Mower Building / Setup Help > Chassis

Initial Chassis Setup

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George Herrin:
Folks this is how I setup my chassis initially. This is a base line start. Not a race setup. The race setup is for you the individual to figure out.

First off a good chassis starts with the build. I have found a stiff chassis is easier to tune and responds better to little adjustments than one that flexs. And the more HP you have the stiffer it should be for consistant chassis.

#1 be SURE when building the chassis is Square and level in every aspect of the build. If you have done this and have stiffened it properly then procede to nest step.

#2 All 4 tires 10 psi. Be sure tires left to right are as close to same O.D. as possible.

#3 be sure axles and spindles are setup up neutral.

#4 You will need 4 bathroom scales. Walmarts cheapest does a fine job.

#5 Place one under each tire. Get your pad and pencil and write down each corner weight.

#6 You want your left front tire 10 to 20lbs heavier than the right front.  This is called preload. Right or wrong its what I call it. I do not care what the rear says and this is done without driver. Why you ask. Because unlike karts drivers move around ALLOT on mowers there fore you cannot get an accurate read cause you never know where you will be.

#7 if you are off on this you can raise the left spindle up or down to gain this weight difference.

#8 Once you have gained the 10 to 20lb left front heavier weight bias you now have your base setup. Now your chassis is set with slight preload. Now I will share by base setup for initial test.

CHassis intitial setup using front axle with 10* KPI.
Tire Pressures and base axle setup for ME Mind you I am 250LBS and this works for me.
LF 8lbs 0* camber 10* caster Turf master 4 ply
RF 6lbs 1* camber 10* caster Turf Master 4 Ply
LR 3 lbs Turf Pro 2 ply
RR 12lbs Turf Pro 2 Ply

Depending on how it handles determines what I do to it from here. This is a base setup If your chassis is right and build square and level to start with this initial setup will get you started in the right direction. This is the only time I scale it its all I look for and those at EC build clinics saw it on kart scales and true to my word we set it up neutral and I was right at 20 lbs heavy on lf. Then with race setup all the Kart wise scalers were kinda amazed at how all the rest of the weights fell into place. I could not tell you cross % front rear % etc etc. I use the above setup and as most have seen or experianced themselves. Its not complicated, its simple and easy to understand. I live on simplicity. I do not over complicate. I am not worried about sskid pad this or cross that. I am not a karter this is not a kart its a mower. The beauty of the mowers is the simplicity of them yet some folks  continue to over complicate them in an effort to maybe prove how smart they are I guess, I don't know. Try it if it does not work for you then your chassis is probably off somewhere. I have yet to set one up and someone tell me they cannot drive it. And any setup must be fine tuned to each drivers preferances.

Honey Badger:
Hey George,
I was wondering how I could raise the left spindle up or down for the weight distribution.  I know the EC front axle is welded to the frame on your builds.  I placed a big order for a bunch of parts from EC last week, and I think you are building my front axle this week.  Maybe there is an adjustment I am unaware of with your axle set up???

Rooster:

--- Quote from: Alex Stella on September 20, 2010, 03:39:45 pm ---Hey George,
I was wondering how I could raise the left spindle up or down for the weight distribution.  I know the EC front axle is welded to the frame on your builds.  I placed a big order for a bunch of parts from EC last week, and I think you are building my front axle this week.  Maybe there is an adjustment I am unaware of with your axle set up???


--- End quote ---
The spindles have movable spacers in them to raise or lower them.

George Herrin:

--- Quote from: Rooster on September 20, 2010, 03:45:05 pm ---The spindles have movable spacers in them to raise or lower them.

--- End quote ---
ditto

c.schulz:
Very well done and well stated George. Its the K.I.S.S. at its best.(Keep It Simple Stupid)

Thanks for taking the time to post, Chris

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