2 & 4 Seat Karts Build

[vette117]

Hey guys, I have been poking around this site for a while now, and I have finally decided to join up and share my future project(s). I have gathered a lot of information from this website, (and the rest of the interwebs). I am looking forward to getting this project started, and hope you guys will keep up with the great information. It may be a bit slow to start, as I am still gathering a lot of info, as well as finalizing a Kart design. I am a picture monger, and take way too many pictures, but I'm sure you guys will enjoy it. Anyways, enough of the intro, and on to the good stuff.

Some important notes to start with.
- I have never designed or built a Kart before.
- This will be a project log for 2 seperated Karts. 1 will be a 2 seater, and the other will be a 4 seater. Both will be designed almost exactly the same, with the only difference being the wheelbase for added seats.

Current Design Features / Ideas

- Karts will be based as an offroad design, featuring roll bars, offroad tires, and decent ground clearance.
- Karts will feature a square tube frame. (Sizes yet to be determined)
- They will likely be powered via Harbor Freight Predator Motors.
- Live Rear Axle
- Suspension is yet to be determined. Likely to be no suspension, or very basic.
- Dash Cluster, likely to include Tachometer, (and speedo?), Voltage guage, and ON/OFF Kill switch.
- "Center Console" to feature cup holders, and switch panel for aux. Lights and any other added accessories.
- Deep Cycle RV Battery(s) to power accessories.
- Possibility of using Rack and Pinion Steering
- Seat layout will likely be Independent buckets for 2 seater. Independent buckets for front, and bench in rear for the 4 seater.
- Karts will have a light duty ball receiver hitch, for pulling a small yard trailer.


That is all for the current planning stage. I have put a considerable amount of research into Go Karts recently, but I still have lots of questions, so progress may be limited at some points, but bear with me! I have been working on a frame design, so I will share that with you guys soon!

Thanks to everyone who has looked and is interested. Please feel free to leave any questions, concerns, or ideas. I am here to learn!

Vette117

 

[Poboy kartman]

Well...the first thing that comes to mind is weight.... If you're going to make a 4 seater gokart with a deep cycle battery on it...a 212 Predator is gonna have to be geared REALLY low just to move it....sooo....it'll be slow.

Why a deep cycle battery? With the low amperage draw and high lumen output of modern LED lights....a garden tractor battery should suffice.

Anyway, Welcome to the forum!

EDIT: Just reread your post.....I see you didn't specify the 212....

 

[vette117]

Thanks for the input! I am glad to be a part of the community, and I will add an introduction of myself later on when I have more time.

Anyways, I have considered the weight of the 4 seat design. The frame will be heavier, and if there is a passenger in each seat, it will be extremely heavy. This was actually going to be a question later on, but since you brought it up, I might as well take care of it now. I did plan to use the 212 for the 2 Seat kart. Due to weight considerations, I did also plan to use the 420 for the 4 seater. Would that be enough? Will a decent clutch stand up to pushing around that much weight without burning up?

As to the battery decision, deep cycle battery came to mind only because of massive capacity. I don't want to "underpower" and run out of juice before the end of the night of karting. Weight, as well as size is a current concern for design however, and pair of smaller batteries may not be out of the question.

Again, thanks for the input. I appreciate any concerns and ideas.

 

[itsid]

I'm not sure the 420 will move a four passenger kart too well...

the gearing still has to be extremely low to not burn through TC belts like crazy because of the weight
(a clutch is out of question I'd say)..
so the top speed will be disappointng at best.

I think you'll have a much better chance with a real motorbike engine (with gearbox) that has around 30 horses at least to provide for some decent forward momentum.

Also that leaves you (if it's an e-start motor) with a charging coil.. so lights are covered even with just a small battery

'sid

 

[vette117]

I can try my luck with finding a motorbike engine, but I was hoping to keep it simple with the HF motors.

Are you sure the 420cc can't do the job? In the town where I live, Golf Carts are street legal, and its not uncommon for people to swap out the old 2 stroke motors for a 420cc Predator. I have seen a Golf Cart with a 420 with 5 Adults moving down the road at about 15-20mph. Not high speeds like a small go kart, but I'm not expecting any more than that out of my 4 seat Kart.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I can try my luck with finding a motorbike engine, but I was hoping to keep it simple with the HF motors.

Are you sure the 420cc can't do the job? In the town where I live, Golf Carts are street legal, and its not uncommon for people to swap out the old 2 stroke motors for a 420cc Predator. I have seen a Golf Cart with a 420 with 5 Adults moving down the road at about 15-20mph. Not high speeds like a small go kart, but I'm not expecting any more than that out of my 4 seat Kart.

It's doable....but you will be going slow....(I think you are overestimating the speed of those golf carts) the ones I've been in are geared for 10mph max.

 

[vette117]

It's doable....but you will be going slow....(I think you are overestimating the speed of those golf carts) the ones I've been in are geared for 10mph max.

Okay. Thanks again for the insight. I will keep my eye out for some other motor/gearbox options. Like I said, the town that I live in, carts are street legal, so motors and gearboxes arent terribly difficult to come by. I will just have to ask around.

As for now, I am still going to build the kart as scheduled. If it does turn out to be too underpowere for my tasted, I can use the 420 for a different project down the road.

 

[Denny]

No he is not over estimating the speeds of the golfcarts. What he wants to do is possible but it will come with a high cost for the clutches, comet clutches. Gearing will need to be in the 13:1 neighborhood.

Denny

 

[Poboy kartman]

No he is not over estimating the speeds of the golfcarts. What he wants to do is possible but it will come with a high cost for the clutches, comet clutches. Gearing will need to be in the 13:1 neighborhood.

Denny

If they're that fast, why does a round of golf take 4 hours?

 

[bighead]

An fl250 j - arm front suspension would make all that part pretty easy. Just weld that big pipe to front end. Slide fl250 odyssey j - arms on and be done.

 

[vette117]

An fl250 j - arm front suspension would make all that part pretty easy. Just weld that big pipe to front end. Slide fl250 odyssey j - arms on and be done.

That doesn't look too terrible. Not that other independent front suspension systems are too complicated, I just want to keep the budget in a decent range as this is my first build. Any more info and/or pics of that J arm? Can you purchase all the suspension components separate?



Denny, thanks for the info. I will look into the comet clutches. I am sure I didnt overestimate the speeds of the Golf Carts, only because I have been stuck behind them in traffic. Haha. Like I said before though, I have never designed, built, or even owned a go kart, so I'm not going to go balls to the walls with this build. I will keep the info handy in case it comes up in the future, but this is going to be a learning process for me.

 

[Denny]

I used to sell and service EZ-GO golfcarts and without changing one part I could get them to run about 22 mph (gas cart) I had one that I got to run 55 but it was a lot of $$$$$ and it sucked big time flipping it over at that speed, I know I did it on 3 separate occasions.

Denny

 

[vette117]

Denny, I feel like anything over 30-35mph in a simple Go Kart or Golf Cart would be scary, but given the opportunity, I wouldn't turn down the ride. Haha.


With my 2 Seat Kart, I will likely be gearing for a 25mph max.
With my 4 seat Kart, I will likely be gearing for a 15-20mph max.

I am currently adding up all the necessary components for the live axle. I have everything picked except the rims/tires. I will probably wait until the kart is near finished to pick them. With that being said, any recommendations on rim/wheels?

 

[bighead]

Yes you can buy all the parts on ebay. J - arms, spindles. You just have to find the big pipe they slide onto. Heavy duty thick wall pipe.

All the work is done for you. Just get that main pipe level and straight.

Ebay fl250 j - arms and hubs. The fl250 wheels are 8"