"Direct Connection" knob

[ERA 626]

Originally Posted by Tom Wells

I'm tempted to say, after looking at this statement: that this is bass-ackwards from what an average race car will do.

Perhaps with karts this opposite behavior does happen; Experience says that with a race car on a road race track, locking the fronts will not cause a spin, but quite the opposite: the car will basically go straight ahead and understeer right off the racing surface. This is when your braking is being done in more or less a straight line before you begin turning in. If you are braking while turning, you earn whatever happens (unless practicing trail braking, see below.)

If the rears lock first, it is similar to trying to stop an arrow with one finger on its tip. The slightest deviation from straight ahead will result in a snap spin. Same with the car - if a lockup occurs at the rear, you lose the ability to steer and become a passenger!

It's kinda the difference between hitting the wall with the front or the rear of the car - neither is usually good for the car or the driver.

I set my brakes to have the fronts lock a bit before the rears - at least you can steer a little with the fronts locked. Not so if the rears lock.

There is a technique known as "trail braking" where you use the brakes to partially unload the rear tires to assist the car rotating into the entry of a corner. If you're doing this, your driving skills are way beyond mine!

Hope this helps,

Tom

Trail Braking THANK YOU bingo... I am 2 time Road Race Champion IN Northern California Karters (NCK) 125cc stock moto class, our biggest most competitive class.
I think we need to agree to dis agree here, I cant speak much for racing a 2400 lb Cobra, however I can safely say I have been around a road race Track on a 110mph Shifter kart 1000+ times. (Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Button Willow, Thunder Hill, Willow Springs, just to name a few. I acknowledge that more rear bias in needed on Thunder Hill west (2 mile track)than Thunder main (3mile track) and a LOT more on a sprint track like sonoma Kart Track, Dixon, Hang Town etc...

I do need to say that Sprint racing is a lot different that Road Racing. On a short tight technical track more rear Bias works better, too much front bias will literally lift the ass end off the ground and cause a violent spin that you will not recover from. But on a Road Race track we tend to adjust per track conditions, the amount of rubber on the track, the temp, tire pressures , chassis tune all come into play while adjusting brake bias. Hence the entire reason for this "mystery knob" that started this thread in the first place.
Bottom Line is every Car or Kart is different, different driving styles, different track conditions all come into play, so perhaps there is no real correct answer here.