STEP 3 - STILO FRONT BUMPER BODYWORK

• Put the plastic guide support in the middle with the nuts on the outside/font of the guide. Do not tighten this down all the way, until you put the front bumper between the lower and middle bumper supports.
• Once the plastic bumper is in place, then squeeze down on the metal supports to firmly clamp down on the bumper's support guides.
• Tighten the plastic support guide bolts (it is fine if the guide still moves around loose, it is used to prevent major movement only)
• Put one of the metal clamps on the left and one on the right of the plastic support guide.  The clamp handles should face downward.  These need to be tight enough not to come off, but not so tight that is bends the metal clamps.  (To adjust these clamps, simply spin the bottom nut to tighten/loosen.)
• NOTE:  If the front plastic bumper gets bent/caved in/etc, simply set it in the sun to warm the plastic and it should bend out by itself.  You may need to help it with your hands, but it will come out.

• Connect the bottom fairing to the underside of the top fairing with five (5) screws.
• Connect the two support bars to the steering support at the top.  The bars should be placed between the steering shaft frame support bars and the plastic steering shaft support guide.
• Line the bottom of the fairing up so that the nose is over the front bumper support bars and aligned in the middle of the bumper.
• Drill a hole on each side of the upper fairing on the sides (make sure you are in far enough from the edge to give the plastic enough support and not easily rip when under pressure.)  Use the upper fairing support bars as guides for the whole.
• Align the upper fairing support bars on the inside of the fairing and attach with bolt and nut, using the plastic washer.
• The bottom assembly may align up with the lower fairing.  If not, you may need to bend the support tab or use a metal extension to bolt it securely.  You can also use zip ties, but a metal nut/bolt assembly is preferred.

One of the most critical adjustment you can do for your kart is the seat placement.  Placement depends on the driver's size & weight, as well as the type of engine you will be running.  This is the one adjustment that many drivers do not take the time to consider and perform properly.  Do it right the first time and then you don't have to worry about it later.  The seat must be level and the frame seat struts must be aligned properly to the seat as to not apply unnecessary torque on the seat.  The chassis comes with extra seat support struts that you can fine-tune the chassis flex.  Leave the struts off for now.

• Put a board or other flat object under the chassis, where the seat will go.  We want the seat to be even with the frame or slightly set inside the frame, but not too low where it will scrape on the ground during driving.

• Place the seat into position.

• Seat measurements:

  • TAG/ICA/125cc:

    • The rear top of the seat's lip is 21cm (8 3/4") from the 50mm axle (if you have a 40mm axle, then add 5mm (1/4") to that measurement).

    • The front left lip of the seat should be 60cm (24") from the inside front frame rail (that is the painted frame, not the chrome bumper).

    • The front right lip of the seat should be 61cm (24 1/4") from the inside front frame rail (that is the painted frame, not the chrome bumper).

  • Yamaha KT100/HPV/4-Cycle:

    • The rear top of the seat's lip is 22cm (9") from the 50mm axle (if you have a 40mm axle, then add 5mm (1/4") to that measurement).

    • The front left lip of the seat should be 59cm (23 3/4") from the inside front frame rail (that is the painted frame, not the chrome bumper).

    • The front right lip of the seat should be 60cm (24") from the inside front frame rail (that is the painted frame, not the chrome bumper).

• Fill in any gape that is between the frame bolt down holes to the seat itself.  It is critical not to have any gape, and/or misalignment, because when the driver is seated the frame will be under unnecessary torque and thus impair drivability.  You can use metal, rubber or a combination of both for the washers.  (If you use a combination of both, it is best to put the rubber washer closer to the see and the metal washers closer to the frame, opposite of what is in the picture to the right.

• The frame side mounts may need to be bent, depending on the seat size to ensure they are lined up flush with the seat.  If need be, follow the same guidelines for the frames side seat mount by filling in the gape.

• Your seat should be positioned with the front on an upward angle and the rear leaning back toward. (see picture for angle)

• Drill holes through the seat and secure with the supplied bolts and seat washers.

• NOTE: If you are using the extra seat support struts, align the strut with a bearing support bolt at the bottom and then drill a hole in the upper section of the seat.  (see picture for upper hole)

• NOTE: These are general seat positioning instructions, depending on the engine and driver weight, you may need to fine-tune these for more accurate kart control.

 STEP 6 - MISCELLANEOUS ASSEMBLY

• Axle Hub Alignment:

  • Place axle guide chuck in holes, one (1) for each side.

  • Align guide groove of hub with axle guide chuck and slip hubs over axle and a chuck. 

  • A good starting position is to set the hubs so that 1/2" to 1" of the guide chuck protrudes from the inner side of the hub.  This should make the tires around 52" from outside rim edge to outside rim edge.  NOTE: It is critical to have the rims in the same amount on each side.  You can do this by measuring from the outside bearing frame support (not the bolts, the frame support itself) to the inside edge of the hub.

  • When you decide where you want the hub place, use a tape measure to ensure they are at the same depth on each side of the axle to ensure. 

  • Fine-tuning of rear wheel hub placement can be performed at the track, depending on track & weather conditions as well as driver's preference.

• Caster/Camber Pills: The chassis comes with a fixed caster/camber pill that for most cases should be left alone.  Depending on kart options, you may have an optional adjustable caster/camber pill that you can replace the standard fixed pill with.

• Tires:  Depending on your purchase options, you may have tires included with your chassis.  Regardless, you will eventually need to install tires on your rims.  We have Windex works as a good lubricant to help the tires slide over the rim edges.  It is very important to understand the manufacturer's mark on tire rotation.  Each tire is designed to rotate in one (1) direction, so look for the arrow on the tire's sidewall and keep this in mind when you are putting the tires on the rims.

  • Be smart here: watch your fingers and do not over fill the tire too much.

  • Place the rim on a secure surface

  • Spray Windex on the tire's bead rim

  • Place the tire's inner edge over the rim's edge and work in a clockwise, counter-clockwise rotation, while pressing down until the tire slips over rim.  (NOTE: You may need to lubricate it several times, but do not soak it too much where you have water collecting in the inside of the tire.)

  • Repeat step until you have all four (4) tires mounted.

  • Now you will need to 'pop' the bead to get the tire to seat properly on the rim.  This is best done with by removing the valve stem core, but if you do not have the proper tool, you can go to an air compressor or a gas-station that has one try and get the tire to seat.  Again, use some Windex to moisten the bead and start filling the tire. 

  • Watch your fingers!  And do NOT over fill.

  • After you have the tire bead sealed you will need to let air out of the tires, since it requires much more pressure to seal the bead than it does for driving.  Final pressure for the tires depending on the track and weather conditions, but cold air-pressure could start out with 14 in the rear and 12 in the front.

• Chain: Depending on engine placement and sprocket size, you may need to adjust your chain size. 

  • To shorten a chain, you need to pop the link caps off (a chain-breaker makes it easy, but you can use a socket extension or screw driver, but be careful not to bend adjacent links)

  • Take out a couple of links and then squeeze the link cap back on (again a chain-breaker makes it easy, but a pair of needle nose pliers will also work.)

  • Chains need lube before each run (you can find it at a local auto parts store)

  • Chain adjustment should allow the chain to move up and down about 1/2" when everything is tightened.

• Fine Tuning:  You should start with the extra seat struts off to see how it handles. The front wheels should be one (1) 5mm spacer on the outside and the rear hubs should be out with 1/2" of the axle keyway showing on the inside. This way you have a wider stance for better traction.  If you go out when it is wet or the karts "pushes" too much in the corner (that means you really have to turn to get it around the corner), then try moving the rear hubs in 1" on each side. This will make the front wheel kick up the rear wheels when you corner, thus producing a tighter turn.  NOTE: A slight push into a corner is fine, it will make you faster in the end.

STEP 5 - SAFETY INSPECTION

• Always check bolts, nuts, etc. before each time you go out on the track.  Use nylon lock nuts and/or double nut every bolt and safety wire or c-clip each bolt to ensure pieces do not come off during operation.  If you are unsure, ask someone at the track to inspect your kart.