Alignment Keeps screwing up

[Bighomedog11]

Hey for some reason when i align my wheels and ride around for a little. My wheels will be unaligned again. I tighten down all the bolts good. But the alignment keeps screwing up when i go for a ride.
Why is this?

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

2 possibilities

1. Things are rattling loose, double nut or use loctite.
2. Your kingpins, wheel bearings, or steering linkage is severely worn and all that play is causing problems.

 

[Bighomedog11]

It is probably number 2. Because i did get the kart is bad condition. Had to buy a new motor for it and install a whole new brake assembly.

I am wondering how much would a whole new steering assembly cost?


So basically i just need ot make sure everything is tight and locktite down.. Because i think it might happen when i go off-road that might also make it come unaligned

 

[r97]

pics of your kart would help determine cost of steering components

 

[Bighomedog11]

Not the best pixs. But here is a picture i took when i first got it.. The rod that is bent.. It is straight now. I straighten that rod out.

 

[r97]

you could prob replace every thing (except steering shaft) for about 50 bucks

 

[Bighomedog11]

you could prob replace every thing (except steering shaft) for about 50 bucks

Really. Where a good place to start looking for parts? Also do the parts look bad? And what kind of kart would you say that is?

 

[r97]

im not so good at guessing karts, but maybe a manco? it may have special parts,but there prob standard, check the measurements before you buy anything! bmi karts is a good place for parts

 

[Bighomedog11]

Yeah i am. I will check out bmi karts. Are they cheap? I might also check out ebay..
I think it might be a manco also. But not sure, like i said i got the karts in bad condition and i am basically fixing it as a project

 

[T-man]

It might just be the picture angle, but it looks like in the second pic., looking at the drivers side wheel , it looks like that has neg. caster.

 

[r97]

bmi is the cheapest largest selection place in town, i just made a huge order from them today. by the way my guess for just about every kart is "manco" lol

 

[r97]

make sure the problem is worn parts before you buy stuff!

 

[Bighomedog11]

It might just be the picture angle, but it looks like in the second pic., looking at the drivers side wheel , it looks like that has neg. caster.

What do you mean by that? (Got to put in noobie terms)LOL
But yah i am going to check all the bolts and make sure they are real tight before i buy new parts for it.

 

[r97]

i'm not completely sure which (i haven't designed a steering setup yet) but the front axle "u" brackets might be at an angle, i'm not sure though, (not much experience with steering)

 

[Bighomedog11]

I think it might be my bearings. The reason why i say this is because my front wheel, I can move it side to side. Like when i have the front wheel in the air the front wheel will wobble.

Does that mean the bearings are bad or what? It still rolls good though just can move it side to side.

 

[anderkart]

Yeah if your front wheel is wobbling or there's any excessively loose steering components there's no way to accurately set the toe.

Once you get that fixed spin each front tire (while raised up off the ground) and hold a crayon or tire chalk up to the center of the tread to scribe an accurate line all the way around the tire. Now you'll have a good reference point to use a tape measure in-between your 2 tires far forward and far back points to correctly set your toe.

One more very important thing is make sure you (or someone close to your weight) is sitting in the kart when you set the toe. This will compensate for frame flex/loose components and make for a way more accurate alignment.

 

[Bighomedog11]

Alright, So basically my bearings might be bad sense the wheel is wobbly?

 

[T-man]

bighomedog, never mind what I posted earlyer, I dont think the company would have don that. BUT I have been thinking about your problem and the only thing that I can think of is that the threads that are on the tie rods have been striped. The tie rod that was bent looks that way probably because of a collision with something check those threads first, threads on the rod AND the threads IN the heim loint ( connection swivel thingy ) thats at the ends of the rod...that might be the problem.

 

[Bighomedog11]

bighomedog, never mind what I posted earlyer, I dont think the company would have don that. BUT I have been thinking about your problem and the only thing that I can think of is that the threads that are on the tie rods have been striped. The tie rod that was bent looks that way probably because of a collision with something check those threads first, threads on the rod AND the threads IN the heim loint ( connection swivel thingy ) thats at the ends of the rod...that might be the problem.

yeah there was one end that was stripped and i thought i fixed it. But i that could also be my problem. I might need to get a new tie rod because it was striped but it seems fine now. But idk because it could be my problem when i go in the dirt it comes also not sure.