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Post by bob556 on Sept 7, 2014 18:16:04 GMT -5
Morning all,,,
Most recently (This weekend) had a hydraulic failure in a CIK X3 Rotax Light..(Nationals)
Quite simply the bolts that hold the two callipers together became loose, I am assuming due to vibration over time and when the pedal was pushed the fluid came out between the two halves, no brakes, big collision,, Kart Bent, frame beyond repair so parts guys get ready...
The system had never been pulled apart as the Kart was new... and we had had 2 days of practice without any issues. Between sessions I have a large list of checks that I conduct as a matter of experience and advice .. Unfortunately I did not check these bolts between heats sessions as I had never seen this before or ever thought to check before... It is now added to the list.
Post incident I examined the callipers and saw that you can safety wire these bolts which would probably alleviate this issue,, Maybe as a suggestion the factory should wire as the kart is delivered 90% assembled..
So no problems there really but being a father and seeing this happen I want to replace the callipers with 4 spot independently fed Hydraulic lines with either dual Master Cylinder or a split single Master..
I did some walk around in the pits and noticed there is a Dent Brake system with independent hydraulic lines from a single master cylinder which looks very similar.
Any advice about what is available?... I Notice the old BMX had this system as per the parts site at DPE.
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Post by bob556 on Sept 7, 2014 22:32:22 GMT -5
Further investigation with my Son was that he removed the safety wires that were installed at delivery when he cleaned it down after his first run in the Kart.. Unfortunately he did not replace them,, not for a lack of tools or skill or whatever.. So this problem can only occur or has the potential to occur if the safety wires are NOT replaced after a strip down and clean,,,,
Maybe it is just me but for those that read this keep it in your mind every time you remove the Calliper to replace those safety wires...
Unfortunately a 2 cent cost and 5 minutes of extra effort has an outcome of a new Kart as the parts required to repair the damage almost equals the cost of the new Kart.. Yes it was extensive damage.. After I put the man hours into the rebuild, it is actually cheaper to buy a new chassis complete.
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Post by rprovan on Sept 9, 2014 4:14:17 GMT -5
Hi, Bob, you've answered one of your own questions there by the looks of it. All karts have the brake bolts wired from factory.
the other brakes you've seen around the pits are the four-spot non-self adjusting brakes. These were standard on CIK arrows prior to the X3 model which now comes with self-adjusting brakes.
when your new chassis arrives, you can specify to have the older style brakes which come with a seperate line for each side of the caliper.
you should also note that when driving any new kart, due to the severe vibrations and bedding-in of all the components, many things have the possibility of coming loose. you should check virually every nut and bolt on the kart after each session for the first several drives to ensure it all remains tight. specifially i would pay attention to seat bolts, stub axles, brake components, rear axle bolts. others such as crash bar bolts are not as critical as the nylock prevent them from falling off, and being a bit loose on those is not likely to cause danger.
I would recommend staying with the self adjusting brake caliper, they are a very reliable and high quality unit to use, they also provide excellent usability as pedal feel always remains the same. just be sure to check those bolts near the start, and routinely through your racing.
best of luck with the new chassis.
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