Opinion on front brakes

[JIM SILVERHEELS]

Is there a significant advantage using a kart with front brakes please? thanks
_________________
Don't get stuck in someone else's discarded chewing gum with your thought process.

[Paul Makarucha]

Short answer is no. In anything less than a shifterkart they simply scrub off too much speed too quickly. Because they are so capable you either enter the corner too slow, or you enter with the chassis binding up because the front brakes are fighting the chassis trying to work during turning the kart into the corner.

I have a friend that does decent with them on for TAG because he dials pretty much all the front brake out of the system. They only drag when fully on the brakes, as soon as he's diving into the corner, even if he's trail braking a bit the fronts will be 'off', allowing the chassis to work.

That said... I can out brake him with only rear brakes into every corner...
_________________
CKR/KZ
CRG/ICA
http://WWW.ACTIONKARTRACING.COM/
http://neshifterkartseries.com/
http://Jaymotorsports.com
Do you have any special rituals when the helmet is concerned like many have? - "I wipe it so that I can see better." - Kimi

[Adi RocK]

[Justin Martin]

I personally believe it improves your cornering speed to only drive with rear brake. In technical sections I smoke shifters with my rotax. They get me back on the straights usually.

[Jim White]

My experience road racing with a 100cc Yamaha kart:
I was always very good under braking with rear only. When I added fronts I found that I could brake harder and the kart wouldn't get as "tail happy" at the limit as with rear only. After a few races though I realized that the little bit of "tail happy" that I lost was keeping me from getting the kart to rotate as I turned in. "Chassis bind" as someone else said earlier could be the reason but I really didn't think that deep about it at the time. I took them off and the kart was just as fast as it always had been and it felt better driving it at the limit brake wise.
Now on my 100cc ICA Reedjet powered kart the added speed into the corners made me rely much more on the front brakes. That kart was very narrow and much more of a "point and squirt" so to speak than the Yamaha which relied on keeping up momentum. I don't think I'd run it without the fronts.
I think the answer you are looking for depends on your kart/engine combo, what type of racing you do and most importantly your style of driving.

[Justin Martin]

Very true. I know in Rotax it benefits to keep the RPMs up and the rear end a bit loose. I also agree with chassis binding.

[Oscar Aguilera]

all modern vehicles have front brakes...and a motorcycle is lost without them...there is a clear advantage in braking with full 4 wheel brakes....however

if the car or kart you are driving has very little acceleration...not enough motor...you will have to use the brakes as little as possible. so with less braking required the front brakes work.....too good for the amount of braking needed to slow the car or kart down.

drivers tend to abuse the brakes by using them too much...

but remember when all things are even....the only two places a driver can out perform another is his ability to stop and his ability to accelerate...as quoted from my memory of aryton sennas driving principles book. you ability to slow the kart down as little as possible is always the goal whether you have front brakes on not. braking later than someone else has to compliment accelerating out of the corner better than the other guy.

so imo the hp of the motor dictates the necessity of front brakes...until you get to a 125 shifter with the added weight,,, i dont believe front brakes are needed to cut the best lap time. on some tracks it may be an advantage for one or two particular corners, but then you have to look at overall advantage with lap times. or an ability to pass while racing.

new castle comes to mind with the long straight. front brakes should help if the driver can minimize braking on the other corners. or has the presence to back them off with the adjustment knob and then roll more front brake down the straight, but that is alot to ask from a driver. i have never done that but it could be done.

just my opinion

[Cesar Rull]

Are the brakes 50/50 on shifter karts usually?

.. I forgot to subscribe.

[Oscar Aguilera]

if your brake system is in perfect working condition with good fresh new fluid...i turn the dial to put a little more front brake.

i will hold the pedal down till the fronts lock up and with the same brake pressure i will turn the knob adjuster till the rears can barely be turned with alot of force.

but when pads wear,,,fluid is old you might have to adjust accordingly. you have to get a feel for what the brakes are doing on the track and adjust from there.

you can adjust to the point that the rears barely lock up and then turn the knob anywhere from 1-3 complete turns to the front bias depending on how sensitive you like your brakes. because with too much front brake the kart will get twitchy and possibly pull to one side with very slight steering input or if you start trying to turn and are still on the brakes.

if the track has a bumpy surface in the brake area,,,you will notice it more.

it is harder to tell if you have too much front brake than too much rear...so on the track i might put too much rear and tune from there.

just my opinion

[Brent Harper]

We do pretty well with them.
_________________
SWISS HUTLESS SWISS I/CMC ROTAX

[John Savage]

Front brakes are faster BUT they really add to the cost of a kart which in today's hard times is already too expensive for a lot of karters, if the governing bodies exclude them then we all benefit and no one loses out
_________________
Dellorto, Mikuni and Keihin Jetting & Kart Set-up Software

www.rotaxjetting.com www.kartsetupsoftware.com