BEFORE YOU ANSWER! I am planning to build a Go Kart made of wood. Some metal parts here and there for support, but mostly wood. The Go Kart will have a Briggs and Stratton 6.5HP (212cc) engine. The Go Kart will have a wood frame with wood side panels, front, roof, engine housing (with exhaust pipe and air vent), and a trunk area. Since the Go Kart is mostly wood, what gear ratio do I use? I heard that a 6:1 ratio sprocket is good for torque, but since my kart is so heavy, can I use a 1:1 ratio sprocket and clutch? I used this website to see what my potential speed would be with a 6:1, 2:1, and a 1:1 ratio sprocket and clutch. http://www.bmikarts.com/Gear-Ratio-Speed-Calculator-MPH_ep_84-1.html Since my Go Kart will be so heavy, will a 1:1 or 2:1 sprocket give me the torque I need but still give me the speed I want. want to be able to go above 25mph. 20mph minimum. All help is appreciated!
What gear ratio should I use?
- Thread starter EvanKarts
- Start date
- Status
chancer
ɔ ɥ ɐ u ɔ ǝ ɹ
First off How much wood. Are you at least going to have a steel frame?
How heavy?
You are going the wrong way. 6:1 is usually good. With excess weight you would need to go to 7:1 or 8:1. But yes this will limit your top speed.
so
Something to think about is a Torque converter instead of a clutch.
How heavy?
You are going the wrong way. 6:1 is usually good. With excess weight you would need to go to 7:1 or 8:1. But yes this will limit your top speed.
so
Something to think about is a Torque converter instead of a clutch.
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
FR reincarnated.
You should look into building a BillyKart.
You should look into building a BillyKart.
chancer
ɔ ɥ ɐ u ɔ ǝ ɹ
You may want to also think about a Jackshaft to get the gearing right.
Ok. The Go Kart is going to look like a pickup truck. But its going to be made of wood. The doors, trunk, front, roof, and bottom, all wood. I will also be hauling stuff too with a wood trailer attachment. Now, a torque converter, i watched videos on that, that would be what I need right? The weight of the truck, (just the wood alone), probably, at least 90+ pounds. And then add the engine weight and my weight which is about 170 pounds. So a pretty heavy go kart. I am wanting to use a Briggs and Stratton 6.5HP engine.
DeathMachine
New member
Any particular reason why you want to use wood?
I dont have a welder, and don't know how to weld. I figured I could bolt the wood together, but make it structured enough to not break.
chancer
ɔ ɥ ɐ u ɔ ǝ ɹ
Are you a carpenter? Or custom wood fab guy?
I'm not a carpenter or a welder. I just want to start a project and I thought a go kart would be a good idea. And I do have work on my property that needs to be done and I could use a go kart.
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
Forget about 25 or even 20 mph....This is a Ralph Nader project...but at least if you keep it under 10 mph , it'll hurt less when it breaks.
Hellion
Moderator
- Messages
- 8,556
- Reaction score
- 3,643
I say steal from this design and make yourself a workhorse...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6jmzr5HPwE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6jmzr5HPwE
chancer
ɔ ɥ ɐ u ɔ ǝ ɹ
DeathMachine
New member
I'm going to go against the grain here and say that it is possible to make a safe wood framed go kart, but it has to be made in a way that the fasteners are not bearing the load. Mortice and tenon joints, dovetails, whatever, but ideally the frame should be able to support the weight of the rider without a single screw or nail.
A farm I worked summers had an old hay wagon that was almost entirely wood, about the only metal on it was iron treads on the wooden wheels, hubs greased with hog fat, etc. We would load that wagon up with close to a ton of hay, and then tow it to the next farm with the farm truck at about 30mph down a dirt road.
Everything on that wagon slotted together, and the nails simply held it in place. Some parts, like the floor ribs, were held in place with wooden pegs.
According to the farmer, that wagon was over 100 years old, although over the years probably every bit of wood had been replaced.
I don't have any pics of the actual wagon, but these are pretty close.
A farm I worked summers had an old hay wagon that was almost entirely wood, about the only metal on it was iron treads on the wooden wheels, hubs greased with hog fat, etc. We would load that wagon up with close to a ton of hay, and then tow it to the next farm with the farm truck at about 30mph down a dirt road.
Everything on that wagon slotted together, and the nails simply held it in place. Some parts, like the floor ribs, were held in place with wooden pegs.
According to the farmer, that wagon was over 100 years old, although over the years probably every bit of wood had been replaced.
I don't have any pics of the actual wagon, but these are pretty close.
chancer
ɔ ɥ ɐ u ɔ ǝ ɹ
I do not think you are going against the grain. Good points.
These ideas are the same reason I asked if Evan was a Carpenter.
Also the "Ply Fly" go kart was laughed at here originally.
But they did prove their plans and show a finished working product.
Definitely possible to do a Kart out of wood. However.
Probably not feasible for anyone that is not a master Amish wood Carpenter.
These ideas are the same reason I asked if Evan was a Carpenter.
Also the "Ply Fly" go kart was laughed at here originally.
But they did prove their plans and show a finished working product.
Definitely possible to do a Kart out of wood. However.
Probably not feasible for anyone that is not a master Amish wood Carpenter.
- Status