Building Outside the Box

panchothedog

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LVScott, there are lots of 2 seater karts out there. I own 4 of them and all are from a different manufacturer. I buy old beaters and then fix them up for my Grandkids. My youngest son is 47 so my Grandkids might be older than yours, but I have taught everyone of them how to drive in the karts. One adult ( 225 lbs
me) and one full sized teenager ( thinner for sure ) still fit in 3 of the 4. Although it's been quiet some time since they needed Gramps to go along for the ride. I bring this up because refurbishing a dead kart can easily be done in a months time (looking brand new) for around $400 to $800. Building one from scratch could easily take 6 months ( and maybe a year) and will run you $1800 to $3000
by the time you are all done. Just a matter of priorities which path you choose.
 

panchothedog

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I hadn't bothered to read every word of every post prior to making mine. Glad to see that you are being realistic about the cost. Thats a very expensive go kart. About your fears of ground clearance with a 60 tooth axle sprocket. All I can tell you is we have been going to the Southern California desert for several years. All of my karts run a torque converter and a 60 tooth sprocket. Two have 18" rear tires, one has 19's and one has 20". 5 Grandkids and they run the living H out of them. We have NEVER had a problem with the sprocket hitting things, breaking, or getting high centered. Your theory sounds neat and all that, but remember
KISS. I think you are building yourself a big complicated head ache. All the extra chains and moving parts are just more stuff to go wrong. Not necessary.
 

LVScottT

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I hear ya. But for me, half the fun is the engineering and designing. This project has evolved greatly over the years and will change even more before I actually start cutting & welding.

In fact, until recently, this was a no-weld project! I wanted to design a go kart using only bolts, like Colin Furze did, but an offroad 2-seater. The biggest challenge was the front A-arms. I spent months trying to come up with an elegant solution. Finally, a few weeks ago, I did it. I designed an A-arm that was solid, allowed full range of motion, had room for a shock mount for the lower pair and space for the shock to pass thru the upper ones, and allowed a 5/8 ball joint to thread into it at up to a 10-deg angle and still have enough thread for a crown nut... all without any Welding.

The next day my son gave me his old welder. [sigh]

So I have spent the last few weeks eliminating about $500 worth of nuts & bolts and resizing all my steel.

As far as my quest for max ground clearance, every trail I have ever ridden on, especially those in the mountains around Las Vegas [ah, so that's what the LV stands for], has had two things in common: big rocks and deep ruts. My old Dingo Deuce was always getting dinged up underneath. So, instead of relying on luck, like Pancho, I'd rather be proactive and spend a little extra time and money when building it rather than later RE-building it.

No offense, Dog.
 

panchothedog

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No offense taken. Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this project. With a budget of $3800 I'm sure you'll have enough to do a top notch job. Meanwhile I will keep my fingers crossed that none of my Grandkids drive into the BIG ONE.
Gods speed. Keep us posted with your progress. Maybe you will build a better mousetrap.
 

Rat

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Looking at the seat... I'm of the mind "Don't buy what you can build"

Like the seat... cheaper to get the materials including marine grade PLU and just make your own bench.
Of course not everyone has the patience or skill to do so and have it turn out comfortable and looking like a factory job both.

The whole jackshaft idea is definitely way overcomplicating the overall design since you're no even trying to transfer the power from one side to the other from the engine or incorporate any type of shift-able gearing.

It would be cheaper, easier, more maintenance free, to just sled the whole thing on the swingarm, run the CVT into a F-N-R gearbox and be done.

The pissing match between engineers and mechanics will never end because engeers will just never stop putting 50lbs of sh!t in a 5lb bag over complicating the nonsense we have to fix when it breaks
 

bob58o

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If I had a shaft to play around with…
I’d probably try to use it to host a pulley to turn this 20A 12V John Deere tractor alternator. But that’s just me.



 

Rat

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If I had a shaft to play around with…
I’d probably try to use it to host a pulley to turn this 20A 12V John Deere tractor alternator. But that’s just me.



Same and I am in fact looking at a similar option for the death trap I'm putting a Ducar 212 on
 

LVScottT

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The pissing match between engineers and mechanics will never end because engeers will just never stop putting 50lbs of sh!t in a 5lb bag over complicating the nonsense we have to fix when it breaks
LOL. Too true! Yes, I have always swung towards the dark side. Professionally, I am a data analyst and software developer. On the side, I am an amateur wood worker and Halloween prop builder. Somehow, most things I design actually work as planned.
 

Rat

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LOL. Too true! Yes, I have always swung towards the dark side. Professionally, I am a data analyst and software developer. On the side, I am an amateur wood worker and Halloween prop builder. Somehow, most things I design actually work as planned.
Doesn't sound like much of that is a lot of mechanical engineering or responsible for life or death circumstances or high torque and high weight equipment though
 

LVScottT

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Doesn't sound like much of that is a lot of mechanical engineering or responsible for life or death circumstances or high torque and high weight equipment though
And some people take themselves too seriously. Go karting is supposed to be fun. Do you seriously believe only mechanical engineers should ever build them??
 

Rat

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And some people take themselves too seriously. Go karting is supposed to be fun. Do you seriously believe only mechanical engineers should ever build them??
I don't take anyone all that seriously, I don't care who I piss off or how bad, I expect logical reasoning skills or you're just not worth the resources you consume or the meat sack you occupy.
At any rate You entirely missed the point, and assumed without actually reading or at the least comprehending what I said and to what I was referring to in that comment.
So as for your ignorant commentary, I actually think mechanical engineers need to spend time in the pit so they can comprehend why they designs they cone up with half the time are asinine bullsh!t.

I swear some of the crap requires being an anorexic oompa-loompa to repair
 
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Rat

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So what you're saying is I don't have to be the fastest new member...
The only definitive expectation is competency and comprehension... everything else will fall into place eventually.
Fast or slow is not of any particular concern. A big pet peeve around here is... asking for advice, then ignoring or doing the opposite of the advice given, and then pitching a fit because it didn't work.
I won't deny being guilty of this at least ONCE and then found taking the advice from the get would have been a lot less headache
 
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