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It will become essential that you have a good assortment

of tools to enable you to maintain the kart both at the track

and at home in-between races.

 

It is not necessary to have a complete mechanics workshop,

but just a few necessities with a minimum of expenditure.

 

Don't forget that you will probably want a tool box to put all

your tools in, so that your tools are always together, in the

same spot and each tool can be found quickly

when necessary.

 

 

These will be required for the engine mount (8mm) and sprocket, brakes, wheel hubs and wheels (5mm).

 

You will probably only need a small and medium screw driver to begin with.

 

Not essential, but a socket set could be very useful. You will need a socket set for maintenance of the engine. You will need metric.

 

An assortment of open ended spanners. ie: 10mm, 13mm, 17mm and a plug spanner.

 

This is one of those essential items. Tyre pressures are very important when adjusting the handling of the kart. Get one which has a pressure release valve and is of a quality that will ensure accuracy.

 

Another essential item. You must be able to adjust your tyre pressures and to do this, you will need a pump. However, most kart clubs will have air available.

 

You can work on your kart on the ground - but we don't recommend it. The kart stand will make life a great deal easier and in fact is almost a necessity, if you are going to work on your kart properly. Buy the kart stand with two wheels. This will enable you to move your kart around, especially at the track.

 

You could survive without one, but it's handy to have. Chain breakers available on the market today not only break the chain, but re-join. Handy to have when you have the wrong size chain and you don't want to buy another one.

 

This is necessary if you plan on doing a front end alignment. Also handy when re-arranging the back wheels.

 

Not compulsory for competitors to have, but it's a small price to pay for piece of mind.

 

Very useful items indeed! They are narrow strips of plastic, which can be wrapped around wire, fuel line, cables etc. Cable ties work better than electrical tape.

 

Some form of race tape, either duct, racing or electrical.

 

One of the major problems with karting, is changing the tyres. To change a tyre, you must first break the bead. (This is a section on itself really)  All done with the right tools, it appears very simple. Don't let this fool you - Its not. Breaking the bead on kart tyres is no easier than breaking the bead on the tyres on your family car. The bead breaker works by simply forcing the bead off the tyre down away from the rim. Still, once you have broken the bead, you will have to get the tyres off the rim and the new ones on. The amount of karters I have seen rolling around on the floor trying to get tyres either off the rim or back on. It's quite funny really. However, most karters will take a set of tyres down to their local kart shop and for a small fee, he will do it for you.

 

The best thing for carting all of this stuff around - is a very good trailer.

 

 

1. Sprockets - different circuits will require different gearing. It is quite often necessary to change the gear ratio, so that you can get peak performance at different tracks. It is easier to purchase each front or rear sprocket as you go to different tracks, rather than buying them all at the start of your career.

 

2. Chains - If you clean your chain after each meeting, then it should last a long time. However, even this type of maintenance will not stop a chain from eventually wearing out or stretching. It's nice to have a spare chain, just in case you break one. It is not a huge investment and it's horrible having a broken chain with no spare halfway through a meeting.

 

3. Oil, Chain Lube & Spark Plugs - Always a must to have.