Things you need to build a go-kart

[mysteryboy28]

Here's a list of things I put together to give new guys an idea of what they need (or may come in handy) to build a go-kart.

Feel free to add to the list and comment on it.

Go-kart Expenses

$ Metal/steel frame
$ Metal/steel misc
$ Wheels, tires, hubs
$ Tie rods
$ Tie rod ends/heim joints
$ Spindles (make or buy)
$ Rack and pinion steering assembly
$ Axle
$ Axle sprocket
$ Shocks
$ Brake and gas pedals (make or buy)
$ Jackshaft sprockets
$ Jackshaft rod
$ Pillow block bearings
$ Axle bearings, flanges, and hangers
$ Chain
$ Brake rotor
$ Brake caliper
$ Brake rod or cable
$ Brake cylinder, reservoir and hose
$ Paint
$ Padding
$ Seats
$ Seatbelts
$ Steering wheel
$ Clutch/torque converter
$ Gear box (F/N/R)
$ Keystock
$ Motor
$ Motor parts
$ Throttle cable
$ Oil
$ Headlights, tail lights
$ Wire
$ Switches
$ Battery
$ Nuts, bolts, washers
$ Cable stops, cable retainers
$ Welding wire (lots!)
$ Grinding discs (lots!), including thin cutoff discs, grinding discs, paint/rust stripping discs, flap discs
$ Locking collars

Tools

$ Welder
$ Magnetic multipurpose welding holders
$ Metal cut-off saw
$ Grinder
$ Electric Drill
$ Drill bits, several sizes, plus hole cutting saws for large-bore holes
$ Drill press (nice to have)
$ Bench vise
$ Bench grinder
$ Tube bender (nice to have)
$ Tube notcher (nice to have)
$ Reciprocating saw with metal blade (comes in handy)
$ C clamps, several, couple different sizes
$ Socket and wrench set
$ Hand tools; hammer, screwdrivers, vise grips, pliers, channel locks, crescent wrench, flat and round files
$ Bricks/cinder blocks to use for welding on and jacking things up
$ Lathe, and milling machine (for fabricating parts, would be nice!)

 

[mysteryboy28]

You can also use this as a check-list for gathering parts!

 

[spongerich]

$$ Lathe
$$$ Milling Machine

 

[mysteryboy28]

$$ Lathe
$$$ Milling Machine

i'd love to have both of those!

 

[bighead]

$ Bench vise

Is my most used tool for sure. When I broke my vise I was at a stand still for fab work. Again it's the tool I use most and nothing else comes close.

 

[souperman000]

Lol you put oil but not gas...oh well

$ keystock very important to have extra laying around just in case

 

[bighead]

IDK. I do have most those tools. But for some reason the list looks way huge and over kill. I was thinking if I was starting from scratch and seen this list it would kill my dreams on the spot.

Don't get me wrong. It's a nice list. But seeing it in a list just blows it up.

I think you should take lots of those out. Like motor parts,oil and things like that. Gear box? You put to much thinking into it. Amagine when some kids dad reads this post trying to figure out what a building a kart would cost?

Do not change your post though. Just make a more basic one to add under it.

 

[bighead]

Reciprocating saw,welder,drill,angle grinder,bench vice,hand tools and bench grinder I could build a kart tool wise. I would need blades and cutting disc ect etc as well for these tools.

 

[mysteryboy28]

ah yes, bench grinder! i didn't think of it because of a bad experience i had with a cheap harbor freight bench grinder i had and returned. thing would quit spinning as soon as i pressed anything against the grinding wheel! no balls... and the light fixture on it kept blowing bulbs. cheap cheap cheap...

i know they do come in handy though! i've gotten by with just the hand-held one and the bench vise.

 

[OzFab]

$$ Lathe
$$$ Milling Machine

i'd love to have both of those!

Wouldn't we all

 

[76flh]

don't forget this one. plenty of patience.

 

[fowler]

the list could be alot shorter for a first kart

stuff like jack shafts and brake master cylenders are not needed on a simple kart
shocks and lights are fairly rare on a kart let alone a first kart

gear box is very rare even on buggys it is odd to incude one


gotta agree on the vise id put that above many other tools
im realy struggling without one

a wire wheel for the grinder is good for cleaning welds and for getting rust off if u are useing second hand parts

and for anoughter wish list one id have to put ozy accetalene
great for bending and quick for cutting

 

[spongerich]

$ Bench vise

Is my most used tool for sure. When I broke my vise I was at a stand still for fab work. Again it's the tool I use most and nothing else comes close.

You can never have too many or too large a vise.

I have 2 on my workbench (a 4" and a 5"). A 4" on a mobile stand and upstairs where my metalworking stuff is, I have a 4" and a 3" on the bench, and a 4" and a 3" on my mill.

I also picked up a HUGE 150lb 6" Morgan that's been sitting in the corner waiting to be de-rusted and cleaned up.. started that this weekend in anticipation of starting my kart build.

As for a lathe, I'd coveted one for years... I finally found a nice old South Bend at an estate sale for $200 last year. IMO, a decent lathe is a good investment considering the possibilities and they're always in demand, so you can easily sell it and recoup your investment.

Now if I could just find some of those plentiful and cheap Odyssey's that the PNW seems to be littered with. Around here, a pile of rust that used to say Honda on it sells for $600.

 

[ryf]

*** an understanding family ***
*** Twice the money you plan on ***

 

[souperman000]

the list could be alot shorter for a first kart

stuff like jack shafts and brake master cylenders are not needed on a simple kart
shocks and lights are fairly rare on a kart let alone a first kart

gear box is very rare even on buggys it is odd to incude one

exactly what I was thinking when I first saw the list. thanks fowler

 

[mysteryboy28]

99.999 % of the karts you see for sale in the stores nowadays have forward and reverse. it's the "new" thing. kind of like CDs back when cassettes were popular. kind of hard to do reverse with a torque converter alone.

the better choice is getting a motor that already has reverse built in - like the 125cc Lifan motors selling all over ebay with 3 forward speeds/neutral/reverse for $245. add a carb, muffler, and kart and weeeeeeee!

so the gearbox was added to the list an an OPTION, as well as all the other parts like shocks and stuff. my very first kart i ever built had just about everything on that list except the gearbox. i didn't see my girlfriend for a month cuz i lived in the garage.

 

[souperman000]

Landuse just posted this link on another thread, thought it might be useful...It is by Devino and it is a Sticky. All about tools

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9580

 

[fowler]

99.999 % of the karts you see for sale

Exactly the ones for sale Not the DIY ones
Like I said buggys still don't have them

Most of those cheap Chinese ones do but that's about all they got going for them

If u get a gear box just don't go for the cheapest

The gear box will be the first to go u want one that lasts
Granted the Lifan engines are ok quality

 

[mysteryboy28]

i plan on spending $245 and 52.34782 cents on mine.

 

[jrmints1415]

the comet one is junk the part where it shifts the gears is plastic... very dissapointed when i bought it!