Live Axle

[T-BONE]

What exactly is a live axle and when would you use them?

[Kenny_McCormic]

A live axle is an axle that is justs a strait piece of steel bar that connects to both wheels so both drive. Its more fun to drive a live axle cart (drifting) but also more difficult to steer if you dont know how (you gotta drift it).

[ironman]

So if one wheel is stuck in a hole it will still allow the other wheel steel to spin.This way you are never losing any power at the wheels because they are always moving when you are moving.

[jr dragster Tyler]

I have a live axle in my kart with 2 10 inch wide tires in the rear and I can turn on pavement no probelem.

[Kenny_McCormic]

Yea but you have turf saver tires. Try that with 12 inch wide knobbies.

[jr dragster Tyler]

I betcha I could still turn no probelem. And my turf saver tires are very good. The compound is very soft and its not like a lawn tractor tire. The tires are rated at 55 MPH

[risto]

i use knobbies on my 22" offroad kart with a live axle. it turns fine on both pavement and dirt.

[apreludem]

my question here is ( and i dont mean to hi-jack this thread) how do i attach the live axle , which i assume goes through the bearings, to the actual frame of the go kart? so i have the frame made but i am puzzled as to how to attach the axle to the my frame ..this is my first go kart and i have followed the plans so far pretty closely :(..thanks for input.

[Kenny_McCormic]

Goes through bearings bolted to the cart frame, tires and spacers eliminate side to side movement.

[apreludem]

my next question is, what's easier to "create" ...the live axle set up or the one wheel drive set up? ..thanks again

[Kenny_McCormic]

live, more room to work/mount things.

[apreludem]

final question...got a link to a site that has cheap affordable and decent live axles? :D thanks again dude

[Kenny_McCormic]

Its a big hunk of 1" steel with a keyway and threaded ends, pretty hard to mess one up (unless you ram your rear tire into a tree going 50 mph) even a cheap $50 one.

[apreludem]

no links?

[jr dragster Tyler]

Go to www.northerntool.com Or just go under "shop for parts now" on this site.

[Magice]

My track kart has pretty wide rear wheels and it turns better than my friends single wheel drive.. Then again when you have slicks it's alot easier to turn w/ live axle.

[draxxus13]

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j8/omfgbbqsauce/DSCF1072.jpg

hope that gives you a bit of an idea on how its mounted

[apreludem]

so i have to weld the brackets that come with the live axle kit to the frame, then bolt the brackets that house the bearings to the newly welded braket and run the axle through them....seems easy enough.

[apreludem]

anyone have a pic of a home made kart? the pic above looks professional ;p

[kibble]

This is my home-made kart: http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=621&d=1203481620

[apreludem]

omg that looks soo complicated lol...jackshaft? yeah....i think since this is my first go kart i'll start off with the live axle lol. looks sick though...what is the method behind the madness? works similar to a clutch system or something? why do a jackshaft instead of a straight live axle to motor with no clutch?

[kibble]

Well, the golden thing in the middle is the clutch, but it has a 3/4" bore for the input and output and the PTO on the engine is 7/8". I couldn't find a clutch that would fit directly on the shaft so I decided to mount the clutch on its own axle and then I just went from there. It works really well but it's more weight than I would have liked.

Live axle to motor with no clutch? :confused:

[apreludem]

lol you can tell how noob i am :p im guessing you can't run motor to live axle straight? you have to have some kind of clutch.

[kibble]

Oh, LOL.

Yeah, I was gonna say, if that was the case, you'd have to kill your engine and restart it every time you wanted to stop, then turn it back on to get going again. :roflol:

[apreludem]

HAHA oh ****...so some type of clutch is needed lol.

[kibble]

Yes, it's helpful. :iagree:

[Magice]

But supposedly fun without one! Pushstart power!

[robbstech]

This is my home-made kart: http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=621&d=1203481620
Very Nice

[dpaxson]

where did you get that differential for your kart kibble?

[jr dragster Tyler]

:iagree: And since you dont have access to a Mill/Lathe how did you adapt that to a 1" axle?

[kibble]

where did you get that differential for your kart kibble?

I took it off of an old Nissa Sentra. I hand made the sprocket that replaced the gear around it.

:iagree: And since you dont have access to a Mill/Lathe how did you adapt that to a 1" axle?

Have you not witnessed the power of my CNC'ing hands? LOL!

Actually I had the husband of one of my old computer teachers, who owned a machine shop up until a few months ago, turn the cv joints on a lathe for me and bore them out to 1". That's how I managed to get it to work. I will make a video of how it all goes together sometime soon, but right now I'm actually working on a video of how to make a keyway on a crankshaft that doesn't have one.

[Kenny_McCormic]

But supposedly fun without one! Pushstart power!

What ever happened to that KT100? My kart decided the driver would take a dump one day and it was semi pushstart (had to push WHILE pull starting it) for a while. Wasnt too fun, but on the street/track it would have worked out better.

[jr dragster Tyler]

Actually I had the husband

For a second I thought you where trying to tell us something!!:sifone: :sifone: :roflol: :roflol: :thumbsup:

[jr dragster Tyler]

What ever happened to that KT100? My kart decided the driver would take a dump one day and it was semi pushstart (had to push WHILE pull starting it) for a while. Wasnt too fun, but on the street/track it would have worked out better.

Sounds EXACTLY like my freind's manco dingo. The primary would never disengage. It worked for a while untill it COMPLETLY SHREDDED the belt. And I mean SHREDDED!!!

[sayre315]

kibble is the king of pillow blocks!
mr. kibble, is that a diff on there?
where'd you get it?
how much was it?
does it work good?

[jr dragster Tyler]

^LOL just read the thread!

[kibble]

Look at post #31 right above, Sayre. The only thing in not there is the price. I paid about $50 for it, I think. The junkyard I went to wasn't exacly the cheapest one, but I wanted to make this project work, so I bought it. There are other junkyards that are cheaper.

[Kenny_McCormic]

Sounds EXACTLY like my freind's manco dingo. The primary would never disengage. It worked for a while untill it COMPLETLY SHREDDED the belt. And I mean SHREDDED!!!

I tore mine down, primary puck guide pin came out, threw it away and its working fine with just one.

[sayre315]

thanks
sorry
i realy didnt read the hole post
Mr. Kibble, what are the specs on that diff
im realy thinking about going and getting one of those for my kart
i cant believe a car axle can be that small

[jr dragster Tyler]

i cant believe a car axle can be that small Why dont you go ahead and read the REST of his post. He had to turn down the OD and bore the ID to 1". Plus using a Diff like kibble is not for somone that doesnt have patience. I remember when I first joined this site I saw his pictures of him HAND MAKING the rear sprocket.

[sayre315]

i saw that also
it looked REALY boring

[kibble]

Then I hate to say it Sayre, but maybe using a Diff from a car may not be your cup of tea. It takes a lot of work to get one to work properly. Honestly, if I ever decide to make something with a diff again, I'd rather buy something like the one they have on the Northern tool site. It's a little pricier, but it's mostly complete and ready to go.

[sayre315]

alright
i was just thinking if i could get a diff for $50 or less than the price of a standard axle than i'd be in good shape but for some reason i didnt read all the thread
i think im just gonna get a axle
thanks anyways Mr. Kibble

[jr dragster Tyler]

Now that everyone calls you Mr. Kibble, Is your real name Kibble?

[Russ2251]

I think his real name is Hugh Downs.

[jr dragster Tyler]

I googled it and only found this creaper.
http://www.theadvocates.org/images/HughDowns-250_000.jpg

[Russ2251]

Yeah, THAT'S HIM!!!!

[jr dragster Tyler]

Ewww, Kibble no wonder you've been hiding from us!

[kibble]

:oops: You found me! Sigh....

Now just why would my real name be Kibble? :roflol:


I'll give you three guesses to get my name right. If after the third try you're still wrong, I get to take your first born! :devil2:

[Russ2251]

Take my wife, PLEASE!!!

[sayre315]

is you name... idk
i got it, the reason you've been hiding it this hole time is bc your realy name is barthalamue!!
haha i got it

[kibble]

Take my wife, PLEASE!!!

You got pics? :roflol::roflol::roflol:

is you name... idk
i got it, the reason you've been hiding it this hole time is bc your realy name is barthalamue!!
haha i got it

Strike one! :arf:

[sayre315]

crap!!!
was i close?

[scar]

is it dave?

[Russ2251]

Orfelina?

[sayre315]

betty :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFBsCacXePg

[kibble]

:roflol: Ahem... but, ah, no....

Ok, so who's gonna give up their first born (or wife)? :devil2::arf:

Ok, I'll tell you all, the real name's Alexander, but you may call me Kibble. :cheers2:

[Russ2251]

Rhymes with gerrymander. Sometimes associated with election fraud.
"gerrymander:
To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections."

[sayre315]

is #35 chain 3/8" pitch?

[Russ2251]

is #35 chain 3/8" pitch?
Yes

[sayre315]

and is the ANSI chian size "35ss"?

[Russ2251]

SS indicates stainless steel. The 35 is the chain size.
Pretty expensive stuff and is overkill for what we need.

[sayre315]

ok thanks Mr. Russ

[Russ2251]

ANSI=American National Standards Institute

This is the premium chain I use. Can be gotten elsewhere for slightly less.
HKK #35 Chain (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMCTLG=00&PMAKA=35403765&partnerURL=http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/mscdirect/index.aspx%6Fpagename=shopmain%50circularid=13665% 50pagenumber=3620%50mode=)
or this (nickel plated):
HKK #35 Nickel plated chain (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMCTLG=00&PMAKA=35405372&partnerURL=http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/mscdirect/index.aspx%6Fpagename=shopmain%50circularid=13665% 50pagenumber=3620%50mode=)
Both of these chains are identical. The nickel plated just looks better and is a couple of buck$ more.

[sayre315]

i have a Q on the diff Mr Kibble
if you were to jack the back of your kart up and turn one whel
how easily would the other one turn?

[kibble]

If I lift up the back and turn one wheel, the other one turns with it. If I hold one wheel in place and rotate the other one, the Sprocket on the diff starts turning faster than the wheel I'm rotating. If I hold the diff in place and rotate one wheel, the other rotates in the opposite direction.

[sayre315]

exactly, im sorry if i was very understandable
when you said that if you hole the diff in place and turn one wheel and the other spins opposet, how easily is it to spin?

[kibble]

Oh, it's not too dificult, there's some resistance, but I can't help it because the whole diff isn't enclosed so there's no gear oil or anything to lubricate it. I have to grease it up every once in a while.

[sayre315]

so most diff's do not have hardly any resistance?
bc my parents and another couple own a janitorial company and they just parted out a couple of scrubbers or somthing like that and they have diffs on them. he said if i wanted one i could have it but it hase bearly any resistance

[kibble]

I think it would be best If I made a video for you to show you what you're asking.

[sayre315]

that would be AWSOME! plaese do Mr. Kibble

[kibble]

Give me some time though. I got some stuff going on and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to it this weekend. I'll try to do it soon though.

[sayre315]

alirghty

[2or3wheels]

just get the parts, worse comes to worse you get rid of it later.

[sayre315]

well if i get it i will be building the kart around the diff
bc its only 29" long

[sayre315]

well Mr. Kibble, i got the differential from my daad yesturday and its great!
BC it was from a parted out scrubber thingy, it had 4 pillow block bearings on there.
so i took it apart jus to look inside and the inside looks alot like yours
its got 1 beveled gear atatched to each shafts and 2 free spinning ones.
but i have a quick question about wheel hubs

[sayre315]

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk10/sayre315_bucket/IMG_0014.jpg
theres 4 pics on there

[kibble]

Wow! That's excellent! Sorry I still haven't gotten around to showing what I did. I've been kind of busy working on some other stuff here lately, fixing other peoples cars and what not.

The way that looks set up, it should be REALLY easy to put into a project. :thumbsup:

[sayre315]

thank you very much
its alright, all i have is time
actually, all i realy need to know is, how much resistance if you were to jack up and turn one wheel
also, i wouldnt mind getting the gear ratio you used

[homemade]

me and my friend are building a 2 man go cart the width is 42" my question is how long should my axle be and how do i mount it? Also i want to put a Centrifugal Clutch on it too.

P.S. its a wood frame

[kibble]

The axle should be long enough to clear enough on both sides to be able to attach the hubs for the wheels. So it also depends on how much room your wheels need.

A centrifugal clutch on the axle? :confused:

[Kenny_McCormic]

The axle should be long enough to clear enough on both sides to be able to attach the hubs for the wheels. So it also depends on how much room your wheels need.

A centrifugal clutch on the axle? :confused:

SMC axle clutch.

[sayre315]

i'de say if its a wood kart then the easyer and cheaper way ot do it would be make it a 1 wheel drive

[motor_head]

kibble since you have two brakes you should connect each to its own brake pedal
awsome donuts!!!!!!:wai: :wai: