Need a "to buy" list for an electric kart

[Meathead316]

Hi

Me and a mate want to have a bash at making an electric go kart. Neither of us have made a go kart or anything similar before so dont have much of a clue where to start, but are both pretty compitent using tools, soldering etc.

I guess the first place to start is to buy all of the parts required. now the frame is fairly straight forward, its the electronic side of things that have us boggled. so i will start the list with what i know:

Battery 12v 10ah (is 10ah enough or shud i go for 20ah?)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12V-10Ah-seal...121427?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM

motor 36v 500w
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/36V-500W-Elec...s_Vehicles_ATVQuad_Trike_Parts_Accessories_SM

controller 36v 500w (does this have to be same sepc as motor? i dont really understand how these work...)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/36V-500W-Brus...270624579675?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Scooters_LE

now will i need some sort of gearing system? or can i just link the motor to the rear axel via chain and sprokets?

also how many volts do ya recon i need? im lookin for about 30-40mph.

also as i mentioned i dont know how the controller works... are pedals my best bet? i was thinking of maybe padles on the steering wheel, one for gas one for brake.

also im not too savvy when it comes to electric and what can harm a person, but im assuming that as ive seen go karts with exposed terminals etc that a 48v kart couldnt kill me if i touched a live wire...

thanks!

 

[r97]

I'm not completely sure what parts you need that are specifically electric, but unless you know how to weld or know some one willing to weld for you it would be best to buy a used rolling chassis of some sort then rig it with electric stuff.

 

[Meathead316]

i pretty sure i can make a chassis no problem and if i just bough one then it would ruin half the fun!

i dont know how to weld but it will be somethign new to learn, how hard can it be, its just soldering on a much larger scale!

i not exactly sure of how im building it, not sure if i will have 4 wheels or 6, small wheels of big off road one, or maybe even go down the route of tracks instead. i may even not have any steering system and have each rear wheel have its own motor and use a laver system. but i cant do any of this until i know how to make a battery power a motor that turns a wheel when i press a button/pedal

 

[redsox985]

Make a tank like vehicle. Use the idea of a zero turn mower but with some tracks.

 

[r97]

i like redsox idea! i agree its not nearly as much fun buying a frame, but soldering is completely different than welding,soldering put iron in joint poke joint with wire, done. welding you have to worry about amps, wire feed speed, travel speed, stickout, and the move ment, not to menchon the added cost of welding, a new welder should look into getting a flux core mig, capible of 1/8" to 1/4", which at its lowest cost for the welder youl be in 100 for a cheap one, a nice one is gonna cost 250+, you could go used to save on cash. although i mentioned all of that, welding is an a skill that could be used almost any where, after getting the welder youl need angle grinder, chop saw, welding mask wire brush/chipping hammer (flux core and stick). also new parts cost much more than parts on a used kart. if you have the money, time, and space, to start welding i would highly suggest it. if your still interested in welding a frame your self i would suggest visiting this site http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/, also please practice for a while on scrap then get an hour or more of instruction by an expereinced welder, then get the okay on your welds to start building your kart!

 

[Meathead316]

i will look into welding when i come to it. but for now i do really like the idea of a tank like tracked vehicle, but like i said before i need to sort out the basics of getting the wheels to go round at the correct speed when i want them to!

 

[r97]

this site should have about every thing you needhttp://www.electricscooterparts.com/, get a motor, get a battery array to mach motor, get speed controller capable of handling battery array, get throttle controller that works with speed controller, you should also be able to find all the electric specific parts on that site to. for general parts like tires rims axle bearings jack shafts go here http://www.bmikarts.com/

 

[r97]

you could make an electric version of this http://cgi.ebay.com/Personal-Tracked-Vehicle-Go-Kart-Build-Plans-/200510968929?pt=Go_Karts

 

[Meathead316]

thansk for the links, all totally useless to me as im in the UK!!! but they do give me an idea of what to look for and prices etc so thank you.

so a throttle controller is added to the list now. but im still unsure on gears. i cant find anything about them... do i just hook the motor up to the wheels? if so then its gonna be easy peasy!

and that tracked gokart was awesome, but i dont liek the drivers position. i want to be low and leaned slightly back.

i recon using lever will be easy, if them throttle operate just like a motor bik then surely all i need to do is attach an arm to the end.

please help me clear up my concerns about gears as its my onyl real big grey area at the moment.

thanks for all the help!

 

[Meathead316]

Cmon, someone must know what sort of gear setup i need, or even if ineed one or not.

 

[r97]

chain and sprockets is all you need

 

[zabac70]

Depending on design of your vehicle and the motor power (electric motors are pretty torqy ), you may or may not need gears. As r97 said , chain and sprockets usually gets job done , but you can be more elaborate with that and use some fancy stuff(more money , of course) or you can use two motors and "gear" it electronically. Check sites and forums with e-bikes , you can get a lot of information's and ideas. Good luck!

 

[Meathead316]

Ok thanks, no gears will make things a lot easier and cheaper. Would it be possibl to connect a motor directly to each of the rar wheels and not use a chain and sprockets?

 

[r97]

maybe you should look into in-hub motors, i would prefer the usual chain setup cause its easy and cheap to change ratios compared to having to buy all knew wheels, if you want to change ratios

 

[zabac70]

It is possible , but the controller is more complicated, because it have to mach speeds of both wheels on the straits and to calculate speed of the internal one on the corners/bends. If motors are powerful enough , you don't need gearing at all(check YouTube for electric karts and all be clear to you).

 

[r97]

no gearing would be fast but the big motors would prob be pricey and heavy.

 

[zabac70]

Those motors aren't "big" , nor very heavy (less than 25 pounds and some less than 10 pounds). There are lot of mobile phones that are more expensive than this (prices are in hundreds of $, not thousand ). However, one stronger motor, with said sprockets and chain , would cost less (simpler stuff always do).
If you want to mess with electronic gearing , check the RC robots community sites , they know a lot about it (driving two or more motors at the same time).
I recommend considering lighter and more advanced batteries (Lithium based chemistry) , for longer fun.

 

[r97]

i really don't think your on the same page as me on this, also this thread is kinda old.

 

[zabac70]

The purpose of forum is to exchange opinions (and experiences). Those opinions are different , so one can adopt what suits him/her best. And , as a matter of fact , I'm on the same page with you on this(one motor, sprockets and chain are simpler and cheaper) , just giving some more options and ideas. This thread is 8 days "old".

 

[r97]

whatever if this guys still here chain and sprocket are best, in my opinion, and i mentioned it was old cause it doesn't seem like there are any more questions being asked, but whatever