Thread: Electrathon - A Different Kind of "Hotrod"

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Thanks, Resto. And that's a very good question that maybe I should have addressed already. It is purely a matter of personal preference. The reason I don't put lateral bracing on the front axle is because, if it hits something hard enough to cause damage, I would rather just bend the axle tube than transfer the damage to the frame.

In the pic below you can see the front axle in this car only has vertical bracing. I was cut off going into a corner one time and simultaneously tangled with the other car and the curb. The left end of the axle was pushed back two inches, but the wheel was undamaged and I was still able to finish. Between the day's events, I was able to straighten the axle and went on to win the second event of the day! Had the axle been laterally braced, it could have caused damage to the frame that might have sidelined me for the rest of the day. As I said, it's a matter of personal preference, but Electrathon usually isn't as "rough and tumble" as Karts (I've raced those, too).