want to build a go cart very cheap

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beastmode986

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what sprocket and clutch and engine sprocket should i get?how many teeth? this will mainly be for offroading so im looking for more power then speed. right now i have an 8hp brigs and stratton.
 

mysteryboy28

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this will help you figure out what size stuff to get.

http://www.diygokarts.com/speed-calculator.html

more speed = less torque and offroad ability.

a good ratio is 6 to 1 (60t axle sprocket, 10t clutch sprocket) with 15-18" wheels (smaller wheels will give you more torque, take off power and hill climbing ability). if going with bigger tires then get a larger axle sprocket, like 72t or 80t. i have a 60t axle sprocket with 9t clutch sprocket, with 22" tires. that gives me 35 mph, but i've "bypassed" my governor, sort of, and i get 40+ mph easily.

torque converters are god. stay away from centrifugal clutches if at all posible. more torque, better performance, just better period.
 

beastmode986

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how much of a performance increase would that give me from the 8hp briggs that i already have?

also how do i know what rpm my engine has? The briggs that i own is pretty old it was taken from a riding mower.
 

beastmode986

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what thickness should the wall be on the square tubing? the metal merchant by my house has 1/16in wall 1'' sqaure tubing at 21.60$ usd for 20 feet.
 

r_chez_08

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That thickness sounds OK. The price sounds maybe a little high, but I am not great with steel prices, my Dad generally says 'wack it on our account with the steel merchant' :)

IIRC, my school sells 1" tubing for around £1.50, so about 50p/ 80c per foot.

Wheels look good, but check out surpluscenter.com before you order. May be something there you like, like these or these
Please bear in mind that the bolt circles may require re drilling.
 

exenos

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1/16 is definitely too thin for square, if you used round you might be able to get a way with it but since its square I would highly recommend using 1/8 wall for the extra durability. 1/16 wall is too easy to bend, I can do it with my hands and knee.
 

Doc Sprocket

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A qualifier for the "1/16th is too thin" argument-

For a basic ladder frame, I agree. However- if you're building a triangulated space frame, it would do just fine. I assume you're building a ladder frame. A rule to to remember-

A dimensionally larger tube with a thinner wall tends to be stronger than a smaller tube with a thicker wall. If you went with 1 1/2" tubing for example, the 1/16" oughta be fine. However, if you insist on 1" tube, you'll have to go up to somewhere between 3/32" and 1/8". I would recommend the larger diameter.
 

r_chez_08

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I think the tube used for my kart is 1" box iron with a 2mm wall which is a little bigger than 1/16" (1.6mm). If braced correctly it will be OK. I assumed you would be bracing with my 'thickness is OK' post.
I though 1/16" was thicker than 2mm though. My brain got scrambled because of metric and imperial.
 

exenos

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Ya, when I had said that 1/16 was too thin I was assuming a simple box/ladder style frame with no real 3D structure to it. And I definitively agree with toystory on the larger diameter tubing, larger diameters of tubing are stronger in relation to weight and wall thickness than smaller tubing while having the advantage of looking better (at least to me). Although thicker wall does give better strength as far a collisions are concerned ( at that single point).
 

OzFab

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I used 1" square tube 1/16" wall on my daughters kart. Her brother hit a light pole & didn't even dent it.

Having said that, I'd use larger tube for a larger kart (althouh I haven't. more on that later & elsewhere)
 

exenos

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I used 1" square tube 1/16" wall on my daughters kart. Her brother hit a light pole & didn't even dent it.

Having said that, I'd use larger tube for a larger kart (althouh I haven't. more on that later & elsewhere)

How fast was he going? Just wondering because I stoved in the front of my kart a good 4-5" when I nailed a tree at 50 km/h and it's made out of heavy wall 1" round (~3/16" wall)
 
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