Hello. Found this site while looking for help with my mini Jeep

[TimC]

Hello. I have a nice little dirt track I built for my 4 grandkids, (and their parents!), where they can tear around on 4 bikes, (40cc to 125cc), a 110 quad and my lawn tractor, which they love to ride around towing the others behind in the trailer.

This spring I added a XPro mini Jeep to the fleet, and at once it became the favorite, even tho it has a real problem in the hairpin turns. Because of the live rear axle it understeers so much the kids have to reverse the Jeep several times to make it around the tight curves.

Does any one here know a way to turn one of the rear wheels into free wheeling that doesn't require a lot of fabrication and machining?

Thanks for any help.

Tim

 

[Hellion]

It’s an art form being able to properly power a live axle kart around a track. Never heard of anyone wanting to convert a live axle to one-wheel-peel. It’s 99.9% the opposite around here.

I’d consider a differential axle instead.

 

[Hellion]

You’re just supposed to say hello in here. Better to post in the Go Kart Discussion forum (too late for that though) for the intro forum doesn't get much attention . It’s also not required to post in here first.

 

[Denny]

Welcome!

 

[panchothedog]

Don't know if this would work on your jeep. But on an off road kart ( quite a bit lower to the ground ) with a live axle, the trick is to add enough power so that you steer with the throttle. Kind of like you see sprint cars doing. Once you get the rear wheels to break loose ( loose traction ) the handling and steering abilities become a lot easier.

 

[panchothedog]

Thats is really cool of you Gramps, to build them their personal race track. Wish that I had enough land to do something like that.

 

[TimC]

Don't know if this would work on your jeep. But on an off road kart ( quite a bit lower to the ground ) with a live axle, the trick is to add enough power so that you steer with the throttle. Kind of like you see sprint cars doing. Once you get the rear wheels to break loose ( loose traction ) the handling and steering abilities become a lot easier.

Thanks for the reply. The kids are able to corner the quad that way around the corners, as its rear wheels spin predictably around the corners with just a flick of the throttle. But the jeep, with its tall first gear and the engine attached right to the rear axle swing arm requires too much speed and throttle for the kids to safely drift a corner. (Thank goodness there is a lot of 'run out room' on each corner!).

On the other intro I accidentally posted Edwin Spangler threw out the idea of a handbrake, and that's an easy thing to try, as the jeep has a parking brake lever on the steering column for both the front and rear brakes, and by removing one cable I can make it rear wheels only. All that weight on the rear wheels might make for fun, and safer, handbrake turns.

 

[TimC]

Thats is really cool of you Gramps, to build them their personal race track. Wish that I had enough land to do something like that.

Thanks. Both of my children live out of state, so for years I've tried to come up with fun things to entice the grandkids to come visit Grandpa Tim. I have 2 acres of unused pasture, so dirt bikes seemed a natural. It started 5 years ago with a little 40cc pit bike, and has grown from there into a fleet of seven vehicles. The dirt track was this years new attraction, done with the help of a landscape contractor who dumps free fill dirt here if he moves it around into berms and jumps. It was a huge hit, not with just the kids, but their parents too!

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Perhaps some turf saver tires instead of knobbies. Slicker tires are easier to break loose.

I think us old kids need to haul our karts to grandpa tims track.

 

[TimC]

Perhaps some turf saver tires instead of knobbies. Slicker tires are easier to break loose.

I think us old kids need to haul our karts to grandpa tims track.

Well, similar to your line of thinking, I found the solution, and now I feel silly for even considering free wheeling and hand brakes. I simply pumped the rear tires up to 20psi instead of 10, and it corners as well as the quad now. Under normal throttle it makes the tight turns with almost no understeer, and the back end can break loose and spin around with just a blip of the throttle. Finally I can do some quality donuts!

Keep It Simple Stupid. Think I heard that somewhere.......

 

[panchothedog]

I was going to say add some weight to the front end, soften ( lower pressure ) the front tires and over inflate the rears. But you have already found the solution.
Way to go.

 

[Denny]

Stick around and play with us a while!!

 

[Hellion]

It is hard to imagine all the conditions that lead to the poor mini jeep handling; track condition, dirt composition, tire type and all that without being there. Not many have experience with those mini jeeps either, as we’re more of a hardcore speed addicted group in the traditional go kart vein…. The mini jeep has a “weird” layout and seating position and seems more of a novelty at least at face value.

Seems like some videos and more photos are in order. The problem is solved however, to your satisfaction (so far, so good, knock on wood) but it did sound like too much traction ….but then again we can only guess with the little amount of info provided.

What‘s your Youtube channel called?

I want to see the tires on the mini jeep.

 

[TimC]

You're right about it being an odd little vehicle, but it was a huge hit with both the kids and adults. It has its practical uses too. I now use it to get my mail, (1/4 mile round trip to the mailbox), and I put a hitch on it to tow my utility trailer around the property instead of using my lawn tractor.

My trouble solving the handling problem was I heard hoof beats and thought zebras instead of horses. Other makes of the mini jeep have the engine in the front, mine has it mounted in the rear attached to the rear axle swing arm, so lots of weight on the rear wheels for incredible traction. Not ideal for sliding around corners! Along with the higher rear tire pressure I'm going to drop the front sprocket from 14t to a 12t, to give it extra spunk coming out of the tight corners.

I don't have a Youtube channel. I'm just a crazy grandpa who figured anything worth doing is worth doing to excess. But I do appreciate the help I got here, mainly in convincing me my first approach to the problem was, well, nuts.

You can see some of my jeep videos at this link;

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1o53qWtHpuomC

 

[Edwin Spangler]

YX engine in that mini jeep? I was playing with one of those for a while, earlier this year. Simply changing the carb to a "decent" Nibbi had a very noticeable power jump. After the carb swap, the thing could lift the front with no input other than throttle. It was a small dirtbike, however.

 

[TimC]

YX engine in that mini jeep? I was playing with one of those for a while, earlier this year. Simply changing the carb to a "decent" Nibbi had a very noticeable power jump. After the carb swap, the thing could lift the front with no input other than throttle. It was a small dirtbike, however.

The name of the engine is Zongshen. This is the same engine as in my 3 dirt bikes and the quad. Seems pretty rugged as the kids have really been beating the daylights out of them. Tho the carb is pretty cheezy.

 

[panchothedog]

When I tried to play the video (I only have a tablet ) it says that your browser cannot play this video. I don't even know what that means. But I like the still pictures. The jeep looks kinda narley. If the family keeps coming, don't be afraid to add some off road go karts. Not the racing kind, and definitely not the modern Chinese buggies. There are plenty of older ( mostly 2 seat ) karts and many have suspension at both ends and a roll cage. Pull start karts. No lights, no reverse, just the basic kart. With a warmed up predator 212cc ( cheap Harbor Freight engine ) and a 30 series torque converter, they are an absolute blast. Especially on a multi turn dirt track like you have. I get my Grandkids from about 5 or 6, to my wife who is in her 70's and everyone in between into the ones I have.

 

[Edwin Spangler]

The name of the engine is Zongshen. This is the same engine as in my 3 dirt bikes and the quad. Seems pretty rugged as the kids have really been beating the daylights out of them. Tho the carb is pretty cheezy.

View attachment 155667

Yea same thing, im almost positive. They all just copy each other anyway. Do you have the CVT or gearboxes in those? Just curious.

Either way that carb idea could be something to consider in the future for a little power boost.

Lol saw that video. Think about this lol, my kart turns even worse (Chinese AMERICAN buggy thats been extended about 14") than that and we dont have reverse. I have to hop off whatever Im riding to pull them when the need to reverse!

 

[Denny]

Pancho are you nuts? You said your wife’s age on a public forum. Don’t you know they’re all 29.

I’ve got one of those jeeps too. When I finally get time to play with it, it will probably need a ton of work to get it running.

 

[TimC]

Yea same thing, im almost positive. They all just copy each other anyway. Do you have the CVT or gearboxes in those? Just curious.

Either way that carb idea could be something to consider in the future for a little power boost.

Lol saw that video. Think about this lol, my kart turns even worse (Chinese AMERICAN buggy thats been extended about 14") than that and we dont have reverse. I have to hop off whatever Im riding to pull them when the need to reverse!

It's got a 3spd gearbox with a truck style tall shift lever and a gear indicator on the dash. That's why I got it, I wanted to give my kids the experience of driving something like a car. I originally wanted to find a used micro-car from the '70's that I could take the doors off of. Something like an original British Mini or Fiat 850, but I was running out of time when I came across the jeep, and figured that would do.

But now after being on this site, I'm thinking an American off-road go-cart buggy, like Panchothedog was talking about above, might be the next addition.