Anyone built a go kart?

[mitch_04]

I have a 9 month old son and a couple young nephew and nieces, a Honda ATC 200 motor, and an idea. Just curious if anyone here has designed a frame/suspension and built one from scratch. I'm thinking of going independant front and rear, with u-joint "half shafts" and a central disc brake. It would be more for open fields and gravel lots, not a road racer. Just thought it would be a fun project to go nuts on as far as design. Since there isn't the weight or power of a car, it would be much easier to build. The engine has electric start and reverse, as well as a pull start. It came from a 3 wheeler I was going to restore, but I already have one I don't use and my free time has been going to my pickup anyways. I found a live axle kit that I could use to mount the "rear differential", could easily make the half shaft, but would probably struggle a little building a spindle. Once again, it'll be much easier because of the lack of power or weight, but still won't be easy. Still in the dream phase for sure, I figure by the time it's finished they would be old enough to drive it.


So yeah, anyone ever done anything similiar?

[Jim Nilsen]

I don't usually respond like this but, you have a truck to work on. Sell the the motor and buy truck parts!!!!!

Dream about your truck tonight.!!!!!!

And YES I have done something like that before, getting side tracked really slows down progress of other dreams. Took me 18 years to finish my car.

[TheJDMan]

What you are describing does not sound like a go-kart it sounds more like a homemade ATV and I agree it would just be a distraction. I know because this was my distraction for ten years.

70795

[mitch_04]

It's still a go-kart, just one with an off road suspension! I had a go cart with a roll cage but no suspension when I was young, very rough riding but fun. I would love to build a road racing shifter cart, but I don't have anywhere to race it (legally) and I do have thousands of acres of farmland to drive on. An ATV like a Ranger or Gator would not be appropriate for a young child, either. I love working on my pickup, but I care more about my son having an awesome childhood than being $500 closer to finishing my pickup. Throughout my childhood I had a mini 3-wheeler, mini 4-wheeler, go cart, and dirt bikes from small to large. I would never have drag raced, raced motocross, or probably even been into mechanics if it wasn't for my father. I want my son to have similar experiences. Design time would be during a time when I wouldn't be working on my pickup anyways, metal is (relatively) cheap, and assembly wouldn't take much time (again, relatively).

Anyways, if you guys have any tips on the carts you have built, let me know!

[Lance-W]

Either one of these will answer most of your questions

www.minibuggy.net
www.DTSFAB.com

[tflyboy77]

Mitch, that's the best response I've seen on these forums in a long time. We all need to remember that family comes first.

[Jim Nilsen]

Either one of these will answer most of your questions

www.minibuggy.net
www.DTSFAB.com

Now that is what I would build if I lived on a big plot of fields!!!!!!
Safe for the kids and not too much on build time if you are even fairly good at fabricating.

I hope the kids appreciate what you want to do for them and they join in and learn. Sounds like a blast.!!!!

[mitch_04]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I will check out the links and see what I can come up with. I thought it would be a good project to get familiar with the Suspension Analyzer as well.

[srh3trinity]

I have never built one, but we have a Carter Talon in the family. It is a live axle rear with independent front suspension. Personally, for the purpose of a kids go kart, I think the independent rear would be overkill and more things to break. You don't want a go kart to be down long if you break something. I would build the frame and buy off the shelf parts where you can instead of custom fabbed parts.

[E.rodz]

I have some great ideas for you.here is a kart that we built with my oldest son he was 8 when we built it he now is 22 140 ft of 7/8 tube the front suspension is out of a yamaha blaster,seats are summit racing seats,belts are cheap if not free they are date coded for racing so they are throw away items in a couple of years.you would be better buying a 4 wheeler front suspension rather than fabricating your own,the rear brake caliper and rotor are off a articat zr. snowmobile,shocks were off a snowmobile as well.built this for my son who ended up not wanting to have anything to do with it. he rode it about 4 times and it has been in my back yard ever since but now my youngest boy wants to get it going again.I am all for building something with your kids they are only young once don't pass up the time you can spend with them your stuff can wait.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/01/IMAG2277-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/01/IMAG2282-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/01/IMAG2280-1.jpg
hope this helps. anything I can help with let me know.

[mitch_04]

I understand completely with your reasoning for purchasing certain parts. I have considered the live axle, but I was worried about keeping tension on the chain throughout travel, and minimizing twist on the chain during articulation as well. Also, I've just always wanted to build an IRS, thought this would be a fun way to satisfy my craving. I do have plenty of time to play around with all sorts of ideas, and I'm sure I could design a live axle rear as well. Designing is fun and free...well...it was free until everyone started showing screen shots of Solidworks and Suspension Analyzer. Now I feel like I need both, even though it'll take me a while to become "fluent" with them.

On a side note, I may (after getting the original carb version working) consider fuel injection and even a turbo! This would definetly be extreme, but I have also had a craving to design a fuel injection set-up from scratch using a microsquirt computer and a few parts from a website that make fuel injection conversions for small engines from 50cc up to 500cc. They have a turbo about the size of your fist! Once again, this is a pipe dream, but who knows where life is going to take you! If I would have had my pickup project before my child, I probably would be cruising already! He isn't old enough to be around the loud noises, cutting, welding, and grinding of the shop yet. I feel bad leaving him and my wife at home during the weeknights when I'm already gone from 7-5 for work, so I save my pickup work for weekends when she is going to be at her mothers, or heading to the city. I am considering building a shop with a lounge so they could be with me, just not necessarily next to me. I have a few cars I'm working on for others that will need plenty of labor, so it would balance out well on the money aspect.

[mitch_04]

Erodz, that is almost exactly what I have in my head! My thoughts were a little narrower and single seat, but I'm very, very flexible on those as it would be fun to give him rides when he is a little younger, or let him and a cousin take it out. The front suspension out of a 4-wheeler is a good idea, I could even use one for design if I still went with building my own. Thanks a ton, you put a picture to my idea!

[silvermonte]

that minibuggy.net is a good place for ideas, its where i got a bunch when i beefed up my little brothers cart, look on craigslist and see if you can find an old fl250 honda odyssey, the go cart not the van, and then just weld on a better cage and put your motor in and fab up the shifter linkage and you will be set, you can find them in junk condition for what you need for about $100 and it will come with the frame, suspension, brake and a seat already if you are lucky, then add your touches to it and you are set, this on is my brother, he got this one as is for $800 and all we did was put an electric starter in it, and then we picked up one for spare parts that had everything except a motor for $100

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/01/012_zpsddfe34f5-1.jpg

[mitch_04]

I've never seen or even heard of those, but I'll keep an eye out.