Lead shot in frame?

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    • February 22, 2014 at 8:09 am #22482
      Lucas Homan
      Participant

      Getting a cadet ready for Yamaha Junior sportsman/rookie and I’m going to have to add around 30-40 lbs of lead. Had a guy tell me they use to put lead shot in the chassis back in the 70’s and 80’s. The way he explained it, sounds like a great idea but I am skeptical. I realize the chassis are made different now, can anybody chime in on this? Good, bad, or indifferent.

    • February 22, 2014 at 8:17 am #22483
      Jim White
      Participant

      You are going to get a lot of responses both ways. Lots of people will tell you the chassis won’t flex. I can tell you that I have won many roadraces in the past with a shot filled chassis. On a full size kart it was worth about 12-14 lbs if I remember correctly. It’s not to difucult to try at the very least.

    • February 22, 2014 at 10:46 am #22501
      TJ Koyen
      Moderator

      We did it when we ran rookie but knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t. It might not be as big of a deal in a slower class or in road racing like Jim noted, but you’re going to alter the flex of the chassis a bit. And it’s also probably illegal some places because of the risk of getting a leak and having lead shot spill out onto the track.

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    • February 22, 2014 at 3:02 pm #22518
      tony zambos
      Participant

      Used shot in my son’s kart when he was a novice.  Wouldn’t do it today.  Beside the fact that it might alter the way the chassis flexes, consider what woulld happen if you lost your rear bumper and dumped little round balls on the track.

       

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    • February 22, 2014 at 5:25 pm #22529
      Troy V Smith
      Participant

      I have used it before, but can’t say definitively how the chassis reacted to it.  It was in fact worth 14lbs, but as everyone states – a really bad day for everyone if your bumper falls off.  If you use the option, pour some hot wax in the ends after your shot.  Easy to get out, but holds in the shot if the bumper gets lost.

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    • February 24, 2014 at 1:59 pm #22652
      Lucas Homan
      Participant

      Thanks for the input guys. I’m voting against it. I was worried about the flex, never thought about the bumper coming off and lead shot being all over the track. Yea, really bad day for everybody!

    • April 7, 2014 at 12:43 pm #25215
      Peter Zambos
      Participant

      Even if you did decide to go with it, there are many tracks and organizers that don’t allow it for the safety reasons.

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