finding/building an axle

[geep]

Hey all! new to karting... Picked up a mess of frames, parts and engines and was able to cobble a decent ride together. Once we established interest (just in case, but seriously who doesn't love the idea of a go kart??) it became a project my son and I have been working on together. I am not able to identify a brand of kart... though y'all may recognize instantly. It originally had a gy6 150cc engine. We live in the woods so my son has been wanting a reverse gear. I picked up another 150cc gy6 with an internal reverse. The motor fits up nicely, though the sprocket on the axle is about 3/4" out of alignment. The axle is bent, so I decided to just find another one and work out the drive sprocket alignment in the process.

At this point I've hit a wall. Trying to find an off the shelf kit has been difficult, I can barely find kits that will match the frame width, position of the caliper, wheel mount type and sprocket position all in one... Hell I still can't find an axle where the bearing width will match the frame. I feel like knowing what kart/brand this is to begin with would narrow my search... Also I'm not against just scratch building it, but I would love to accommodate the tires we already have (4 bolt, 3" spacing on studs). Again, not against backtracking some (minus backtracking the engine itself), punting and rebuilding the axle or making some compromises. Kart world is wilder that car world for a newbie, so any help or suggestions are appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Denny]

You don’t find axles. They find you!
Seriously though have you tried Amazon, Azusa, BMI, GoKart Supply, Go Power Sports, MFG Supply? You have to build to suit you.

 

[geep]

Lol thanks! Ive exhausted amazon. Currently looking at bmi, gokart supply and gopower. I guess the issue I’m having is seeing the axle specs so I’m sure they will fit. They usually state a brand they are made for… which is why Inwas hoping to sort what we have. No identifying marks, but this frame has been rusted/repaired/repainted so many times I’m sure its buried.

 

[Master Hack]

You don’t find axles

C'mawn! l find 'em all the time. Just the other day, l was walking down the street, and there was 2 of 'em! They were under a 4 x 4 pickup.....

 

[Speedster]

If you tell us the specs you need, maybe we could help you search? (axle dia., width, etc.) You know, that teamwork thing...

 

[geep]

I'll do my best here... Tried getting the other bearing off to make it easier to measure and that didn't work out so well, so now the axle has a set of pullers locked on until I hit em with a hammer... So I'm not sure what's relevant but I'll throw out what I can.

On the frame, the bearing hangers are 19 3/4" apart (450mm). As one would expect on the axle this measurement appears close (things on the axle in the way of accurate measurements)

End to end, the axle is 33 3/4" (857mm-ish) again, keep in mind axle obstructions and measuring so I'm guessing the actual length is a little shorter

End of axle to bearing stop 7 1/2" (180mm)

Right end of axle to brake carrier 11 3/8" (289mm)

Right end of axle to sprocket carrier 14 1/2" (368mm)

Diameter at the point bearing sits 1"

Axle is stepped, tapered, splined, in the middle about 1 3/8" diameter

Don't have metric calipers sooo...
threaded end of axle is .62" dia
axle splines (19 spline) .79" dia

the wheel hub is 4 lug at 3.05" spacing

All this info may be worthless... or only some may be necessary. Maybe y'all can help with which is what. Ugly picture of the battered axle with a tape measure for limited use attention

Thanks all. I had no idea it would be such a head scratcher. Not sure why the axle is so tapered, stepped etc... but thats it!

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

That looks like a China quad axle. Have you tried looking them up?
Tao tao is a brand of them. There are others but are all clones of each other.

 

[geep]

Tao tao did look close… the axles dont look like they adjustable mounting points for the sprocket and brake carriers. I thought about maybe a split sprocket so I could mount it on the right (between sprocket and disc carrier), maybe with some spacers to line it up with the drive sprocket? I failed to mention that the new gy6 with gearbox has the engine sprocket about 1.5” to the right of where the original engine required it. Not sure if that makes sense… I was concerned that trying to add spacers to a split sprocket is risky, but again I’m unfamiliar. Thanks for the feedback I’m getting somewhere!

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Go surf the chinariders.net forums. See if you can find any info there.

Your splined hubs are going to be an issue converting back to a kart type axle.
1" keyed axle, sprocket and hub, brake, bearings and hangers, hubs and wheels will set you back a bit.
Might look for another donor.

 

[Denny]

C'mawn! l find 'em all the time. Just the other day, l was walking down the street, and there was 2 of 'em! They were under a 4 x 4 pickup.....

See, they found you. It’s a good thing you saw them too, before they attacked you!

If I was you it sounds like you need a 1” fully keyed axle. 34” - 36” long with a sprocket mount, rotor mount, bearings and keyed ATV hubs.

 

[Rat]

Seems to me it would be far simpler to just pop a couple fucitols, and go with a1"x 34" or 36" full key axle on pillow blocks even if you have to weld plates to the rails to do it, then run 4bolt drive hubs on the ends...potentially hubs you already have will fit.

Basically what Denny suggested last.

Also, stay away from splined ends (word is the snap off easily) and avoid 3 bolt hubs (stupid expensive wheels)

FWIW: GY6 style engines are a total joke (horrible electrical gremlins) you'd be better off with a more common kart engine (predator 420, Ducar 224, etc) and just stick an F-N-R box behind a torque converter

 

[pearl111]

Lol thanks! Ive exhausted amazon. Currently looking at bmi, gokart supply and gopower. I guess the issue I’m having is seeing the axle specs so I’m sure they will fit. They usually state a brand they are made for… which is why Inwas hoping to sort what we have. No identifying marks, but this frame has been rusted/repaired/repainted so many times I’m sure its buried.

Have you tried calling some of the kart part supplies sites?
From experience I know they will work with you on finding what you're looking for,

 

[Speedster]

So... (experts please correct me if I am wrong here) I think the following should work for you:
34" keyed axle that covers the axle. It is 1/4 inch longer than yours, but it should be fine.
bearing kit there's the bearings+hangers. The existing hangers may work, but if not you would have to cut them off and weld these on.
chain sprocket **for demonstration purposes only** Then something like this for the drive sprocket. You would have to find one with the appropriate number of teeth and right chain size for your project.
hubs And something like these for hubs. I couldn't find any the size you specified, maybe your measuring tape was having a bad day? What is the size from bolt to bolt across the axle hole?
Oh geez, I always do this. And of COURSE you're going to need something for brakes. brake rotor you'd have to pick the diameter you need, but that would work with the axle.
Again, someone please correct me if I made a mistake. Hope this helps!

 

[bob58o]

Was anybody able to identify the buggy?
I didn’t have luck.
Single seat buggy with swing arm and engine cage…
Kinda looked like yerfdog, Spider 150, …. But I didn’t find the actual buggy.

so many of these things…

 

[Rat]

So... (experts please correct me if I am wrong here) I think the following should work for you:
34" keyed axle that covers the axle. It is 1/4 inch longer than yours, but it should be fine.
bearing kit there's the bearings+hangers. The existing hangers may work, but if not you would have to cut them off and weld these on.
chain sprocket **for demonstration purposes only** Then something like this for the drive sprocket. You would have to find one with the appropriate number of teeth and right chain size for your project.
hubs And something like these for hubs. I couldn't find any the size you specified, maybe your measuring tape was having a bad day? What is the size from bolt to bolt across the axle hole?
Oh geez, I always do this. And of COURSE you're going to need something for brakes. brake rotor you'd have to pick the diameter you need, but that would work with the axle.
Again, someone please correct me if I made a mistake. Hope this helps!

34" is definitely the way to go even if 36" only equates to an extra 1¼ past each bearing, less is more keeping in mind any additional width should be viewed as ÷2 and 1/8" extra is basically zero in this situation because it is easily shimmed out with washers.

I mean less is more in the fact that the less unsupported axle there is the better; even having an extra support bearing at or near the sprocket carrier helps prevent bending axles from high traction high torque romping.

 

[Jacka$$withawrench]

I'll do my best here... Tried getting the other bearing off to make it easier to measure and that didn't work out so well, so now the axle has a set of pullers locked on until I hit em with a hammer... So I'm not sure what's relevant but I'll throw out what I can.

On the frame, the bearing hangers are 19 3/4" apart (450mm). As one would expect on the axle this measurement appears close (things on the axle in the way of accurate measurements)

End to end, the axle is 33 3/4" (857mm-ish) again, keep in mind axle obstructions and measuring so I'm guessing the actual length is a little shorter

End of axle to bearing stop 7 1/2" (180mm)

Right end of axle to brake carrier 11 3/8" (289mm)

Right end of axle to sprocket carrier 14 1/2" (368mm)

Diameter at the point bearing sits 1"

Axle is stepped, tapered, splined, in the middle about 1 3/8" diameter

Don't have metric calipers sooo...
threaded end of axle is .62" dia
axle splines (19 spline) .79" dia

the wheel hub is 4 lug at 3.05" spacing

All this info may be worthless... or only some may be necessary. Maybe y'all can help with which is what. Ugly picture of the battered axle with a tape measure for limited use attention

Thanks all. I had no idea it would be such a head scratcher. Not sure why the axle is so tapered, stepped etc... but thats it!

More info is better than less

 

[Denny]

Is it? Or does it just cause confusion?

 

[ezcome-ezgo]