Owner`s manual

FRONT END ALIGNMENT (cont)
2. ADJUSTABLE ACKERMAN
PROBLEM: “The kart lacks steering into and through the middle of a corner”
(i.e. I need to turn the wheel excessively to steer through the corner)
Solution: Increase the amount of Ackerman by moving the tie rods to the inner mounting
holes on the stub axles. See Note below!
PROBLEM: “The back slides/the kart oversteers from
the middle to the exit of turns (especially fast turns)”
Solution: Reduce the Ackerman setting by
moving the tie rods to the outer mounting holes
on the stub axles. See Note below!
PROBLEM: “There is too much steering or bite on
turn-in”
Solution: Reduce the Ackerman setting by
moving the tie rods to the outer mounting holes
on the stub axles. See Note below!
NOTE: You must check and reset the frond end alignment after any adjustment to the Ackerman.
Why?
Adjustable Ackerman on the Stub Axles’ Steering Arms and Steering Column
Arrow karts are supplied with stub axle steering arms that offer up to six settings as to where the tie
rods can be bolted. Moving the tie rods inwards or outwards alters the amount of Ackerman being run
on the kart, while mounting the tie rods to the forward holes, if available, will speed up the steering
action (ie. more steering lock for less steering wheel movement, making the steering more sensitive).
Firstly, let’s explain how Ackerman works. If you take a piece of string 30cm long, and fix one end to a
table, at the free end make a mark at the tip then a second mark 5cm further in, 25cm from where the
string is fixed. The first mark you made represents the outside front tyre of your kart, the second mark
being the inside front tyre and the fixed end on the string being the fulcrum of the arc the kart is going
through in a corner. Keeping it tight, when you move the string straight off you’ll notice that the inside
front tyre is going through a smaller diameter arc than the outside tyre. All things being equal, the inside
front tyre needs to be turned more into the corner than the outside front, the principle used to achieve
FRONT END ALIGNMENT 11
Forward
Back
Out
In