build a go kart » how to build a go cart Homemade Go CartThe Wood Go Kart - Is it All Washed Up Or is Metal Tubing King? Make That Homemade Go Kart This Week Robert Gamble In the history of go karting the very first of go karts were wood go karts. Made in principle with the basic carriage design it was simple though effective. With the cost of materials sky rocketing and the funds coming in plummeting, the "real" go karts are becoming more and more difficult to get your hands on or fabricate, especially if you don't have more than $100. Using of sound building practices (i.e. joining methods, strength of materials... etc) a relatively cheap go kart can be made that has a steering wheel and brakes. The key to making a wood go kart is: - drive line layout, Drive Line Layout The drive line has be to able to not "rip" off or out of the go kart structure and the steering system must be stable and reliable, yet simple to keep the costs down. In the wood go karts that I put together, I try to keep the weight down so that things are not getting way heavy. If you are not careful you can make a wood go kart that weighs even more than a comparably sized steel framed go kart. Braking System One of the biggest challenges to wood go kart is the braking system. Because of the forces that need to be generated to develop braking forces, some thought needs to go into how the axels and the brake system are mounted to the frame work. Steering System Typically the wood go kart has a very simple "carriage style" or "wagon style" steering system that if not designed properly can become very unstable on various fronts: steering stability and roll over risk. The steering system can be designed stable depending on the design you are going with. So the trick becomes again: - How am I going to mount all this stuff onto the go kart? As with all go karts they are dangerous because they are moving, so design for stability, safety and functionality is key. For example the center of gravity still needs to be considered as well as the cornering characteristics that the go kart will exhibit. Bottom line is that Wood Go Karts will become more and more popular and are really cost effective route (when designed properly) if you have limited funds. The Go Kart Guru is a Go Karting Design, Fabrication and Performance specialist. Topics ranging from Turbo Charged Go Karts to Wood Go Karts, the Go Kart Guru has something to say (that will help you!) about it. Visit http://GoKartGuru.com for more details. We have a special page just on wood go karts too: http://gokartguru.com/wood_go_karts.php And for those with Vertical Lawnmower Engines, there is a special section just for you! Don't throw away that vertical engine just yet! |
everything you need to know about go karts