Many of us are in the same boat. We have a lot of garbage, but no money. We’d like to have a little fun, maybe making a new gadget, or even a go-kart.
Well, making a go kart can be as easy as 7 easy steps:
1. Lay the longitudinal members of the frame on the floor
2. Now apply the crosspieces for added stability.
3. Fix the rear axle and motor plate
4. Secure the front axle
5. Fix the engine
6. Secure the seat
7. Engage the brakes
This sounds too easy to be true, but it applies across the board, whether you’re building a wooden kart or a metal frame kart.
Those are the basic steps, the actual setup of the go kart can be a bit more complicated.
The things that need to be considered before go karting fall into the following three categories:
-Fit
-Form
-Function
– How much weight is this go kart going to have?
– How many people will travel in it (two seats, for example?)
– Will the go kart really move with the motor I’m putting on it?
– How can I figure out the transmission system so as not to burn a clutch?
– Are the wheels I have going to work on a go kart? (for example, you can’t use plastic wheels from a walk-behind lawn mower, they will crack and break).
– Will the components I selected remain? Or will this go kart end up being a slow car?
– How do I know if my steering system is set up correctly?
– How do I know if my kart is going to hold up when I hit a pothole?
– Will the go kart’s braking system really stop this go kart? How can I be sure before I get on?
This isn’t even a complete list, but it should at least get you thinking in the right direction before you just throw anything together.
Remember this is going to be a moving vehicle, you want it to start, stop and hold together.
So get those questions answered before proceeding.