My go kart

[Skoko]

Hey guys , my go karts been coming along great but its crunch time because I have 1 week to finish and still so much work to do.

One question i have is, that my rear axles shaft is 5/8s and my bearings are 3/4s i did this because the 3/4 wouldn't fit into the 3/4s. Now the axle doesnt sit in the middle of the bearing and the rotation is terrible....


I was thinking of buying a new longer shaft that isnt keyed and getting it cut to perfection by a proffesional so that I can just screw the allen key screws into it.


Any feedback?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I can't understand why the 3/4" axle and bearings didn't fit, unless the axle you bought wasn't machined for driveline use. It wasn't just 3/4" bar stock, was it? That'll be waaay outta spec. Tell us more about the parts you bought.

 

[devino246]

Mabe it was just a tight fit. My axle came painted and was a PITA to get the bearings on

 

[gcarter95]

The bearings should be reasonable snug. If there is any paint, dirt, or surface rust on the shaft, it doesn't take much to stop the bearings from going on. A fine grit emery paper takes care of it nicely, and really doesn't take too long.

 

[Russ2251]

It wasn't just 3/4" bar stock, was it?

I'm bettin' this is the problem.
Analogous to buying a length of 2"x4" wood. Not really 2 inches by 4 inches. More like 1½ x 3½.
Measure OD of axle and ID of bearing bore. Digital or dial caliper is essential for this measurment.
Axle should be a "hair" under and bearing a "hair" over. Difference or tolerance should be around .001" to .002" or less. Mine is .0016".
This difference also applies to PTO's and centrifugal clutches.
PTO may be ⅝" and clutch ⅝". If they were exact, they will never fit together. One or both MUST be slightly under (PTO or axle) or oversize (clutch or bearing.)

 

[Skoko]

You guys are very correct, I returned that shaft and got a machined one from another metal supplier. This one is just rather slightly under 3/4 and it is a very snug fit, the bearings don't even need to be tightened

Anyways, my go kart physics project is coming to a close, and you can bet I will be posting videos of my 1month/100$ go kart

 

[Skoko]

http://www.youtube.com/user/surfinghonolulu#p/a/u/2/TW2TTAVBvaE

Our beginner go kart for our physics project. It cost us 150$ to make. It wasn't made the best or the sturdiest but it was close to 100%!

I'm the bigger guy

 

[Skoko]

If your curious the front steering pivot point is using a piece from a wiper blade on an acura, the tensioner system was made because a clutch was 100$, and the front tire pivot points were 3 way steel pipe joints rotating in the squares at the end of the A bars.