2020 - Excalibur Electric Racing kart

Functional Artist

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I believe it’s to allow more chassis flex for more grip. Glexis a big part of handling on race karts. We spend a lot of time making sure that nerf bars, seats, and bumpers fit without binding since that affects flex and handling.

I was joking about the competitive thing, I think it’s cool that you’re building one of these yourself.

Thanks, that's what I kinda figured :thumbsup:

More info in this "Glexis" stuff please :cheers2:

I tried Google-in' it :huh:
...but didn't find anything :furious2:

I had ta design & build my own (it's kinda "my thing") :2guns:

Converting a kart from gas to electric isn't that hard
...the main issue is where to put them batteries (the bat pack)

So, IMO a custom design is the "best" way to go :cool:
...designed around the major components
…& also, you have more flexibility on where ya can place stuff

Ima gonna try a few (many) things out on this "test kart"
...then, maybe make another one out of lighter materials
...plus, anything I learn from this one/these tests :sifone:

Um...don't chicken out, on me now :stir:
…"I'm comin' for you" :lolgoku:
 

Functional Artist

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I made an "upper" steering shaft bushing out of a piece of composite deck board type stuff
(wood fibers in a plastic resin)

Then, I cut & drilled a couple of pieces of 1/8" x 1" steel, to use as bushing mounts
…& added a slight bend to 'em, for alignin' with the "angle" of the bars :cheers2:

Then, I custom bent a couple of "upper" steering shaft support bars :thumbsup:
 

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Functional Artist

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My only question would be if you think that composite stuff is going to be strong enough to hold and not break?

This bushing is usually made of a hard plastic (IIRC it's called Delrin) :thumbsup:

This composite wood stuff is mostly resin with some wood fiber mixed in
(think like fiberglass resin with the cloth screen embedded inside)
...& seems pretty heavy duty

Plus, it'll be "backed up" on both sides with 1/8" steel
...so, I believe so
...but, were gonna find out :cheers2:
 

gegcorp2012

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Hi @functional artist
As you probably know, the typical installation on a deck would be with a 12" span instead of 16" span so the "boards" dont warp in the heat or under load.

The deck board material is brittle when drilled or screwed near the edges and sometimes will crack if the fastener adds too much pressure on the thin side near the edge. Seems like the plastic component may be recycled PTFE or something kind of slick.

IMHO, a the way you have made the bushing of this material would be OK especially when it is surrounded with metal .

Nice work on spacing the holes. Go for it.

BTW, on most two piece bushings I have seen, the mounting bolts are typically perpendicular to the parting line to force the halves together, rather than compress the length of the blocks.

Still should be OK.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 

Flyinhillbilly

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Thanks, that's what I kinda figured :thumbsup:

More info in this "Glexis" stuff please :cheers2:

I tried Google-in' it :huh:
...but didn't find anything :furious2:

I had ta design & build my own (it's kinda "my thing") :2guns:

Converting a kart from gas to electric isn't that hard
...the main issue is where to put them batteries (the bat pack)

So, IMO a custom design is the "best" way to go :cool:
...designed around the major components
…& also, you have more flexibility on where ya can place stuff

Ima gonna try a few (many) things out on this "test kart"
...then, maybe make another one out of lighter materials
...plus, anything I learn from this one/these tests :sifone:

Um...don't chicken out, on me now :stir:
…"I'm comin' for you" :lolgoku:
Well, Glexis is my retarded butt trying to spell Flex is, but I obviously don’t proofread, lol.
 

Functional Artist

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Hi @functional artist
IMHO, a the way you have made the bushing of this material would be OK especially when it is surrounded with metal .

Nice work on spacing the holes. Go for it.

BTW, on most two piece bushings I have seen, the mounting bolts are typically perpendicular to the parting line to force the halves together, rather than compress the length of the blocks.

Still should be OK.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

Thanks! :thumbsup:

I don't know if it matters
...but, it's a (1) piece bushing

I just made (2) of 'em
...while I was @ it :cheers2:


* Thinkin' it thru, even if it was to crumble, the steering shaft could not come out of the bracket
(metal on both sides & bolts above & below)

It would just be super sloppy
...but, should not create a catastrophic situation :2guns:

Kevin
 

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Now, we gotta figure where the lower steering shaft bushing/bracket needs to be mounted :thumbsup:

To do this, I measured the distance from the center of the "big bolt", to the tie rod end attachment hole, on the spindle "arms"
…which is ~ 3 1/4" :cheers2:

So, from the center of the steering shaft, to the tie rod end attachment holes, in the steering "arm" should be ~3 1/4" too
...this will give us a 1:1 steering ratio :wai:

Then, we simply align the holes in the steering "arm", with the holes in the spindle "arms"
...which indicates where the lower steering shaft mount, needs to be located :2guns:

With this info, I made up a bushing holder
…& gave 'er a "test fit"

Steering wheel was @ the right height
…& the distance from the seat was good
...the angle looked good
...the alignment of the "arm" holes was spot on :cool:

Everything looked good to me so, I welded 'er on
...then, I noticed that the end of the steering shaft "hangs" too low :mad2:

Back to the drawin' board :lolgoku:
 

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Functional Artist

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I think I got it :thumbsup:

I bent up a "taller" bracket
...that looks like it'll work :cheers2:

Then, had ta remove the "wrong" bracket
...& clean up the mess :huh:

Boom! :2guns:
…like it never even happened :wai:
 

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Functional Artist

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I got the "new" lower bearing bracket welded together
…& then, welded on :thumbsup:

Yup, much better :cheers2:

I also, made up a DIY steering wheel hub :cool:
…& welded it (around the bottom) onto the steering shaft
(just a big washer, that I drilled some holes into)

While I was at it , I welded the nuts (for mounting the steering wheel) on too :wai:
...but, didn't get an "after" pic :furious2:

It functions smooth, very smooth :2guns:
 

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Functional Artist

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Next up, was to make the "arm" for the steering shaft :thumbsup:

It usually just has a hole for the shaft & another hole for tie rod ends :cheers2:

While doin' research, I noticed that on most racing style karts there are (2) separate holes, for the "inner" tie rod ends
…& I also, noticed that they usually have (2) "arms" (an upper & a lower)

So, Ima gonna do that too :cool:

Measured, marked & cut a piece of 1/8" steel into (2) pieces
...clamped 'em together
...trimmed 'em up a bit
…& did some roundin'

Then, added the "mechanical" holes
…& also, some "aesthetic" holes
(they look kool & lighten the piece up too) :2guns:
 

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Functional Artist

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Functional Artist

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I’m liking the attention to detail in this build. It’s going to look great when you finish it.

Thanks! :thumbsup:
...I always appreciate it, when the craftsmanship gets noticed :sifone:

I notice some racing style karts have/use a "sliding" motor mount :auto:
...technically an "engine mount" for you'all :smartass:

I got some ideas :idea2:
...but, any info or pics on racing style "sliding" motor mounts would be helpful/appreciated :cheers2:
 

JTSpeedDemon

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Hmmmm, I'll have to look into that Netflix series. :D

Fun fact: It's a common misconception that the Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone, but actually they're two separate swords! The Excalibur was given to Arthur later by the Lady in the Lake.

I know, we have a copy of King Arthur and His Knights. :D

Wait, does that mean Kevin has to drive this thing out of a lake for it's first drive? :roflol:
 

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Hmmmm, I'll have to look into that Netflix series. :D

Fun fact: It's a common misconception that the Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone, but actually they're two separate swords! The Excalibur was given to Arthur later by the Lady in the Lake.

I know, we have a copy of King Arthur and His Knights. :D

Wait, does that mean Kevin has to drive this thing out of a lake for it's first drive? :roflol:

Um,
...she will NOT be driven out of a lake, sir :thumbsup: :smiley_omg:

There have been many versions, of this story, over the years
...here is some info I found: :cheers2:

Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone
In Arthurian romance, a number of explanations are given for Arthur's possession of Excalibur. In Robert de Boron's Merlin, the first tale to mention the "sword in the stone" motif, Arthur obtained the British throne by pulling a sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone that appeared in a churchyard on Christmas Eve. In this account, as foretold by Merlin, the act could not be performed except by "the true king," meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. As Malory writes: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born." The identity of this sword as Excalibur is made explicit in the later Prose Merlin, part of the Lancelot-Grail cycle (the Vulgate Cycle).

However, in the most famous English-language version of the Arthurian tales, Malory's 15th-century Le Morte d'Arthur, early in his reign Arthur breaks the Sword from the Stone known as caliburn while in combat against King Pellinore, and is given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake in exchange for a later boon. Similarly, in the Post-Vulgate Cycle, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake sometime after he began to reign. In the Vulgate Mort Artu, Arthur is at the brink of death and so orders Griflet to throw the sword into the enchanted lake; after two failed attempts (as he felt such a great sword should not be thrown away), Griflet finally complies with the wounded king's request and a hand emerges from the lake to catch it. This tale becomes attached to Bedivere instead of Griflet in Malory and the English tradition. Malory records both versions of the legend in his Le Morte d'Arthur, naming both swords as Excalibur.

In Welsh legends, Arthur's sword is known as Caledfwlch. In Culhwch and Olwen, it is one of Arthur's most valuable possessions and is used by Arthur's warrior Llenlleawg the Irishman to kill the Irish king Diwrnach while stealing his magical cauldron. Irish mythology mentions a weapon Caladbolg, the sword of Fergus mac Róich, which was also known for its incredible power and was carried by some of Ireland's greatest heroes. The name, which can also mean "hard cleft" in Irish, appears in the plural, caladbuilc, as a generic term for "great swords" in Togail Troi ("The Destruction of Troy"), a 10th-century Irish translation of the classical tale.

Though not named as Caledfwlch, Arthur's sword is described vividly in The Dream of Rhonabwy, one of the tales associated with the Mabinogion (as translated by Jeffrey Gantz): "Then they heard Cadwr Earl of Cornwall being summoned, and saw him rise with Arthur's sword in his hand, with a design of two chimeras on the golden hilt; when the sword was unsheathed what was seen from the mouths of the two chimeras was like two flames of fire, so dreadful that it was not easy for anyone to look."

Geoffrey's Historia is the first non-Welsh source to speak of the sword. Geoffrey says the sword was forged in Avalon and Latinises the name "Caledfwlch" as Caliburnus. When his influential pseudo-history made it to Continental Europe, writers altered the name further until it finally took on the popular form Excalibur (various spellings in the medieval Arthurian romance and chronicle tradition include: Calabrun, Calabrum, Calibourne, Callibourc, Calliborc, Calibourch, Escaliborc, and Escalibor. The legend was expanded upon in the Vulgate Cycle and in the Post-Vulgate Cycle which emerged in its wake. Both included the work known as the Prose Merlin, but the Post-Vulgate authors left out the Merlin continuation from the earlier cycle, choosing to add an original account of Arthur's early days including a new origin for Excalibur.

In several early French works, such as Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail and the Vulgate Lancelot Proper section, Excalibur is used by Gawain, Arthur's nephew and one of his best knights. This is in contrast to later versions, where Excalibur belongs solely to the king. The challenge of drawing a sword from a stone also appears in the later Arthurian stories of Galahad, whose achievement of the task indicates that he is destined to find the Holy Grail.

In many versions, Excalibur's blade was engraved with phrases on opposite sides: "Take me up" and "Cast me away" (or similar). In addition, when Excalibur was first drawn, in the first battle testing Arthur's sovereignty, its blade blinded his enemies. Malory writes: "thenne he drewe his swerd Excalibur, but it was so breyght in his enemyes eyen that it gaf light lyke thirty torchys."

In some tellings, Excalibur's scabbard was said to have powers of its own, as the one wearing it would not lose even a drop of blood. Any wounds received while wearing the scabbard would not bleed at all, thus preventing the death of the wearer. For this reason, Merlin chides Arthur for preferring the sword over the scabbard, saying that the latter was the greater treasure. In the later romance tradition, including Le Morte d'Arthur, the scabbard is stolen from Arthur by his half-sister Morgan le Fay in revenge for the death of her beloved Accolon and thrown into a lake, never to be found again. This act later enables the death of Arthur at the Battle of Camlann.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur
 

Functional Artist

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Ackermann

Still waitin' on them tie rod ends.

So, doin more research :thumbsup:

Ackermann
"Ackermann steering geometry is a geometric arrangement of linkages in the steering of a car or other vehicle designed to solve the problem of wheels on the inside and outside of a turn needing to trace out circles of different radii.

It was invented by the German carriage builder Georg Lankensperger in Munich in 1817, then patented by his agent in England, Rudolph Ackermann (1764–1834) in 1818 for horse-drawn carriages.

The intention of Ackermann geometry is to avoid the need for tyres to slip sideways when following the path around a curve.

A simple approximation to perfect Ackermann steering geometry may be generated by moving the steering pivot points inward so as to lie on a line drawn between the steering kingpins and the centre of the rear axle. The steering pivot points are joined by a rigid bar called the tie rod which can also be part of the steering mechanism, in the form of a rack and pinion for instance. With perfect Ackermann, at any angle of steering, the centre point of all of the circles traced by all wheels will lie at a common point. Note that this may be difficult to arrange in practice with simple linkages, and designers are advised to draw or analyse their steering systems over the full range of steering angles.

Modern cars do not use pure Ackermann steering, partly because it ignores important dynamic and compliant effects, but the principle is sound for low-speed maneuvers. Some racing cars use reverse Ackermann geometry to compensate for the large difference in slip angle between the inner and outer front tyres while cornering at high speed. The use of such geometry helps reduce tyre temperatures during high-speed cornering but compromises performance in low-speed maneuvers."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_steering_geometry

I installed the rear axle
…found the center
…& then, set up some string (as per directions) :cool:

Looks like they need to be brought in ~2" :cheers2:
 

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Flyinhillbilly

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Thanks! :thumbsup:
...I always appreciate it, when the craftsmanship gets noticed :sifone:

I notice some racing style karts have/use a "sliding" motor mount :auto:
...technically an "engine mount" for you'all :smartass:

I got some ideas :idea2:
...but, any info or pics on racing style "sliding" motor mounts would be helpful/appreciated :cheers2:

I’ll get some pictures of one for you this evening. I have a jackshaft motor mount off of one right now, it’s the same as any other except it has a jack shaft built onto it.
 

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I didn't want to "chop up" these spindles :huh:
...so, Ima make some adapter plates :thumbsup:

The adapter plates can simply be bolted to the spindles, using the existing tie rod end bolt hole
…& also, by adding another hole :cheers2:

The spindle "arm" is 1/8" thick
...so, I rounded up a piece of 1/8" steel
…& did some markin'

Then, cut 'er in half
...clamped them (2) halves together
...drilled some (bolt) holes
…& a bigger hole (to get a nice inside curve)
…& finally, did some shapin' :2guns:

* I'll mark & drill the third holes in the next step :cool:
 

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