Go Cart Tires

Go Cart Tires – Important
Facts For Racing Success

If you expect to be successful on the track you will need to choose the best go cart tires for the current track and weather conditions. Go cart tires can make the difference between success and failure, between enjoyment and frustration, and even between safety and danger. Without the correct type of go cart tires you will immediately put yourself at a great disadvantage to other drivers.

Go Cart Tires – Setting Them Up Correctly

Setting up your go cart tires improperly can transform a winning go cart into a losing one. Understanding which type of tire is best for each situation can improve the amount of fun and success you have out on the track. When racing through tight crowded corners it’s important to be confident that your go kart will stick to the track instead of sliding sideways. And to have the necessary confidence, you need to know that your go cart tires are up to the task. If you’re unsure as to whether your tires will prevent sliding, you may find yourself lifting off the accelerator just enough to put you further behind in the race.

There are two kinds of go cart tires used for go cart racing. They can either be grooved or not grooved. Grooved tires have treads and are either called “grooved” or “treads.” Tires without grooves are called slicks.

Grooved go cart tires are designed to increase grip in wet track conditions. If the rain starts coming down, it’s a grooved tire you’ll want. These tires are sometimes referred to as rain tires because the treads will displace more water on the track, allowing for increased traction in the rain.

Slick go cart tires have no treads and will therefore not displace water like grooved tires. This will cause the go cart to become extremely slippery, causing you to slide all over the track and easily losing control. Using slicks on a wet track is like trying to walk on ice; you just can’t get good traction. However, in dry track conditions a slick tire will put more rubber on the road. This will increase the grip, allowing you to take turns at faster speeds. A grooved tire will have less rubber in contact with the road, so in dry track conditions they will not give you as much traction or grip.

Go Cart Tires – The Importance of Proper Tire Pressure

In addition to the type of go cart tires, there is one other major factor that must be watched carefully if you expect maximum grip and speed through the turns. Tire pressure must be monitored to ensure that the go cart tires are not over or under inflated for the current track conditions. Maintaining the correct tire pressure will improve grip and therefore increase your speeds throughout tight corners.

The main thing to remember about tire pressure is that the pressure will increase when the weather is hot and decrease when the weather is cold. If your tire pressure is set at 14 psi at the beginning of a race, it can quickly reach 17 or 18 psi when the go cart tires heat up during the race. However, if you start out with 17 psi in your go cart tires, the pressure can quickly drop to 13 or 14 psi in cold weather conditions.

Before every race, and even during a race, it’s important to keep a close eye on the weather and tire pressure. Normally, in cold conditions, you will want to set your pressure from 1 psi to 5 psi higher than if the temperatures are extremely high. However, when the temperatures are extremely high you will want to lower the tire pressure by this amount, knowing that as racing gets underway the tire pressure will naturally increase as the tires heat up.

As go cart tires become worn it is important to change them. Not only will a worn tire decrease your traction and cornering speed, causing you to slide through the turns, it will increase the “roughness” of the ride. It will also increase the chance of having a flat while on the track. Each tire is manufactured with tiny holes in them. As the tires become worn, the depth of these holes will decrease, making it possible for you to know when it’s time to change them. By using the right tire for the current track conditions, and keeping your tire pressure at correct levels, your speeds and racing enjoyment will both increase.There are other factors that can also make or break your success including go cart engines, a high quality go cart frame, and many other things.

Video: How to Mount Go Cart Tires: