INVENTOR 55
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Hey everyone,
I’ve always been a bit terrified of go-kart steering systems—mostly because if they fail, you're in for a bad time. But since I’m currently building my own DIY go-kart out of a wooden pallet, facing this fear was inevitable.
And well... I'm officially stuck.
My current setup:
The steering wheel is attached to a threaded rod (steering column) that goes all the way down to a long metal plate, which acts as the pitman arm/steering lever.
The problem:
Attempt 1: First, I tried to secure the metal plate to the threaded rod using four jam nuts (locknuts). It didn't hold at all and kept slipping.
Attempt 2: Since the nuts failed, I decided to weld the whole thing together. But as you can see in the attached photo, the weld just keeps cracking under the pressure. Threaded rod steel + standard welding just isn't holding up to the steering force.
Has anyone dealt with this on a budget/DIY build? What’s the best way to securely connect a steering column to the lever arm without it snapping? Should I ditch the threaded rod entirely, or is there a clever mechanical way to lock them together?
Any advice is highly appreciated! (See attached photo for the current cracked weld disaster).
I’ve always been a bit terrified of go-kart steering systems—mostly because if they fail, you're in for a bad time. But since I’m currently building my own DIY go-kart out of a wooden pallet, facing this fear was inevitable.
And well... I'm officially stuck.
My current setup:
The steering wheel is attached to a threaded rod (steering column) that goes all the way down to a long metal plate, which acts as the pitman arm/steering lever.
The problem:
Attempt 1: First, I tried to secure the metal plate to the threaded rod using four jam nuts (locknuts). It didn't hold at all and kept slipping.
Attempt 2: Since the nuts failed, I decided to weld the whole thing together. But as you can see in the attached photo, the weld just keeps cracking under the pressure. Threaded rod steel + standard welding just isn't holding up to the steering force.
Has anyone dealt with this on a budget/DIY build? What’s the best way to securely connect a steering column to the lever arm without it snapping? Should I ditch the threaded rod entirely, or is there a clever mechanical way to lock them together?
Any advice is highly appreciated! (See attached photo for the current cracked weld disaster).
Attachments
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IMG_20260510_191339108.jpg -
IMG_20260510_191341386.jpg -
Screenshot_20260525-073607.png
