How to Fit Your Go Kart Seat

In this video, we take you through the steps to fit your own go kart seat. There are many ways to fit a seat to your kart but this is one of the quickest and easiest we have found.
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[@kennyelwood7007]

Your videos make my life easier thank you !

[@PowerRepublic]

Hey Kenny, you are very welcome, thanks for the feedback

[@DemopVWgarage]

Could you do a video explaining what camber and caster does to a go kart?

[@chrisburnsed6349]

Nik Demopoulos , on a dry track negative camber helps straight line speed, more caster adds a jacking effect in the rear and helps it rotate lifts inside rear tire more (frees the rear end). That’s the short answer. It’s a lot more complex that that though. Tack conditions , weight, engine package your running , wet weather , dry weather, driving style, all these will have different settings. My best advise is go to the track and test, test , and test even more. Remember make 1 change at a time. Otherwise you won’t know what is changing what.

[@NorcalKarters]

Keep it up. I enjoy the content

[@PowerRepublic]

Thanks for the positive feedback my friend!

[@Patchwork66]

Can you mount the seat further back for taller drivers or is there specified rule that only allows a certain distance?

[@PowerRepublic]

nah no rules. we often have to move the seat back for the tall drivers to fit in the karts comfortably

[@r1valtherac3r]

Interesting video and excellent channel. I have to install an OTK junior seat on an Arrow AX8 junior chassis. The young one is 150 cm tall. What distance should this be? still 550mm?

[@jesperek6402]

This feels like the video I wanna use tomorrow when I gonna do this seat operation 🤘 I think the biggest problem is gonna be the batterys for my drill machine 😐

[@PowerRepublic]

Hey Jesper, yeah shes an oldie but a goldie that one. We will have to do a 2020 remake of this next time I'm fitting up a new seat.

[@ZoltanHubert]

@@PowerRepublic Would you please talk about what to do with the chassis if a larger seat need to be fitted? Larger seat that does not fit between the mounting points. Thank You!

[@PowerRepublic]

@@ZoltanHubert great idea, we are going to be doing a seat fitting video update next week. I will show you how we do it with a soft faced mallet

[@HarshSharma-sx2bc]

Can you do a video on how to select the seat mounting points...I heard there are some equations that needs to be used

[@PowerRepublic]

it depends on the driver. you can't put a 6'3' 110kg driver in the factory recommended settings, nor a 5'0 48kg driver. we have another seat fitting vid, check that out for some more insight. if you don't have a preference, put the seat it and go for a test day. after the test day, if the kart always understeers, move the seat forwards 16mm, if it always oversteers or looses traction in the rear, move the back 16mm. give it a go and let me know if that works for you too.

[@ElementsMMA]

How can you change the seat position on a kart, without completely nailing your back?

[@PowerRepublic]

bit of a mission but not really.

[@ElementsMMA]

@PowerRepublic nice one! I guess my backs just already nailed to begin with!

[@Laceyktm]

Hey Derek, great video. Definitely needed this as i'm about to fit a new seat to my birel rotax chassis. I'm pretty tall (for a karter anyway) at 6'3". I've made as much adjustment with the pedals as i can to give me a bit more leg room but still have my knees up really high, so how much further back would you say it is acceptable to mount a kart seat beyond the chassis makers recommendations without having too big an impact on performance?

[@PowerRepublic]

go as far back as you can to fit in. the reccomendations are not for a driver you size in my opinion. I would think that 1070mm from the king pin to the top of the seat (655mm from the front chassis rail to the front edge of the seat)

[@samd8054]

What was the purpose of the bars at the beginning? Was it to give a "floor" to the seat so it doesn't go lower than the chassis?

[@PowerRepublic]

Hi Sam, yeah it was. Mostly to show that you can use anything to get the job done. you could use go kart axles, wood scraps, plywood or if you feel like it you can buy a seat fitting tool

[@martykath4427]

A few years ago there was a product /system on the market to allow a wide range of seat adjustment. Is it still available? I'm messing with an old azzurro and doubt if initial seat position data would still be available. Can you load the tyres up (increasing traction )by raising the seat? Is there a heap of handling tuning to be had by back/forward and up/down adjustment?

[@PowerRepublic]

Hey Marty. Not so much up and down really. Front to back yes to get your balance right for your kart/driver/Tyre combo IMO. Most of the time I set my seats flush with the chassis rails

[@perkristoffersson4153]

Nice video, but I just have to wonder how you came up with the 450mm measurement? Somehow related to the length of the intended driver's legs?

[@PowerRepublic]

Thanks Per, its more to do with weight distribution and kart balance. Once the seat is in, then you can move the pedals to the driver.

[@PowerRepublic]

@Daniel Falk I would set that seat back at 635-645mm from the front rail of a senior chassis for a tall driver to start with. 42/58

[@SteveRusso]

He actually said the measurement from front of seat was 550mm.

[@PowerRepublic]

@@SteveRusso yeah its a good place to start if you dont know any other place. then you can adjust 15mm front/back if necessary

[@miltiadiscolivas5060]

Do you have any tricks for mounting an xl seat? I am helping a buddy of mine and when the measurements look good, the seat looks too far to the left and too skewed. Is this normal for a big seat and a thing he is going to have to live with? Or am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance Derek!

[@PowerRepublic]

it is hard to get them back accross to the engine side of the kart. off to the left is standard for the XL guys really, unless you want to seriously operate on the chassis.

[@BK-it6te]

Very good but what is the seat hight to the axel ?

[@jracer7189]

It has to meet certain regulations

[@serginietor]

How do you choose the seat position for a heavy driver so that the kart has good weight distribution?

[@PowerRepublic]

its a little bit of trail and error. if you heavy and tall you'll have to go back a touch so you fit the kart. also you can lay the seat back slightly so that your shoulders are lower in the kart. it is hard to have the seat lower than the chassis rail as it will make the seat hit the track as your driving. what sort of kart do you have?

[@serginietor]

@@PowerRepublic i currently have a rotax max that I share with a friend, but I'm considering getting a DD2 in the future

[@serginietor]

Chassis wise I'm looking at birel/otk

[@PowerRepublic]

Hi Serg, yeah go with the chassis your local dealer has the most of and the most stock of the parts. the DD2 is an awesome machine, best bang for your buck that's for sure

[@serginietor]

@@PowerRepublic cheers guys

[@sedhendo4177]

Are all race frames the same length or wheel base. I purchased a kart and the seat is set for a kid. I plan on changing the seat but it also made me think that maybe the frame is shorter

[@PowerRepublic]

Great question. not all karts are the same. 900mm wheelbase (distance from center of front axles to centre of rear axle) is for 6-9 year old, 950mm wheelbase is for 9-12 year olds, 1010mm wheelbase is for 12-15 year olds and 1035-1045mm wheelbase for big kids and adults of all ages. what size is your kid?

[@sedhendo4177]

Well I thought this kart would be for me. But it's probably not gonna workout. I need a big kids kart. I'm 6'3" 250lb😔

[@PowerRepublic]

@@sedhendo4177 go for a 32mm tube chassis like the Tony Kart 801S Krypton for you.

[@sedhendo4177]

Power Republic where is the Tony Kart made?

[@sedhendo4177]

Power Republic that kart is amazing! But well out of my price range... lol

[@michaelfisher4836]

I noticed you set the front in the seat at 550 mm from the front of the kart. How tall was the driver for this particular set up? I am currently setting a seat for a 9 year old and trying to get it right.

[@PowerRepublic]

for maybe a 150cm driver. for the 120cm height drivers we have to move the seat forwards or they won't reach the pedals

[@michaelfisher4836]

@@PowerRepublic awesome thanks. I had assumed the seat would need moved up since the current seat installed caused him to not reach the pedals. Your videos are great reference. I went with OTK because of the details you go into.

[@allenstrack7815]

What size bars do I put under the kart? I just bought a used kart and the bottom of the seat now is like 2 inches below the frame which I’m guessing is not good?

[@PowerRepublic]

you can use any size you have available. 30mm go kart axles are good, otherwise we use 30mm Aluminium round bar stock. you can even use flat timber pieces too if you have them. hope that helps. D

[@Juiced2528]

Why 550mm from the front of the point you picked? Just trying to understand as mine is sitting 600(not put in by me) I am new to karting just purchased second hand kart and trying to figure everything out as I’m short.

[@duckgoesmooo]

Manufacturer recommendations. Usually pretty accurate. Will depend on your chassis.

[@PowerRepublic]

just an easy place to start. then if you have heaps of oversteer, move it backwards, or heaps of understeer move it forwards a touch. bingo !

[@AlpineF1_]

How do you install a bigger seat than what was on before? Because I tried to do that but it didnt fit.

[@PowerRepublic]

Hey Froggers, simple hit the brake side seat post with a soft faced hammer. it will move slow but surely. that's how we fit the bigger seat. otherwise bend it out with an old axle or steel bar. hope that helps. thanks heaps for watching and sharing the videos!!!!

[@ilikemyboost]

Those washers under the seat are from rubber? Thanks a lot

[@PowerRepublic]

ilikemyboost we use hard plastic spacers. They come in 16mm, 8mm and 4mm wedge shape thickness

[@emilwedin7826]

does it work the same way with a jecko seat?

[@PowerRepublic]

Hi, it would be similar. I think for the Jecko, because of it's unique shape, measure from the axle forwards to the back of the seat. which type of go kart do you have?

[@BuildBreakFix]

Funny to watch his older videos! They look so staged and hes a nervous mess lol!

[@PowerRepublic]

hell yeah I was. hopefully a little easier to watch these days. I still go back and laugh sometimes at the early vids

[@BuildBreakFix]

@@PowerRepublic love the videos there great! ✌🙂👍