Viper Offroad with full suspension project log. [Archive]

xoltri

03-13-2009, 01:04 PM

A couple years back I purchased the plans to build a Viper Offroad go-kart and have been slowly plugging away at it.

I had been keeping my progress log at the official forums (http://easykarts.com/forums/index.php/topic,41.0.html) for these plans but recently it appears that all the log-ins got disabled so I am going to move my progress log here. It's fairly long so far but I'm trying to keep a complete log for other people's future reference.

I started this back in July of 2006. I knew it would take a long time back then, and now almost 3 years later I am starting to make real progress. Of course during this time I have done full landscaping my house, built a 22x24 garage and done a bunch of other renovations. Now that the garage is built I should make some fast progress now.

The go-kart is made for a 5-8HP engine. It has front and rear suspension. I bought the plans from easykarts.com (http://easykarts.com/). They are fairly complete, but they only give you access to the online plans for a certain amount of time so there may have been updates since I got my copy.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/stockphoto.jpg

xoltri

03-13-2009, 01:07 PM

Before I started the go-kart I built myself a workbench, from free plans (http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archives/july_aug_03/html/weekend_project.htm). It has served me very well for the past couple years. I made a few modifications, such as installing the overhead light and powerbar, vice, and the peg-board at the back.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/bench.jpg

xoltri

03-13-2009, 01:31 PM

Also I acquired a bunch of tools to work on this project. The plans say that you could build this with a hack saw and a hand drill but it is fairly ridiculous to think that this would be a viable solution. Get the right tools to do the job.

Cutoff saw ($100 CAD used)
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/cutoff.jpg

6" bench grinder. I wish I would've bought an 8" as this one bogs down a lot.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/grinder.jpg

Drill press and cross vice ($200 CAD). A hand drill for drilling steel is a waste of time. It's inaccurate, slow, and you will wreck drill bits. This setup works awesome.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/presstab.jpg

ed1380

03-13-2009, 01:41 PM

nice little setup you got going there

xoltri

03-13-2009, 01:50 PM

When I started this project I didn't own a welder so I spent some time making all of the little parts according to the plans with the tools I had available.

The plans give you two options for the spindle cradles, one is to bend them to shape out of 1 1/4" x 1/4" steel, or cut and weld them. I chose the latter as I do not have the capabilities to accurately bend 1/4" steel bar. There are 14 spindle cradles total, as they are used as hinges and other things since this is a full suspension kart.

Cut, drill and grind the tabs:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/roughtabs.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/finishedtab.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/tabs.jpg

Cut and grind the flat backing bars:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/cradlebars.jpg

Test fit:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/cradleclamped.jpg

xoltri

03-13-2009, 02:00 PM

Since I did this work on the spindle cradles I purchased a welder for $300CAD with shipping on Ebay.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/welder.jpg

It is a 90 amp flux core welder that is convertible to MIG if you get the regulator and gas bottles. The maximum thickness this welder is rated for is 3/16" with flux core wire, but these cradles are 1/4", so I was a bit concerned that they would not be strong enough.

To help I ground a V channel in the pieces on both sides. You can see this in this picture.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/quarterjig.jpg

I messed up on this piece unfortunately but this gave me a good opportunity to test my weld, so I hit the piece with a 5lb sledge and it withheld great.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/quarterbent2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/quarterbent.jpg

I have only used this welder once before this picture was taken. It is super easy to use.

Here are two completed cradles. They are turning out good and I am getting cleaner at welding which means less grinding.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bracketsbolt.jpg

xoltri

03-13-2009, 02:27 PM

Here are some other misc pieces I have fabricated.

Brake and gas pedal's out of 3/8" steel. I may get some actual pedals or weld some type of diamond plate to dress these up a bit eventually. They were bent using my vice and the back end of a wrench as a lever.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/pedals.jpg

Spindle arms and pitman arm:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/arms.jpg

Throttle and brake rods. Those are I believe 1/8" holes drilled into these rods for cotter pins. Without a drill press these would've been almost impossible to get accurately.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/rods.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/rodholes.jpg

Guide tabs for the throttle/brake rods:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/guides.jpg

Pedal tabs. These provide a mounting point for the throttle/brake rods.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/pedaltabs.jpg

jr dragster Tyler

03-13-2009, 02:44 PM

Looks realy good!

xoltri

03-13-2009, 02:45 PM

The plans call for 1 1/8" x 0.083 wall Drawn Over Mandrel tubing. I sourced some of this tubing locally and it would've cost me over $300. This was simply too expensive, and I believe that DOM tubing is overkill for this application.

So, as an alternate I found a source for Electric Resistance Welded tube. Basically DOM tube is ERW tube that has been cold worked to make it more uniform and stronger. But the ERW tube was only $100 for the same length of tube so it is much more cost effective.

Also I was not able to find 1 1/8" x .083 ERW tube locally. I created a spreadsheet (available here (http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3194)) that allowed me to find a comparable replacement. The tubing that I purchased was 1" x .12 wall ERW tubing. Based on my spreadsheet it will be about 8lbs heavier than the recommended tube and at least just as strong. The weight penalty sucks but I'll just go on a diet and make up the difference. :p

To go along with this tube, a while back I purchased a tubing notcher on eBay for $45US. It will cut notches in the end of the tubing so that it fits together properly for welding.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/notcher.jpg

l0ll00l

03-13-2009, 03:24 PM

Very nice work so far! It's great to see the right tools being used in a build. Always makes things go so much more smoothly.

xoltri

03-13-2009, 03:27 PM

I have also purchased the 4 shocks necessary from Ebay for $120us total including shipping.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/shocks.jpg

The plans call for some of the frame sections to have bends in them. Bending tube is not easy, especially since these bends are 2" radius bends which is pretty tight. I did buy plans for a tube bender however this is cost prohibitive as the dies are really expensive ($150-180US) and I would probably only use the tube bender on this one project.

I have been trying to find a local shop who can make these pieces for me so we'll see how that goes. I just have to get some diagrams drawn up first.

You can sort of see on this picture a few of the bends.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/stockphotosuspension.jpg

The main frame, as stated above, is being built using 1" x .12 wall ERW tube. These other tubing parts, including the bent pieces, will probably be made from 3/4" x .065 wall tube. So it will be lighter and cheaper.

r_chez_08

03-14-2009, 02:33 AM

i like your spindles!!! it looks like you are doing a great job!

rgvkid

03-14-2009, 12:47 PM

looks great! The welds look good but don't be afraid to turn up the heat, especially if you are trigger spot welding and with that thickness of material. Cant see it in the pic, but try not to grind to much of the bead down on the outside of the spindles, The inside looks good and its just enough to clear the rotating braket. Good luck.

xoltri

03-15-2009, 07:59 PM

Today I finished welding together all of the spindle cradles minus one since I need more material.

Also I started on the rear section of the frame. The plans call for a few of the tube lengths to be 21 3/8" long. However to accommodate the notching of the tube you must account for 1/4" on each end, so I made the pieces 21 7/8" long.

I tried a few times to get the notcher to work properly. At first I did it with a hand drill however I ended up wrecking the hole saw because it is impossible to control the RPM's. I purchased a new hole saw and abandoned the notcher and tried it on my drill press with the cross vice. However the drill press is very sensitive to lateral pressure and it was cutting all over the place and a couple times the press fit chuck fell off.

The solution was to use both the drill press and the notcher. This lets you control the RPM's (500rpm) and provide lateral stability.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/notchermounted.jpg

Result:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/tubenotched.jpg

Test fit:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/tubefit.jpg

xoltri

03-17-2009, 08:07 PM

I welded together the rear porch tubing yesterday and today. This is the section with the engine and rear axle, and it will connect to the front section with hinges and hydraulic shocks.

I brought it in the house to show my wife and neglected to tell her that it was still hot and she burnt her fingers, but just barely. Still, :oops:

Construction is going pretty smooth, the notcher is working great and I am happy with the way the welder is working.

It helps to have 4 of these welding magnets which help hold and square the tubing for tack welding:

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/weldingmagnets.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/tubeweld.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/rearporch.jpg

xoltri

03-19-2009, 10:23 PM

I (mostly) finished the mid section tubing today. It was a bit challenging to get the front pieces angled properly. To square it up I made sure that the distances at the red lines were equal and the distances at the yellow lines were also equal.

I also had to use my tube notcher at a 15 degree angle to get a good fit.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/tubeanglenotch.jpg

The magnets worked good to hold it in place but they are not precisely accurate so measuring and re-measuring was the only way to get it all squared up.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/midsec.jpg

l0ll00l

03-20-2009, 10:59 AM

Looking good! :thumbsup:

xoltri

03-21-2009, 06:40 PM

Today I welded the hinges on the two frame sections, and built the frame and hinges for the rear suspension. I do not have bolts to install the shocks yet so they are just held temporarily for the photo.

This is going faster than I thought! I need to pick up more material now.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/rear_susp.jpg

mccolld

03-21-2009, 09:59 PM

Welcome. I'm building a cart too. I'll be following your progress.

D

rgvkid

03-23-2009, 12:10 PM

IMO this is what i would do to add strength to the design. If you go exactly off the design, your upper shock mount bar would be very weak and could have a higher potential of getting hurt. The frame and stress points should be triangulated which well help with frame structure and less flexing which could lead to bending the frame while off roading or even bumpy streets. Better to let the suspension do the work and not the frame. Putting the shocks out to the furthest rails on the swing arm would help support the rear alot better, especially with the weight of the motor. You might have to move some stuff over, but you will have a much more superior swing arm. Like the truck in the pic.

theo

03-23-2009, 02:55 PM

I agree with rgvkid I also believe that your springs might be a little on the stiff side.

theo

ed1380

03-23-2009, 03:56 PM

same theo from gokartforums?

xoltri

03-23-2009, 04:08 PM

Thanks for the advice. I have tested the suspension in it's current config and it works good. It is not too stiff, maybe that's because I weigh 220lbs. They are hydraulic shocks also, not sure if that makes a difference.

I may make a more modest version of your angle brace to strengthen the upper shock mount, maybe half as big as your diagram. This is 1/8" thick tube so it is pretty strong stuff.

However I don't believe moving the shocks outwards will make any difference. The frame is so stiff that it does not twist, the only direction of movement is what is allowed by the hinges which is up and down.

Thanks again!

xoltri

03-24-2009, 08:37 PM

BradenM

03-25-2009, 05:01 AM

DIY ghetto style worked for me. Random stuff in shed and araldite.

xoltri

03-29-2009, 11:45 AM

In the last few days I made the a-arm mounts and welded them to the frame, installed one of the two floor pans and started work on the a-arms themselves. I am waiting for the ball ends and nuts to be shipped so the a-arms aren't 100% done yet.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/floorpanaarms.jpg

xoltri

04-01-2009, 08:03 PM

So I have been struggling to get some tubing bent but I think that I've finally found a solution. I had called a few places but they wanted too much money ($15 per bend plus material). So I did some googling and found this video on youtube which is a great guide to getting good results with the cheap Harbor Freight 12 ton pipe bender. Harbor freight bender (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWT3N3m4bE4&feature=related)

Well, mine is from princess auto in Canada ($130CAD) but it is the same thing.

The real trick is to fill the tubing completely with sand which acts to support the tubing while it is being bent. This is all described in the video. However I was bending 1" OD tubing with it and the 3/4" pipe die was too large, so to support the tubing I used some canvas cloth folded up and placed neatly in the die. This filled in the gap perfectly and provided support for a clean bend. I also used my welding gloves on the rollers to stop them from denting the tubing. They allowed the tubing to slide nicely as it was being bent.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bender.jpg

So here are the results. I got a nice 90 degree bend with this 1"OD .12 wall tubing. I did some measurements and at the apex of the bend it flattned to 0.9" OD, which I think is not bad. It is about a 3.5" CLR bend.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bend1.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bend2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bend3.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bend4.jpg

03BLACKGT

04-01-2009, 08:49 PM

wow ... im impressed and excited. u had made mention to this on my my thread and now im eager to try it

xoltri

04-04-2009, 07:34 PM

Today I finished the front porch and floor pan. I also bent the 3/4" .065 wall tubing for the front 'bumper' which also acts as the mount for the front suspension. The bending is going great, I'm happy with the results.

The upper tubing in the photograph is just tacked in for now, I want to make sure that everything lines up before it gets permanently welded.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/porchbig.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/porchclose.jpg

Scorch3

04-05-2009, 12:26 AM

those bends are impressive i might actually get one of those benders now

Raywelder

04-05-2009, 02:31 PM

I purchased the engine today, it is a Briggs 7HP Intec 206. It is second hand, but is fairly new, and I ran it in the garage and it seems to run good.

I paid $175CAD which is about $140US. I don't know a lot about how the throttle from the pedal will link up with the engine so I hope it doesn't need a lot of modifications. Anybody have any input on this?

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/enginefront.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/engineback.jpg

Sometimes around the throttle lever, they have places where you can thread in cable mounts and stuff, On the honda I used, I just stole some cable and hardware off of a bicycle, and it just bolts right on. May be same for a briggs, but Im not sure.

Kenny_McCormic

04-05-2009, 05:03 PM

Just add a cable to that handy throttle lever on the front.

xoltri

04-11-2009, 09:21 AM

I now have the front suspension tacked together and I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm anxious to get it welded together solid so I can jump on it a few times to see how it performs.

You can see in the photos I also welded jam nuts to the suspension arms and installed the ball ends. I had to re-tap some of the nuts after welding because the threads got contaminated.

I also purchased a seat used for $60CAD. It's fairly large so I will have to modify the steering uprights and roll bar but I think it will be worth it for the extra comfort. Plus the price was good.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/frontsusp1.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/frontsusp2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/frontsusp3.jpg

ed1380

04-11-2009, 10:14 AM

DANG looks nice

what kind of car is that in the back?

xoltri

04-11-2009, 10:59 AM

Hey thanks,

the car is just an 03 Corolla, nothing special. I'm much more excited about the go kart, haha.

thgrahamjr

04-11-2009, 02:40 PM

Your cart looks great, can't wait to see the finished kart!

modelengineer

04-12-2009, 05:23 AM

That looks like a great kart. Very good attention to detail.

However, I think you should mount your shocks in double-shear, rather than single-shear. MUCH stronger for just a bit more effort.

Here is a pic showing single-shear (first) and double-shear (second)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Bolt-in-shear.PNG

theo

04-12-2009, 09:15 AM

I wouldn't worry about the double sheer (there is little weight there) but I'm a little concerned about the top shock mounting. The way it is now when the a arms arc up the top shock mount doesn't want to do that, it will bind. The top mount has to be turned 90 deg. and bolted to a tab.

theo

xoltri

04-12-2009, 10:16 AM

I finished welding the frame together and I made a video of the suspension in action. I understand what you are saying Theo but I think it is working fine. The way that the shock compresses doesn't twist it at the top mount.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6asqGJFYKw

theo

04-12-2009, 11:17 AM

Your right, I thought for sure there would be more arc to the shocks. Looks go, looking forward to seeing it go.

theo

Kaptain Krunch

04-12-2009, 11:20 AM

looks great man.

Raywelder

04-12-2009, 01:02 PM

Wow, Looks good!

rgvkid

04-13-2009, 12:17 PM

Imo, You should never be over confident in a frame with a poor design. You or someone can get hurt if something fails. Always better to be a bit over built then under. I definitly Modelengineer on the double shear. It doesn't take that much time to add onto since you have everything in your shop. All you need is a 1/8 tab bent back to the cross support and welded in. You don't have to box in the sides of the tab above the shock but it woul dmake it so much stronger. You don't think there is going to be alot of weight in the front but when the rear end kicks up off a jump then all the weight will be shifted to the front. Plus gravity, There is a tremendous amount of weight which will be placed on those bolts so its always better off to use Grade 8 bolts especially if you are not double shearing.

Im posting a pic of some revisions to think of, which will give you a huge sense of confidence in your Kart and make the riding so much more enjoyable. If Not then your going to here us say," I Told You So". The triangulation support will help with the flex in the A-arm links, If it doesn't get in the way of your legs. The front bars will help with shifting form the suspenion working or if you take a bad hit into sopmething. You can remove the front 2 stright bars or better yet, leave them and triangulate the front bends to the bottom rail. This isn't that much work, but it will pay off later on. Trust me.

This is an Over sized go kart im working on right now, Triangulation is key to a greta frame.

Moto909

04-13-2009, 09:36 PM

xoltri

04-13-2009, 10:34 PM

The front end looks kind of misaligned the two vertical bars and the hoop where your steering wheel will be is shifted to the side. It might just be where you attached the bars at. The first pic shows what im talking about.

Good eyes, I noticed that as well. It is not critical that they are centered although it would look nicer. I tacked those in before I found the center of the upper bumper. It wouldn't take much to cut one of them off and have it match the other side, I may do this.

The curved upper support is directly centered, so it is just the vertical bars that are wrong. The steering wheel doesn't actually mount to that though, it is just for the suspension.

landy mad luke

04-14-2009, 11:17 AM

the kart is looking great and i cant wait to see it finished. rgvkid the "oversized gokart" looks like it would be a great Off topic thread. offroading is one on my other hobbies. How about a rite up?

Raywelder

04-14-2009, 06:28 PM

for the kid in me

04-15-2009, 03:57 PM

look's pretty good

marriott1066

04-15-2009, 04:44 PM

Tis definately going to be a MEAN machine!! :devil2:
:thumbsup:

xoltri

04-17-2009, 04:31 PM

You guys have raised some good concerns with the strength of the frame so I have been playing with the free trial of SolidWorks to try and model the frame to see the best places for possible improvements. Here is a preliminary video with what I have made in the past 2 days. It shows a 400lb load applied to the top corner of the front bumper.

I hopefully plan on modeling the rest of the front suspension at least so we'll see what the computer says I should do for bracing. Plus it's a cool learning experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_glZ6v9F0U

theo

04-17-2009, 04:53 PM

I would like to see the bottom T arm of your front suspension made into a A arm. The fore and aft load on it is great and It will bend. You could have it attach on the out side of the C channel.

theo

rgvkid

04-18-2009, 01:05 AM

Xoltri Thats a Sweet Program! That will help you alot with the design of the Kart. The fact that your taking in what alot of the viewers are saying, will help you make a way better Kart then what you would have expected. Better to keep having fun then to have fun worrying if something is going to break again. I look forward to what you come up with after taking the time to research your design with the program. Keep us posted.

Lets see some more animation. That gives a great perspective.

xoltri

04-18-2009, 08:22 PM

I haven't had a lot of time to work on it this week but I managed to get the TAV2 mounted to the engine which required a lot of grinding of both the engine and the mounting plate of the torque a verter to get it to fit. Otherwise I would have had to mount it vertically and I wasn't happy with that setup.

You can see some of the grinding in the photo. I also had to grind the spacer that goes on the crank shaft because my crankshaft is different than normal. But it fits now and seems to work good!

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/enginemount.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/enginetav.jpg

jr dragster Tyler

04-18-2009, 08:57 PM

Your grinding is very minor and I wouldnt worry.

xoltri

04-21-2009, 09:42 PM

In the past few days I have lengthened the mid section of the frame and installed the seat rails to accommodate the larger seat. I will have pictures of this later as I may go to an auto wrecker to get adjustable seat sliders.

Today I took some photos of the steering as it sits now. I didn't want to get an expensive steering setup with a splined shaft and all the hardware so I went the cheap route.

I bought an old steering wheel from a GM truck for $10 and welded collars onto it on the front and back like so:
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/wheelfront.jpghttp://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/wheelback.jpg

Then I bought a piece of 5/8 rod and drilled 2 holes in it to match the collars like so (only 1 visible):
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/shaftholes.jpg

This is cheap and it is removable, which is better than welding the steering wheel right on the shaft.

In the above photo you can also see the UHMW blocks that act as bushings for the steering shafts. Someone nice guy on another forum sent me these for free. They are a dense plastic. In the below photo you can see the bottom of the steering shaft, with a washer welded on as a stopper and a washer and cotter pin on the back to hold it in place. The tabs are fitted on but I have not welded them to the frame yet.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/bottombushing.jpg

Finally here is the completed mock up. I still have to weld the pitman arm to the shaft as well, but I am waiting for the tie rods to be completed for that.
http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/steeringmockup.jpg

The nice thing about this setup is that it is adjustable up and down by moving the top bushing.

Brewcitytexan

04-23-2009, 08:16 PM

Hey, the project looks great, thanks for soo many pics and and real build log, i was wondering whats the size of that cart? (how many feet long and how many feet wide?)

xoltri

04-24-2009, 07:37 AM

The frame is 77 inches long (6.5 feet) and 25 inches wide at the widest point. With the tires on it will be, according to the plans, about 45 inches wide.

Love your signature BTW. :thumbsup:

theo

05-05-2009, 10:12 AM

xoltri, how is the build coming along? What size and wall thickness is the tubing used?

theo

xoltri

05-05-2009, 01:19 PM

Hey it's going good, little slow lately due to time constraints. I should have some new pictures up today, I have 'permission' to put in a couple hours in the garage. I have the seat mounted on adjustable rails and have been working on the live axle.

The kart is 1" x 1/8" wall tubing for the most part. There is also some 3/4" x .065" wall tubing for the upper portions.

xoltri

05-06-2009, 11:36 AM

Here are some more photos of the project. I have finished the live axle, which involved modifying a solid ground and polished 1" bar. I could have bought a keyed axle but it was twice as expensive as the non keyed one.

Basically I took the keystock, traced the outline of it on the axle, and then ground it out with an angle grinder. I found it helpful to use a zip disc to get the outline ground out and then use a normal disc to grind out the remaining material out of the center. It didn't take that long to complete. I only ground the keyway 7 inches on each end as that is all that is required.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/keyway.jpg

You can see that I also drilled and tapped a hole so that I can fasten the hubs to the axle without them falling off.

http://members.shaw.ca/xoltri/gokart/axlehub.jpg

I found out that I bought the wrong axle bearings so I couldn't mount the bearing hangers to the frame, so that will wait for another day.

Buick455

05-07-2009, 12:01 PM

Put a locking collar on both sides of everything getting a key (Sprocket, Brake Disc, and 1 on insides of the hubs). You WILL lose the setscrew and the key if ya dont... lol

You want to put them on so they hold the key inside the part, when the setscrew stops working the torque on the keys gonna wiggle it free and prolly out one side or the other. no they dont make Loctite for go karts :roflol:

Get the half collars (ones with the 2 hex bolts) much easier to install and remove after rust, and they hold better then the setscrew ones ever will.

Its looking very good, i wanna see it in motion...

theo

05-07-2009, 02:53 PM

also remove the set screws and install short bolts.

theo

ColokartDad

05-07-2009, 07:53 PM

Man she is starting to look good!
I agree, you should make the lower arm an a arm,you can keep the upper as an I!

félix

05-23-2009, 05:21 PM

very nice kart

modelengineer

05-23-2009, 06:04 PM

That's looking great. What sort of bushing are you using on the suspension? Also I agree with whoever suggested changing the I arms to A arms. 100x stronger and more reliable.

theo

06-28-2009, 08:19 AM

xoltri,....any up dates and vids of your buggy???

theo :cheers2:

xoltri

06-29-2009, 07:52 AM

Only made a small amount of progress over the last month, I've been busy building a fence! Maybe in the next week or two I'll do a big chunk of work.

I abandoned the solidworks modelling though, I don't know if I have the know-how to analyze the results that it spits out.

rocko

09-19-2009, 07:07 PM

Any updates?

xoltri

10-18-2009, 07:53 PM

Finally I have figured out the main thing that was holding me back for all this time. Today I managed to get the drive train figured out as well as get the bearing hangers and motor mount tacked on.

With the swing arm the way it is the engine was interfering with the upright suspension support when the shocks were fully compressed. To combat this I have removed the fuel tank from the engine, as well as the bracket that it sits on. I am not going to be using the governer anyway so I took all of that stuff off also.

With this stuff removed I was able to mount the TAV2 in a more vertical position, which gave me more clearance for the tire. It also allowed me to move the engine several more inches forward putting the axle in almost the correct location according to the plans.

The tire in the photos will for sure be used in the front, but I may get a wider tire for the rear. I just used it for the photo for illustration.

xoltri

10-18-2009, 10:05 PM

I managed to get a bit more done this evening after my 8 month old son went to bed. I finished welding the engine mount and bearing hangers and I welded the spindle bolts on to the front. Starting to look like something now! I may even have it on the rubber in the next few days.

Rickracer

10-19-2009, 06:06 AM

Are those just "Y" arms? Are you sure they are gonna hold up?? :confused: :confused:

whitepower

10-19-2009, 09:36 PM

Hey Yo That drill presss with the lasser thing i just put one together at my garage thats 70x40 only cost me 50 bucks got it on sale L :D good log seen a viper front suspension test on yt gona look sick

Rickracer

10-20-2009, 05:19 AM

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=3277&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1239646985
You definitely need to change your front upper shock mounts. Unless they are a heim joint style mount, they will snap off when they are flexed, not to mention, they are mounted in single shear, opposite the direction of rotation. You should cut off the studs they are mounted on, and do two tabs with a bolt through them so they can rotate on the same plane as the lower mounts. This will not only allow them to pivot without binding, the upper mounts will be about 3 or 4 times stronger than they currently are. :cool:
Also, I think a 1" axle is probably not going to be strong enough for any serious abuse, 1.25" would have been a much better choice. ;) :cool:

xoltri

10-20-2009, 09:40 AM

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=3277&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1239646985
You definitely need to change your front upper shock mounts.

Hey Rickracer,

I do appreciate your advice and honestly if I had to do it again I would probably have chosen a different design of kart. However I am following the plans I purchased in both design and materials so I can only assume that this will work. I may still do some of the awesome suggestions mentioned here but for now I am going to get the main parts of the kart built first.

Thanks!

Rickracer

10-20-2009, 10:31 AM

... but for now I am going to get the main parts of the kart built first....

I can certainly understand that, but now is the time to make any necessary or desirable changes to the original design, not later , after you've found they don't work right or won't hold up. Upon closer inspection of the front lower shock mounts, I see they are in single shear as well, just a bolt welded to your "I" arms? I'd suggest cutting off ALL the front suspension and starting over with double a-arms. At this point it would not be all that hard, you'll need a couple more heim joints and some more tubing, that's all. As far as the shock mountings, many places sell ready made mounting tabs like you would need for $2~$3 each. :cool:

xoltri

10-20-2009, 10:15 PM

I got a bunch of stuff done, I'll let the picture and videos speak for themselves! Don't mind the pink shoes, they are my wife's and were closest to the back door.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBdUCW26ykc

flowerman

10-21-2009, 12:56 AM

wow nice kart is that a honda GTX200 on there?

t0x1k

10-21-2009, 05:53 AM

I would suggest losing so much distance between the sprockets. I ran like that on my kart and at a decent speed the chain began to fling around violently.
That or use a set of idlers.

Ferrari motors15

10-21-2009, 02:44 PM

I want to know how many it cost to you to do all the kart

02mx-5

10-21-2009, 04:22 PM

Do you think the rear shock mount needs some support? I mean from the bar behind the seat that the shock mounts to, on an angle down to your knee area. i think it would help strengthen everything

xoltri

10-21-2009, 08:36 PM

Someone on the forums was nice enough to send me some photos of the kart that I believe was made by the designer of the plans. You can see some of the differences and similarities to my kart.

The kart costs more than you'd think. I have over a grand in it so far in parts and materials. The TAV2 ($230 CAD) was the biggest expense followed by the engine ($175 CAD) and tires ($160 CAD). I've tried hard to save money and these are the best deals I could find.

t0x1k, about your chain issues, what size chain did you have? And could it have been a tension issue? I hope I don't have the same problem, I cannot mount my torq-a-verter any other way on this engine.

oscaryu1

10-21-2009, 09:14 PM

ZOMG that's exactly now I wanted to setup my future kart!

Except I never thought it'd work (especially the middle suspension lol)

xoltri

10-23-2009, 07:24 PM

I had a big surge of effort in the last day or so and managed to get it almost finished and in drivable condition. Heres the video from youtube, I have some pictures that Ill put up later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klcz5UFLQho

xoltri

10-24-2009, 12:54 AM

Here are the pictures I promised, showing some of the new construction that I have done. I took some pictures of the throttle and brake linkages as this was one of the areas that I was confused about at first, so maybe it will help someone out.

kfosburg

10-24-2009, 05:06 PM

I'm new to the forum and have been running through some threads - Congrats! nice build!

Karl

porsche930dude

10-24-2009, 07:08 PM

looks great. I dont think ive ever seen a torque converter in such a crazy position but obviouly it works lol. you should stake out a couse on that field to make it a bit more intresting

xoltri

10-28-2009, 10:40 AM

looks great. I dont think ive ever seen a torque converter in such a crazy position but obviouly it works lol. you should stake out a couse on that field to make it a bit more intresting

Haha, I don't think I'm really supposed to be driving it in the city so that is out of the question.

I've since removed the governor gears and realized that I was only getting 3/4 throttle from the gas pedal, so I adjusted that and it is a lot more powerful now and running great! I plan on mounting a speedometer and once that is done I will take everything off and paint it and put up some more pictures.

asdfasdf128

10-28-2009, 10:53 AM

cant wait!

r_chez_08

10-28-2009, 01:24 PM

:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5::drool5:
i LOVE your kart, and how perfect it is, well done! i was also admiring your keyway. i tried grinding a keyway in my jackshaft, and it was 1% as good as that!

TOO FAST

10-28-2009, 03:40 PM

Fantastic job

=SMITH=

10-30-2009, 03:42 PM

Looks good so far man. keep up the good work:thumbsup::cheers2:

wenceslaore

01-14-2010, 06:44 AM

Very good work. Your post I am inspired to begin to do my own go-kart, but I am of Argentina, you will have realized by the bad translation, jejeje! And for that reason it is difficult to secure the planes to me of I was looking for them to easykarts.com and I could not find them would thank for much to you if me you could pass the planes in .pdf my mail is wenceslaore@msn.com. I wait for your answer thank you very much. Greetings and very but very good work.

Punthoofd07

02-13-2010, 07:01 AM

Nicely done !! :) ;)

down_in_flames

02-14-2010, 03:39 PM

nicely done! thats one sweet kart

xoltri

04-25-2010, 09:34 PM

I had a bunch of people over the other day and we really put the kart through its paces. It worked good and everyone had a bunch of fun. But I've inspected the kart and it looks like I have some repairs and modifications to do.

Someone here suggested that I make the lower T arm into an A arm and as it turns out this is a good suggestion. The lower T arms on both sides are noticeably bent backwards due to the hard 40-50kph turns. So I will add another bracket and weld on another support to convert it to an A arm.

I will also have to add support between the two steering uprights because they are starting to spread apart.

All in all it was a good time and I'm glad these problems became apparent with no total failures and in my own backyard so I can make the kart more reliable for when I take it to the lake this summer.

theo

04-26-2010, 05:42 PM

I like your little machine. Anymore vids, maybe on ruff ground ? Show us the new a arms you are making.

xoltri

05-01-2010, 11:18 PM

I have finished one side of the A-Arm modification. This is the best solution I could think of without having to completely redo everything so I hope that it works well. Give me opinions if you've got 'em. The other side is tack welded and I just have to finish it off.

When the old lower T arms bent back the top T arms were untouched. My only concern now is that since the lower A-Arms are much stronger the upper T arms will be come the weak link and start bending. I guess we'll see.

Also, does anyone know how you can weld the end of tubes closed? I have a bunch of open ends and I don't want the inside of my frame to rust so I would like to weld them shut.

fowler

05-02-2010, 02:04 AM

fusion weld a plate over the end

theo

05-02-2010, 08:40 AM

Looks good much better.

I have a strap of 1x1/8" and cut 1x1" pieces then roughly shape on the bench grinder, weld and regrind if needed.

fowler

05-02-2010, 08:44 AM

^^^yer what he said^^^^

xoltri

05-02-2010, 11:04 AM

Looks good much better.

I have a strap of 1x1/8" and cut 1x1" pieces then roughly shape on the bench grinder, weld and regrind if needed.

Thanks theo, I will do that.

I've looked at some of the pictures of your karts and they are awesome. I'd be interested to know if you design them yourself and what type of setup you have for bending tube.

theo

05-02-2010, 12:04 PM

I design all my buggies, and base them on simplicity, and economy. As for bending, I cheat and when tight bends are needed I use pipe, with a cheap old pipe bender.

xoltri

05-02-2010, 11:28 PM

I did more work today. I closed up a bunch of the tube ends (thanks for the tip!). I added a basket to carry tools, extra gas and spare parts for when I take this thing out to the lake.

Finally, someone else (maybe it was you Theo) recommended that I add braces to the suspension upright so I did that as well.

All that's left for welding is to close up a few more tube ends. Then I will strip the frame of parts and paint it. Getting close!

I also have to redo the gasket on the engine as it has been leaking oil since I took the governor out. But that shouldn't be too hard.

xoltri

05-11-2010, 11:06 PM

I have finished the paint job and got it back together. It was too late to drive it so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I painted it 'safety blue' and black. I also used a reflective paint clear coat that will make it super visible should I choose to drive it at night. You can see the glow in some of the photos where I used the flash.

I moved the throttle cable holder over so it is in line with the carb; this should allow it to get full travel. I also added adjustable pedal stops. Should any younger drivers want to drive it I can limit the throttle to half, and it will prevent anyone from over extending the pedals.

Last but not least is the super bright LED flashlight for a headlight. Not sure how much night driving I will do but it's there in case I need it.

I'm pretty happy how it turned out. I'm sure I'll have some tweaks to do once I run it tomorrow but I'm hoping it's finished after that.