Tech Talk: Safety tech....

by James Wonder

Hello again all! In an effort to speed safety technical inspection (also known as "safety tech") we have decided to post the following guidelines for preparing your kart for race readiness. Any questions, please ask! If you need help at the track we will be more than willing to help!

Safety retention devices are cotter pins, circlips, c-clips and correctly applied safety wire.

Safety Retention Devices required for steering system:
• Front axle bearing nuts.
• Kingpin bolts.
• Outer & inner tie rod end bolts.
• Steering shaft bottom end nut.
• Steering shaft to steering hub bolt.
• Steering block mounting bolt (if applicable).
• Steering wheel to steering hub bolts.
Note: Hub mounted wheel nuts front and rear are not required to be safety retained.

Safety Retention Devices required for Brake System and controls:
• Brake pedal attachment bolt.
• Brake control rod or cable ends (not jam nuts).
• Master cylinder mounting bolts.
• Caliper mounting bolts.
• Caliper half bolts.
• Brake pad attachments.
• Disc attachment bolts (all metal locking nuts or safety retention devices).
• Brake control rod or cable ends typically have clevises, which may have clip-on pins that should be tie-wrapped or safety wired to prevent the pins from being unclipped.
Note: A safety retention device is recommended on the throttle pedal attachment bolt.
Note: A brake safety cable is recommended.

Required bodywork:
• Nose cones on all karts, check WKA rules for required width.
• Side nerf bars with side panels or side pods.
• All karts are required to have rear bumpers.
• Kid karts require a full width rear bumper that protects the rear wheels.
• Cadet karts require rear bumpers that are as wide as the inside of the rear wheels.
• MiniMax karts require rear bumpers to the middle of the rear wheels.

Miscellaneous:
• No unusually loose parts.
• Check brake performance!
• Floor pan is required.
• No fluid leaks. Fuel, brake fluid or water.
• Radiator overflow catch can is required.
• Fuel tank vent to bottom of kart or equivalent.
• All ballast weights must be painted white and attached using minimum 5/16 bolt.
• Numbers need to be at least 5 inches tall.
• Chain guards are required on all karts.
• Helmets: Snell - 2000 SA, 2000 M, 2005 SA, 2005 M, 2005 K, CMS 2007, CMR 2008; SFI - 24.1, 31.2a, 41.2a, 24.1/2005, 31.1/2005, 41.1/2005
• Verify class and minimum legal weight label located on front of kart.
• Elbow pads and knee pads are recommended.

Yes, it is a long list. Once you get it right though it is very easy to maintain throughout the year! Safety is our #1 concern, lets all have a safe year!