Manco Dingo Better Ground Clearance

l008com

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So I have this dream that some day I'll go on a real long distance treking adventure with this thing. I don't mean like days long, I mean like 10 miles on mostly fire roads. Dingos are weird. they are kind of capable, but also with no real suspension, they can beat you up and get stuck kind of easily.

Where I want to use it, there is a pretty extensive network of fire roads. BUT its a rocky rootey type of place, and this kart only has like 3" of ground clearance.

So what are my options to improve that?
I thought about this today while looking at the kart, thinking about how I should put new tires on it.

For the rear . . .

The easy way is just larger diameter tires. Although that will change the gear ratio. And they'd get pretty big pretty fast to get more than a couple of inches of height. But its just a straight axle so it wouldn't be too hard, if I got some basic welding skills, to cut off the axle mounts and weld them back on, with some kind of spacer between the mount and the frame of the kart. Not a bolt on solution, but a solution.

For the front . . .

I don't suppose anyone makes steering hubs that are made specifically for this? That COULD be a bolt on solution. Otherwise it would be pretty major fabrication to get more space between the front of the kart and the ground. Theres also not much room when you turn the wheel, for larger front tires. But if spacing them out ALSO gave me room for larger fronts, that would always be good to smooth things out, and that would not affect the gear ratio.

I'm not looking to go crazy, and turn this into a single seat razr. I'd just like to be able to drive down a fire road and not smash my frame into every other rock sticking up off the road.

If I really had the time and the welding skills, what I'd like to do is build a whole new base frame from scratch, that the roll cage would bolt on to. A frame that would be strong square tubing, with a 1.25" receiver front and rear, and provisions for an open diff rear axle and two disk brakes or even better, four brakes. Disks all around! And once you're doing all that, I guess you might as well start thinking about suspension. But all of that is a dream thats not going to happen. But if I can fairly easily lift it another 3", that may happen.
 

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l008com

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I just looked at a frame diagram and the front suspension is the inverse of what I was thinking it was. meaning the only solution is more welding. I guess I just need to take a welding for hobbyists course.

And I would hopefully be doing very tasteful mods, it wouldn't look like a frankenkart when I was done, it would look plausibly factory, just way more useful. For example, the half *** welded on trailer hitch thats peaking out in the original photo, has already been removed and recycled :D
 

landuse

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In my opinion, it might be more of a headache trying to convert the dingo to something you are going to like and that will work for you. Are there maybe some larger buggies for sale in your area? Messing with steering and tyre height can easily go sideways fast
 

l008com

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I'm in massachusetts so no, theres very little off roading and off road vehicles around here. And I also have limited storage space so I'm not really interested in anything bigger. I've had this dingo for like 25 years now, its just a fun little cart. But modifying the frame a bit so it stand taller, if I can learn to weld well enough that it will stay welded, doesn't sound like THAT much of a headache. And a read diff will make this thing infinitely more practical for fun and for utility use.
 

Denny

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It would be less work to start over and build a new frame from scratch. One with your purposes in mind. Trying to adapt something to do something else than what it was designed to do will end up being a project of just chasing the next problem.
 

Hellion

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Buy one of those mini Jeeps or a regular China DingDong Fang Trailmaster buggy. The former has been shown to handle desert trail and cactus on one well-publicized torture test and the latter is well evident (and more affordable); fully suspended and with more creature comforts and gizmos.

Other than that, even the most well suspended kart can beat you up in the rough stuff so it’s all a bit academic. Hold on and grit your teeth?

I wish they still produced the old ATC90 balloon tires. A Dingo with one on each corner could be quite a machine. These tires were of unit construction, a rubber tire bonded to a 3 inch rim, essentially. An ultra low pressure tire, super soft, that instead of bouncing over boulders and tree stumps, sort of conformed around the obstacle instead.
 

panchothedog

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Just take your trip in the kart the way it is. If you get high centered on something, then get out and drag it off. All of the mods you are considering will just ruin a really nice kart.
 

l008com

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Just take your trip in the kart the way it is. If you get high centered on something, then get out and drag it off. All of the mods you are considering will just ruin a really nice kart.
Its not about high centering, its about smacking rocks all over the place that. This is new england, its all rocks. Theres no way I'll spot them all. I don't think increasing the ride height by 3-4" is going to ruin the kart.
 

l008com

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Just so you understand, this is a typical new england fire road. This will be miserable to drive any kind of distance on with the stock ground clearance of a dingo. This is why a lift is definitely on my wishlist.
 

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Hellion

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To be honest the dingo probably wasnt made to be a 20hp 50mph flat tracker.

Nor was it designed to handle double wishbone front, fully independent rear suspension either. The frame is a minimalist flat design based on an early Rupp kart or something. For full suspension, you’d (ideally) need to add more tubing, triangulation, gussets, bracing to stiffen the chassis.

Not saying the Chinese are getting it right, but their buggies are probably what the OP should emulate
 
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