Karting brake systems

[speedy king]

With the growing technolegy and high speeds of Kart racing do you think we need better brakes? At the moment the regulations for non gear box karts in the UK are One single brake disk (small) is put on the rear axle and that one brake disk has the job of slowing the whole kart down. This rule in my opinion is fine for Cadets, Pro Karts, Junior TKM, TKM Intermidiate and mini Max but do you think from Junior Max onwards where the speeds get really high we need either bigger or more brake disks?

Post your opinions

[bart_jacobs]

they are fine the way they are, I havn't heard of break discs not being up to the job. and I certainly havn't expirienced problems with them, even in high speed karts.

[avsfan733]

Most of the karts that race through my club run front and rear. We race on a fullsize circuit though so it is more of an issue, all i know is that we hit around 100 on the long straight and hauling the thing down at the start with thrity other karts is a bit hairy and i really apreciate the front brakes

[philneast]

The limit of braking capacity on our Max powered kart is the grip of the tryes. New tyres give more grip and better braking.

The large ventilalted and drilled disk onour Arrow AX8 is more than up to the task, particularly on our home trak that has a lon downhill stait with hard braking requird at the end of it.

[superbird]

I'd like to be able to run front brakes but I don't think they are essential

[marcus]

I used to run a Clubman 100cc kart here in Australias fastest clubman class with just the single brake , I never had a drama with pulling the thing up , in fact I found the brakes way to touchy until i learned how to look after them properly and then i thought they were the greatest things on earth.

I'd say leave them alone unless speeds become way out of control and then its up to the governing bodies to slow the speeds down and not simply increase braking capacity.

[Webslinger]

I've tested and raced most types of kart in the UK, including different 125 and 250 shifter karts. The fixed drive karts are well served by just a single rear disc.

As mentioned earlier the limit of the braking effort is only as good as the grip from the tyres. I once raced a Prokart Honda twin with a Kelgate brake and to be honest it was massively over-braked. I tend to be late on the brakes anyway at the best of times and all the Kelgate did with the under-powered Honda was lock up the back wheels. Even gentle prods would leave me skating along the track surface...

I know of a number of drivers on the British Super 1 scene who now run Kelgate, including the Blue Riband Formula A class, and they are more than happy with the retardation from the single rear disc.

As for the gearbox karts, especially when I tested a 250 on a British long circuit, every time I hit the brakes, not only did the thing try to eject me forwards out of the seat, but my chin was forever bouncing off my chest! Admittedly the kart had a 'pot' on each corner, but the braking effort was quite phenomenal. Worth driving just to experience the brakes alone...

[avsfan733]

Webslinge, True your grip is the braking limiter but most of the grip while graking comes from the front tires. My kart runs a bias of nearly 80% front brakes

[Webslinger]

True, although the Prokart twin is rear-braked only. It was so, so easy to lock up the rear axle using the Kelgate system.

[avsfan733]

I can say from experience that into the fastest turn on our road course (we race at summit point 2.5mi), that the front brake guys can pass around three single brake karts in braking which comes at around 90 or so depending on the kart with some shifters hitting around 120 from what I have heard

[Webslinger]

Yeah, I can agree with that completely.

The Three Sisters track here in the UK in Lancashire is very quick. I tested a 250ICE for a kart magazine some years ago and every time I hit the brakes on that thing, my chin kept bouncing off my chest! It scrubbed speed so fast that if I had not experienced it, I would not have believed it!

The F1 driver Martin Brundle once said that when braking in a F1 car, tears from his eyes would 'splat' on the inside of his visor... And when speaking to the BAR F1 test driver, Anthony Davidson, who is over your way taking part in the Sebring 12-hour event today in a GTS Ferrari, he said hitting the brakes was like "having a minor road accident!"

I get the feeling that all shifters karts are like that, because when I then tested a 125 at Shenington (again in the UK), the brakes were so powerful, I did not have enough time to go from 6th to 2nd in the track space available! These karts are certainly quick enough to keep the mind busy.

[Madd_Dogg88]

On the theme of brakes, ne1 no wot seals i need to replace if my pads are stickin and not resettling properly? also, does ne1 no which Kelgate brake system '97 Bowman Pro-Karts r fitted with? Hope u can help......