Did my first year of karting in 2010 in Easykart and loved it. Hopefully, with my obvious rookie mistakes out of the way and a small increase in driving talent, I'm looking to get a bit more serious this year - which includes making sure my kart runs as smoothly as possible.
I generally keep the kart in very good condition, but want to take the general maintenance to the next level.
One thing I've noticed is that, with chain attached and sitting on the trolley, if i spin the rear axel it doesn't tend to keep on spinning as long as some others that I pit with. Some of them will carry on forever, whereas mine will stop turning after about 10 seconds or so.
Clearly there's some mechanical drag there, which can only serve to slow me down. What are the variables that could cause this and what's the most effective way of reducing mechanical drag in this area?
The sprockets are aligned and the chain is adequately lubed and tensioned.
What's the best way of cleaning the bearings and how often should you change them? What's the best way to tell if your axel is bent?
I've not got as far as dismantling the bearings before - do you need special tools or presses for them?
Any help greatly appreciated. Cheers.
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