only nose that does not have this effect is the CIK style nose.
We recommend a front ratio on a 2 cycle kart at 40% and using a CIK style nose
is the only nose that will allow you to achieve this ratio.
Positioning of the full nose on the 4 cycle kart has a tremendous impact on the handling on the kart. We try to pull the noses back on the kart so the ratio on the front can be lower and also to not have as much of a fulcrum effect. There is some merit to this depending on the size of the driver. The smaller the driver, the more effect the nose will have on the ratio of the front tires. So think about where you will want to place your nose to get the desired results.
Briggs class front end ratios with a nose for the Rookie Class will be very high. Sometimes as high as 45%. This can be lowered a little by placing any extra weight you may need at the rear of the kart. If you are not able to put the added weight to the rear there is not much you can do except not use a nose. As the driver’s body weight increases the ratio on the front will normally decrease. The Junior Restricted w/575 plate, because of the class weight and drivers’ weight, you can get between 42%-44% without much trouble. The Briggs Senior Class front end ratios with a nose will give you the best results in the 41%-44% range. Where the nose is placed on the kart will not have as much impact on the handling of the kart because the drivers’ weight is much higher and will offset the nose better.
When mounting your nose on the kart we have had the best luck as far as how the kart handles and flexes by attaching it to the front bumper only and not the frame. Normally 4 positions are enough. You can use the front tabs where the number plate would go. Just make a bracket from tab and bend to attach to the nose. A good way for the sides is to use a 2 piece weight mount which has a 3/4” hole & an additional 5/16” hole. This can be put on vertical and as far back on the bumper to give good support. Attach a strap to it and bend up to the nose and attach. We normally install without rubber grommets between the bracket and the nose in all places. Mounting solid is a good idea. Attaching the rear nose mount to the rear front bumper bolt is not a good idea. If you would like you can use the 2 weight clamps on the front too. The only disadvantage is that you will not be able to bring the nose as far back on the kart as if you were to use the tabs. The bottom of the nose should be bolted to the 2 furthest forward floor pan tabs or the tabs on the front of the front axle if your kart has them. There is no need for more than that.
Please Remember - All the
testing we do on any of our products is done with the kart the way we ship it to
you. We always use steel axles with
the tires we have. The absolute best results
with our karts are with our axles - period! The
axle is a very good tuning aid. In
addition to our standard 1 ¼” chromemoly axle, we also have a 1 ¼” pocket
keyed axle that is the same weight but can significantly change the performance
of the kart. We also manufacture medium .120 wall and thin .190 wall chromemoly
axles to expand your optons. Rule of Thumb:
Titanium, Aluminum and Thin Wall Steel make the kart grip more
not less.
We can also supply 40mm axles instead of the 1 ¼”. The 40mm axle is
the ultimate in stiffness and is recommended for all 2 cycle applications.
4 cycle racing can use these on tracks that are very high grip. We also
have 40mm extended hubs which will help make the kart tighter. In 1 ¼” axle
we also have extended hubs to help stabilize an axle that is flexing too much.
Another worthwhile adjustment to reduce flex is to tighten the front
bumper and front nerf bolt without the grommets. You can also remove the
grommets from the side seat struts for less flex. The rear bumper may be used as
well.
Rule of thumb: Tight
= less flex; Loose = more flex.
Motor Mount Clamp
* WideTrack LE ONLY * The
W/T LE is equipped with a 2 piece aluminum clamp on the front of the motor mount
tube. The purpose of the clamp is to allow the flex of the frame to be adjusted.
With the clamp on the frame flex is less; with the clamp off the frame flex is
substantially more. With more flex you’ll get more transfer which
lets the rear of the kart grip better.**Note** If you feel you need a
more flexible kart you can also loosen the floor pan bolts.
Castor
Adjustment:
Castor is adjusted by rotating
the castor yoke forward or back. To
adjust the castor you must first loosen the four 5/16" bolts securing the
yoke. Do not remove the bolts; just
loosen them enough to move the yoke. Rotating
the yoke toward the back of the kart will add castor and rotating it forward
will decrease castor.
The castor yoke is considered
centered when the inspection line on the yoke lines up with the middle center
punched line on the chassis. The engine side castor is set to 12 when centered.
The brake side castor is set to 12 when centered.
Each line on the plate represents
a 2 degree change. Most of the time
you will not need to move the yolk more than two lines; a 4 degree change.
It is not uncommon to increase castor on one side and decrease castor on
the other side to get the kart to handle the way you want it to.
Adjusting castor will not affect toe as the yolks are welded
perfectly square to the rear axle.
Camber
Adjustment:
The kingpin bolt is installed
with the nut on top of the yoke. The camber adjustment plate is located below
the kingpin nut and washer. There
are 9 camber adjustment plates. The
stock plate has a “0” stamped on it and retains the factory camber setting
of approximately 1/2 + on both sides. We
include 0, 1, and 2 plates with the kart, which are stamped respectively. The other 6 plates are optional and include all quarter and
half degrees in between 0 and 2. They
are labeled as follows: .25, .5, .75, 1.25, 1.50, and 1.75.
Plates 1 through 2 will set the
camber either negative or positive, depending on how they are installed.
Negative tips the tire in at the top, and positive tips it out. The
amount you tip the spindle will be determined by the racing you will do. Sticky
tracks need more negative on the right and positive on the left. Loose tracks
will sometimes require a little positive on the right and straight or a little
negative on the left.
To adjust the camber remove the
3/8” nut and washer and take the stock plate off.
Be sure to hold onto the kingpin bolt during the plate change.
Install the 1 plate. Installing
the plate with the "1" to the outside of the kart will give you
negative camber. Installing the
plate with the "1" toward the inside of the kart will give you
positive camber. Installing the 2
plate is the same as the 1 plate; it just adds more change and so on with the
other plates.
There is only .005 of slop in the
bolt and camber plate, which is less than a 1/2 degree variance. Pulling up on
the end of the spindle bolt during assembly will take up this slop and if done
during each change, will add consistency to the adjustment. Adjusting camber will
not affect toe in due to the design of our camber adjustment system.
Good Luck & Race Safe
Thank you for purchasing a COYOTE