Frame structure

[Cartinfun]

Nothing is taken personally, and again appreciate all comments, it just no one has convinced me otherwise yet. Welded joints also can off a part , just because it's welded it don't mean anything .

Can you share more info about your camper and what happened ?.

Nothing bad per say, it just heavier than it needed to be. Wishing I had made it lighter which would make it easier to tow and decrease GVWR.

Bottom line though, you have gotten a lot of good advice on your kart. I also wanted to bolt a go kart together a while ago as I dont have a welder or know how to weld. I wised up and found a frame for $50 and am rebuilding it.

 

[Denny]

If your parents had bought you an Erector Set and you played with it as a kid you would know exactly what we are talking about?

 

[madprofessor]

Try to picture the actual use of a bolt, washers, and a nut to hold 2 pieces of steel together really hard. This is the simile that was referred to as a "clamp". The simile is that both a clamp and the bolt setup depend on how hard you can press 2 pieces of steel together.
The collapse of the tube with a bolt has happened to me several times, and that's even on 1.5" square 11-gauge steel tube, heavy steel. I have had to use oversized washers under standard washers to bridge across the 1.5" width so that the strain was put on the vertical sides, instead of just bellying in the flat side of the tube because a standard washer wasn't wide enough.
If bolts were tightened down like that without some oversized washers underneath, then a little bit of running the kart would belly in the flat sides some amount, leaving the previously tight bolt now quite loose. This is what you were being told above.

 

[diyduneman]

Try to picture the actual use of a bolt, washers, and a nut to hold 2 pieces of steel together really hard. This is the simile that was referred to as a "clamp". The simile is that both a clamp and the bolt setup depend on how hard you can press 2 pieces of steel together.
The collapse of the tube with a bolt has happened to me several times, and that's even on 1.5" square 11-gauge steel tube, heavy steel. I have had to use oversized washers under standard washers to bridge across the 1.5" width so that the strain was put on the vertical sides, instead of just bellying in the flat side of the tube because a standard washer wasn't wide enough.
If bolts were tightened down like that without some oversized washers underneath, then a little bit of running the kart would belly in the flat sides some amount, leaving the previously tight bolt now quite loose. This is what you were being told above.

I appreciate it, definitely I'll use oversized washers and see what happens.

 

[redflash]

do you get the picture guys.... about diy....let him learn the hard way.... he just ain't a listener !

 

[pearl111]

I don't understand why some people say they like DIY, because there's so many people with expertise, knowledge and good advice,
yet they come up with ever reason on why not to listen to the good advice that were given.

 

[Cartinfun]

Try to picture the actual use of a bolt, washers, and a nut to hold 2 pieces of steel together really hard. This is the simile that was referred to as a "clamp". The simile is that both a clamp and the bolt setup depend on how hard you can press 2 pieces of steel together.
The collapse of the tube with a bolt has happened to me several times, and that's even on 1.5" square 11-gauge steel tube, heavy steel. I have had to use oversized washers under standard washers to bridge across the 1.5" width so that the strain was put on the vertical sides, instead of just bellying in the flat side of the tube because a standard washer wasn't wide enough.
If bolts were tightened down like that without some oversized washers underneath, then a little bit of running the kart would belly in the flat sides some amount, leaving the previously tight bolt now quite loose. This is what you were being told above.

The other way to do it is to cut tiny spacers made out of round tube to put inside the square tube. So the bolt will go through a washer, through one wall of your square tube through the round tube spacer, through the second wall of your square tube, through a second washer and then finally through the nut. But, this would be a HUGE pain in the butt to do for every joint, and possibly not possible in some scenarios. I'd say it's only really feasible in some scenarios and mainly using C-channel and not square tube.

Again welding using the proper material would be FAR superior.

 

[Denny]

I’m pretty sure we were being trolled.

 

[bburg]

I think what everyone is getting at is small motors on go karts ,bikes ,trikes etc have a lot of vibration alot sometimes can be worse than a Harley with vibrating the tightest bolts even the ones with nylon inserts I've had carbs gas tanks etc come loose. My first trike build I tried to reinvent the wheel so to speak and when I was told not to go down a path it's not because they didn't understand my idea or was being a *** to me not wanting to see me succeed. . The reason they are telling you not to do something is because we want to see you succeed safely. And feelings be damned, when it comes to you or someone else's safety, cutting corners on critical components is asking for trouble. Take your *** to Facebook marketplace and for a few hundred bucks buy someone else project they started and lost interest or something . But when you don't know what you don't know you should listen to others who do know

 

[Hellion]

Hi newbie!

The thread starter hasn't been logged in or seen since February 2023 (that's ancient history around here) so while your comment is valid for all intents and purposes he won't likely see it. There is a small chance he will IF he is subscribed and gets an email notification..............

Thanks. I like a good necropost!