first time building help

[middleg]

Alright i decided to scrap my old idea and start from the drawing board. I would like to have a rear swing arm suspention and it the front to have a small coil spring in the spindles to keep it simple. I think if i want to have suspention like that i might have to have a little more of an elabrate disign than just a latter type. Is 1x1 16 gauge square tubing going to be enough or should i go with a thicker gauge. I would like to have a 1 seater to keep metal prices down. I just bought a flux core wire welder from harbor freight and my dad has an arc welder. Is one or the other easyer to use. I bought the wire welder becasue i head it is easyer to weld with but my dad says the arc welder might do a nicer job. So back to my frame will a ladder frame with supports and another ladder frame in the back with shocks and a swing arm to connect it be enough or should i start looking at other designs to build. I would like to keep it somewhat simple but i want a good kart.
Thank you to all the help people at this fourm have given me already it has helped a lot.

 

[Swabbster]

id recommend a single a arm suspension, kinda like the old yerf dogs have, your wheel will angle in and ware un even but its not a big deal, id really advise you to go big or go home, buy a tubing bender, about 150$ and a tubing knotcher 25$, and make it out of round tubing, it will be well worth the time and money at the end, ive been thinking about building one, just dont have the money yet, i plan to use about a 400cc snowmobile motor, id setup the rear end like the pic, if you don't under stand how all the bearings work to allow the suspension to travel without changing the distances at all, no worries about chain tension, ask ill explane it

 

[GregMartin]

I'm glad to hear you are going to have a go at welding up a frame. Like I've mentioned to You before I prefer arc welding however other people have posted that they like the MIG. You should have a bit of a practice with both. I use arc welding for heavier gauge and MIG for the lighter stuff. My go kart was made with 2.5mm thick square hollow section (13gauge-ish) so the arc welder worked very well.

Building a frame with suspension is quite a large undertaking and will require a lot of sorting out. It may be a more achievable goal to build a simpler go kart as you first project. Of course this really depends on you. So good luck and I look forward to seeing the pics.

 

[Aladinbama]

There are plans for such a kart out there that are pretty cheap. If you do some looking around here you'll find some interesting builds you could possibly build off of!
Find some plans online that you like and search here and elsewhere on the net to see if anybody has built them - you may be able to copy what they did without purchasing. (Arachnid, Grand Daddy, to name a couple)

 

[Swabbster]

building from a set of good plans is alot easier, but you need common sense, and the skills to use differant tools

 

[middleg]

Does anyone know a good site or program or even ipad app for designing a frame. I have tryed free handing it but that works for an idea but not a solid plan. I have done a little on paint but that does not give a definate plan either. I would like to shy away from tubing and use square.

 

[OzFab]

I use arc welding for heavier gauge and MIG for the lighter stuff.

That's a pretty good "rule of thumb". But, if you only use 16ga, the wire feed will weld it without a problem.

Mig or wire feed is easier to tack with; position, quick zap & you're done.

Practice with your "new toy" on some scrap to get the hang of it & you'll be welding like a pro in no time

1" x 1" 16ga should be ok but, if you feel you need to increase from that, increase the size, not the guage.