Y’all walk me through this…
I have never built a kart before, so I’m looking for advice.
I want to build a lightweight two-person tube-frame utility buggy that is still somewhat trail-capable and has part time 4wd. Think Willys M38-sized, maybe longer. Probably independent suspension all around. A flat bed or tilt bed for hauling light loads (a deer or a hog or two, maybe a few sacks of corn, etc) would be nice.
I have some experience working on and wheeling jeeps, and was a robotics coach (lots of chain, sprockets, gears, wiring, CIM motors, and fabri-cobbling). I can CAD a little and weld pretty decently (at least MIG and FCAW). I don’t have the means to get a lathe or mill right now, but I do plan on getting a decent tube bender and notcher if I go through with this.
I was thinking 1.5” 120 thou tubing should be stout enough if it’s properly braced and gusseted, right?
For power I was looking at the Predator 670 or a DuroMax 999. Getting power to the wheels is where I’m lost, as I have zero experience with CVTs, but here’s what I’m thinking:
Driving pulley to driven pulley via belt (CVT), with that driven pulley on the input shaft of a FNR gearbox. Output shaft of FNR to a divorced small transfer case (maybe from a Samurai?) where 2H, 4H, 4L can be selected. Shafts from t-case to diffs (probably UTV take-offs).
Will a Comet 780 hold up to those engines? Seems like a stretch, but I have zero experience with anything CVT. I also thought about a RZR 800 or 1000 CVT.
Reverse is a must, and I’m not sure about the best way to go about getting it… I see FNR gearboxes meant for karts, but are they too light-duty? The RPM and Quaife boxes look nice but holy smokes… ‘spensive.
FWIW, I was wanting to turn some 28”-30” ATV tires, which may be a tall ask.
The other option I’ve been kicking around is to go electric, but I think that would be super expensive.
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions are appreciated.
I have never built a kart before, so I’m looking for advice.
I want to build a lightweight two-person tube-frame utility buggy that is still somewhat trail-capable and has part time 4wd. Think Willys M38-sized, maybe longer. Probably independent suspension all around. A flat bed or tilt bed for hauling light loads (a deer or a hog or two, maybe a few sacks of corn, etc) would be nice.
I have some experience working on and wheeling jeeps, and was a robotics coach (lots of chain, sprockets, gears, wiring, CIM motors, and fabri-cobbling). I can CAD a little and weld pretty decently (at least MIG and FCAW). I don’t have the means to get a lathe or mill right now, but I do plan on getting a decent tube bender and notcher if I go through with this.
I was thinking 1.5” 120 thou tubing should be stout enough if it’s properly braced and gusseted, right?
For power I was looking at the Predator 670 or a DuroMax 999. Getting power to the wheels is where I’m lost, as I have zero experience with CVTs, but here’s what I’m thinking:
Driving pulley to driven pulley via belt (CVT), with that driven pulley on the input shaft of a FNR gearbox. Output shaft of FNR to a divorced small transfer case (maybe from a Samurai?) where 2H, 4H, 4L can be selected. Shafts from t-case to diffs (probably UTV take-offs).
Will a Comet 780 hold up to those engines? Seems like a stretch, but I have zero experience with anything CVT. I also thought about a RZR 800 or 1000 CVT.
Reverse is a must, and I’m not sure about the best way to go about getting it… I see FNR gearboxes meant for karts, but are they too light-duty? The RPM and Quaife boxes look nice but holy smokes… ‘spensive.
FWIW, I was wanting to turn some 28”-30” ATV tires, which may be a tall ask.
The other option I’ve been kicking around is to go electric, but I think that would be super expensive.
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions are appreciated.