DirtyDamage
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U pull and pay
Honda 360cc Go-kart Scratch Build
- Thread starter Thingem3376
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OzFab
Well-known member
Whatever way you go, shocks for this built won't be cheap; probably the cheapest way out of it will be motorbike rear shocks; if you can't find a bike with suitable twin shocks, find two identical singles...
When selecting shocks, the two important things to remember are
1. Length: If the distance between the mounting points when the arms are positioned where desired is, lets say, 12", then you want to be looking for 14" shocks; no matter what the application all shocks/springs sag under load...
2. Spring load: If the total dispersed weight of the front is 150lbs, then you should be able to use 100lbs shocks on each side; likewise, if the rear has a total dispersed weight of 300lbs, 200lb shocks on each side should do the job...
When selecting shocks, the two important things to remember are
1. Length: If the distance between the mounting points when the arms are positioned where desired is, lets say, 12", then you want to be looking for 14" shocks; no matter what the application all shocks/springs sag under load...
2. Spring load: If the total dispersed weight of the front is 150lbs, then you should be able to use 100lbs shocks on each side; likewise, if the rear has a total dispersed weight of 300lbs, 200lb shocks on each side should do the job...
Thingem3376
New member
Are air shocks a good idea for this kind of build, looking through the forum I see they are generally frowned upon on smaller karts? I ask because I can get a good set of automotive grade shocks cheaper than I can get ATV shocks.
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I think the problem with car shocks will be that they are just too stiff for kart use
Thingem3376
New member
Even if the buggy will weigh about 400-500 pounds driverless? If not air shocks would automotive shocks work as well?
OzFab
Well-known member
The quote in your posts answered your question...
I've been in the auto industry for over 25 years & I've never encountered a car that only weighs 400-500lbs...
I have encountered a vehicle that was fitted with heavy duty rear leaf springs for the purpose of carrying heavy tool boxes; when the boxes were removed & the truck was driven on the heavy springs, they broke the chassis rail in two...
I've been in the auto industry for over 25 years & I've never encountered a car that only weighs 400-500lbs...
I have encountered a vehicle that was fitted with heavy duty rear leaf springs for the purpose of carrying heavy tool boxes; when the boxes were removed & the truck was driven on the heavy springs, they broke the chassis rail in two...
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
WAIT!!!!!! SAY WHAT???? OK......Not doubting or calling you a liar...but kinda questioning the absolute cause of the frame failure.....
Think about it......REALLY? Aren't vehicles pretty much underrated for loads???? Secondly, really, HONESTLY! !!!, think about it.....(we're not talking eliminating the suspension here...just making it stiffer) .....
Now....I'll bet you a warm flat beer....that the flaw was created carrying overloads....and the frame only snapped. because of slightly imbalanced. load situation...but the stronger springs were NOT the cause....(just a means to delay the inevitable) ....
Thingem3376
New member
There is a point in heavy duty frames were driving unloaded is just as bad as driving with the suspension removed. I worked for First Transit before my accident, and when we would work on some of the bigger service trucks where you removed the the toolbox, or tow box, the back end would sit a whole 2 feet higher than with the toolboxes. The suspension would be as hard as a rock and you might as well have welded a steel rod between the leafs and the chassis, were the air bags go on some of the large trucks, and the tow trucks. Now breaking the frame in two is a bit over the top, I say this not meaning to insult you or call you a liar. Maybe fatigued the metal to the point where it cracked the chassis rendering it totaled. But hey we all have different experiences in the mechanical world. Now back to the darn question on shocks, what is a good travel distance for such a build, that should be the first before I even think about shocks and their mounts?
OzFab
Well-known member
You may be absolutely correct, all I know is, the chassis didn't break until after the weight was removed, the damage may well have started long before that...
All I was trying to say, which Thingem3376 also pointed out, is that having suspension that's overrated for a vehicle can be as dangerous & devastating as having suspension that's underrated...
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