Building a Go Kart Jump

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

shadowfocus603

New member
Messages
63
Reaction score
0
Location
Northern NH
So it's easy to go on YouTube and find 100 videos of people jumping a go kart on a skate ramp and going end over end. What isn't easy to find is the methods for building a proper jump that will launch well allowing you to land safely. What places do you folks look to for jump construction?
 
A

Angelk

New member
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
Location
Lincoln, Nebraska
From my experience with SAE Baja racing, I would say that it is a lot less about what the jump looks like, and more about if the kart should be doing jumps. Our mini baja karts have a suspension travel of about 10 inches front and 12 rear, they also have a ground clearance of probably 12 inches. It is next to impossible to flip them and we will take some pretty serious ramps going up to 30mph and rarely flip. I was also once riding in a kart similar to those adult trailmaster ones you see and we took a jump(maybe 2 foot rise over 5 feet with a 4 foot drop behind it) and the front bottomed out and we almost went end over end. So in the end I would say that it is beefy suspension that allows you to safely do jumps, not the jump itself.
That being said, I doubt you have a kart with $3000 suspension like our baja cars. So I would just keep the ramps low and make sure you take them with enough speed to not flip
 
itsid

itsid

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,563
Reaction score
240
Location
Ruhrpott [Germany]
well ramp geometry is in fact an important thing to consider..
a bad ramp can flip almost any kart as will approaching a good ramp at a bad angle...
a badly build ramp (not sturdy enough) can not only flip your kart it can also break some legs in the process...
So, let's just say.. you will have to plan and test any good ramp as well as any kart meant to take it.

But true a perfect airtime is worth crap if on impact you shatter your spine for not having a good enough suspension;

'sid
 
A

Angelk

New member
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
Location
Lincoln, Nebraska
:iagree: I’m not saying to go out and make a 45 degree ramp and run your kart over it. I made that mistake when I was 12, I went face first into the gravel on a bike. Just use common sense. Start small and increase the angle to find out what your kart/you can handle. There is a definite point where you can tell that the kart starts to tip too far forward and this is where you stop.
 
S

shadowfocus603

New member
Messages
63
Reaction score
0
Location
Northern NH
I love that video Bob. She came so close to landing it. She just got pitched too far forward. Some of the stuff those guys do though is just stupid for the sake of view counts.
 
KartFab

KartFab

Active member
Messages
3,381
Reaction score
53
Location
Dallas, TX
You may be over thinking this. You can always just use a shovel and make a little one out of dirt. Don't need to go all out.

I jumped the manco dingo with 22" rear tires, had a big engine in the back/back heavy and it seemed to land nicely. Jump was about 30 degrees and hit it going about 20 mph. Maybe start small and work your way up. that 1puglife pot head guy is a dufus, getting his friends to do the jumping instead of himself haha. broken pelvis something or other? FRIGGIN RIGHTS!
 
S

shadowfocus603

New member
Messages
63
Reaction score
0
Location
Northern NH
This is the kart in question. It will be getting a new set of shocks with proper dampening before it sees any airtime.

I agree 1puglife is a chickensh!t but his videos are fun to watch. And the woman that broke her pelvis has more balls than he can ever hope to have lol.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top