Why use 4WD? 2 wheel drive is more fun, more reliable, simpler, easier to build, maintain and repair and, if you've ever driven a light 2wd kart with knobby tyres, they are near impossible to get bogged.
Please don't take offence, just wondering why...
I Do disagree Mr. Modelengineer...
You obviously have never irl-tried drifting around a speedway-track, seated a few inches above the ground, doing 60 km/h with a 4wd kart under you behind...
See the thing is, if you drift with rear-wheel drive only, you will ultimately loose speed and ability of steering.
With 4 wheel-drive on a gokart however, you will keep accellerating AND as a bonus, your front-wheels will, despite drifting STILL sort of "drag" your kart around the corners and bends off the track, instead of ending in the tirewalls on the track's outside at some point!
I Built a 4wd kart once, with a powerplant from an old Honda CB400 four-cylinder motorcycle engine... Know THAT was good god**** sunday-fun for the hillbillies in the countryside of sunny Denmark, i guarrantee it !
BTW i built the cart, and used it to race for over 2300 hours, and NEVER payed any attention to repair the 4wd drive system, once i got it running... So about the "harder to maintan and repair-thing"... I wouldn't know i did it right the first time
(No offence Mr. Modelengineer, i just felt that an in-correct answer should be commented).
