Bearing cassette tightness

Michael Pagano · Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 1:38 pm Post subject: Bearing cassette tightness

I have heard so many different things when it comes to how tight your cassettes should be on the bearings, how tight does the factory run them? Some people/teams run the pinch bolt out, some even super tight. I understand the chassis flexes with the axle but in the end do you want the entire axle flexing(loose) or just the outside loaded portion(tight). I am on otk equipment if it matters.

Ray Lovestead · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:22 am Post subject:

I just bought a new chassis and have a little bit of info. I say a 'little' because I'm pretty sure the chassis was put together by the shop that I bought it from (not from the manufacturer).

Basically the cassette screw was tightened and then backed out until the bearing could twist.

Too loose and you risk vibrating the bearing and wearing out the aluminum cassette inner surface. Too tight and the cassette isn't doing it's job of allowing the bearing to twist when needed (binding).

Ray
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Ken Schilling · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 1351

In my 10+ yrs of karting I've always tightened the two outboard cassette pinch bolts but completely removed the center cassette pinch bolt. This is for HPV, TaG & Spec Honda.
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Michael Pagano · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:10 pm Post subject:

So the real question is- did the factory design the bearing to flex in the cassete and include the pinch bolt just to tighten up any slop, or is the pinch there so the bearing is tight and doest move within the cassette. My new otk kart's cassetes are so tight from the start, even without the pinch bolt, I cant see it being meant to flex inside there.

However on an older crg style kart I have run it justttt past finger tight, and it was fast...

How tight, is "tight" when it comes to cassettes. I usually run, if i wanted them in theory to flex, 1/4 turn past finger tight. If not, just tighten until i can feel the bearing drag and back it out a tiny bit.