rear swing arm kart

[johnmbranham]

i have decided to finally build myself a kart. i finally... finally have a decent welder!! althou flux core, it has to be the smoothest welder ive ever used, including argon welders. really id like to hear opinions and thoughts on what ive done wrong and how im doing so far. i have it drawn out how id like for it to be but ive already drifted away from my drawings. im posting some pics soon on what i have so far. im using 1/2" black iron gas pipe. kindof heavy but very sturdy. i can take a 3' peice and stand in the center and it not bend. im 185 lbs. i like it. total size of my kart is 61" long, 24" wide at the back, 18" at the front, ride height was originally going to be 8-10" but now im just going to rely on the tire for ride height on the front. the rear is a swing arm with the motor mounted on it. motor is a 10hp tecumseh. i also have a 500cc dirtbike motor at my disposal, but im not looking to build a death drap... i think, but still haven't decided yet. the 10 hp is a belt driven... i want to use a chain, and thats where im stumped... what to do, what to do...

 

[johnmbranham]

continued...

heres my drawings i was talking about.

 

[theo]

Swing arm is too long and not strong enough. You should be able to attach the front of the swing arm to a solid fixture and stand on one corner with no or little flex.

theo

 

[johnmbranham]

well, the frame is still being braced up. i agree with you about the swing arm, the drawing shows what id like to do with it. 13wx16L sounds better then the one in the pic. that one is actually 18x24. and 3/4" pipe. the final product will be 13x16 and elevated about 6 inches. im building a box for the rear. that way it will brace it up and separate my clutch and sprocket from being 1/2" appart lol. so when im done the engine will be alittle off centered from right over the axle. yesterday i got out side and worked on it, i ended up eliminating the front Aarms and decided to go solid on the front. ill have to change the front tires now, but it is so much simpler. this is my first lick at this, if all goes well with this, id like to make a barracuda mini. with the 500cc i was talking about. D@mn plans are so high thou. i may just wing it. plus i dont have a bender. 200 bux @ northern tool... anyways, ty theo. ill post pics of the progress as it happens.

 

[johnmbranham]

just got done with the lower part of the swing arm. the upper part will be just alittle bigger then where the motor will mount. ive searched for plans on one like what im wanting, but all last night i found nothing. i been looking at a set of sprint plans on ebay, but i just dont like the suspention on it. i like my rear swing idea, but winging it makes me alittle uneasy. i like to have something to go off of. hope to have new pics up later tonight.

speed with this cart isnt really what im looking for, with this one, i just wanna go where i wanna go. i have already started drawing up plans for my road kart, and my 36v Elek-Trick. about 1 1/2" of ground clearance and hoping for 15mph with it. but first things first.

 

[theo]

If you want a swing arm set up take a view of this site. Don't copy the shock mounting, it's wrong.

http://www.mts.net/~hpokrant/Piranha_Buggy/index.htm

 

[mike75925]

have you thought of taking a moto's swing arm and adapting it? chain is good but very limiting, if the belt you refer to is for a torq converter or tav you are better off. if you are set on chain i would try the bike motor. especially for off road applications.

 

[johnmbranham]

the belt is refering to the stem of the crank. its smooth, tapered on the end with inside threads, where it had a vbelt like a tiller motor or something. so ima have to adapt it to fit a clutch. i dont have a torqe converter. i wish i did. i may just have to go thru some trial and error and get the sprocket on the axle the speed and power i want.

 

[johnmbranham]

done alittle on it this morning, 3-4 hrs. i measure 50 times then tac-weld it, measure 10 more times, then weld it. thats why im progressing so slow.

 

[johnmbranham]

9:21 pm. im in for the night, and done til wed. done alittle bracing, i think just one more in the middle will be all i need. tires sittn on each corner i stand in the middle and jump a few times, no flex, very happy. if i had to guess a weight i would say 35 maybe 40 lbs. ill weigh it up and find out maybe tomorrow. i dont have a "shelter" to do this in, so news calling for rain. nothing else to do i may just weigh it for fun. heres where i am so far.

 

[johnmbranham]

yet another rainy day, couldnt get any welding done. i did measure and cut the front axle down. about 6" per side. i didnt realize how wide is was until after i mounted the tires. it measured about 43" before... way too wide. i cut it down to make the center of the front tire close as possible to the center of the back tire and line it up. all is right on the front now. just the welding left.
after doing some more measureing, i think ill have to narrow the rear end some too. i have two pillow bearings to support the axle. it measures--- 9 1/2" from the outside of the bearing, to the inside of the hub on both sides. is that too much of a gap? im using 1" axle. i really dont know, im trying to avoid warping it.
forgot to add, i got 2 pcs of aluminum diamond plate for $7.00 today. one was 17"x30" and the other is 7"x38". looks like something someone cut off of a tool box. midland carolina? i think was the name of the scrap yard i bought it from. down 321 from chester, sc, bout 1-2 miles b4 I20, just as u get into columbia. has a couple of honda motors, looks 9hp or alittle bigger. they said the sell the scrap by the pound. if anyone is interested, maybe rebuild them or something you could probly pick them up for pretty cheap. i tried to turn the crank on the smaller of the two and it wouldnt budge, the bigger one just makes a click noise when i turned it, sounds like a busted crank, dunno.
hope to have something to show on saturday night.

 

[mike75925]

take your time and don't sweat it, when you are done hopefully everything will be right. looks good so far

 

[johnmbranham]

still nothing, have ordered plans and am waiting. heim joints are expencive, how come noone told me?? theo told me about a "sprint" now i like it and am gonna make it.
hurry up and wait!!!

 

[johnmbranham]

plans here! ordered heim joints too. got my pillow block bearings, and made a run to columbia to get some steel. 2 sticks 20' of 1"x1"x(.085" i think) square, and 1-20' 1"x1"x1/8" and 2 9"x38" of alum diamond plate and spent 48 bux. hellz yeah. cheaper then i thought it would be.
Now just have to find time... any suggestions?... other then quit my job?

 

[johnmbranham]

kart on hold, just run up on a 4 wheeler. 89 yamaha timberwolf. i need wheels! tires rims. thats all thats wrong with it. well, idk if the cart is completly on hold, the funding is thou. ill still kick round it, and if i think of something ill post what i have so far. im owing some pics, gotta get my cam back.
ty 4 reading. ill repost in a week or so. if anyone out there has a set of rims and tires to fit my 4x2, message me on here.

 

[Raywelder]

You should put Single a-arms on the front at least, So you will have a full suspension kart!

 

[johnmbranham]

ive cut the frame on the front and set it up to put arms on it now. i just havent posted the pics yet. Thats the square tubing i was talking about i got from mid-carolina scrap in columbia. i just got the tie rod heim joints and was gonna wait on the pictures until i had the arms complete and on it. anyways, heres some pics of it so far.

 

[M@ster]

Mmm, rainy...

 

[digschopper]

that fog brings back memories. i lived in orangeburg a few years ago. i'm watching your swingarm build,as i'm considering one on my daughters mini-trike.