Design and Make Your Own Go-Kart

This is a pointer to a web site which shows a number of different design ideas. Use these as a starting place and come up with your own creative design. What you build will depend on what materials you have available to you.

Step 1 Go to Website

Go to http://home.comcast.net/~makeyourowngokart/

Comments

[ducttape12]

please show me how to build one!@ me

[Idominateu]

Dan I was wondering if you know any good online go-kart stores that I can buy axels, brake systems,clutches ETC.. off of for my gokart.

Thanks Jordan

[cobalt420]

Buy locally it's cheaper buy at places like princes auto.that's where I got all my parts.

[Arbitror]

Actually, 99% of the time it's cheaper to buy from online suppliers.

[cobalt420]

stop correcting me

[122699]

you can go to northerntool.com

[benstouffer]

I like the ingenuity but these are the most dangerous go carts i've ever seen.

[Dan Marshall]

Here's a link to the boys driving the go kart they made out of threaded gas pipe. Video is here: By the way, it is for sale. See posting

[Idominateu]

Hey Dan I was wondering why there's no chain, clutch, gears, on the enigne of silver metal Go kart.

Jordan

[Dan Marshall]

Idominateu,
Good catch. When we shot the photo we hadn't yet installed the drive train.
Dan

[needles300]

im trying to make a go cart out of my turf tractor, but im not shure on how to make the transmition for it. should i use a belt or a chain?

[Dan Marshall]

What kind of transmission did the turf tracktor have? It might be easiest to leverage - and perhaps modify - the transmission and drive train you already have.

[needles300]

it has a belt transmission

[joemcc1234]

chain

[dpr]

 depends belts streach but chains snap depends on how u were brought up so to speak

[zzac]

belt

[Bob939]

Is a 19.5 hp engine to poweful if so wots the powerfulest you can use

[Dan Marshall]

Hi Bob 939, You could build a go-kart with a 19.5 HP engine, but a big engine like that will require a more hefty frame, clutch, chain, axle, sproket, wheels... etc as compared to a smaller engine. You could probably limit the throttle movement to reduce the effective horsepower, but you would still have the weight of the bigger engine. See the photos below in the Oct 2 2009 posting. That go-kart has a honda 350 engine, which I believe is about 60 HP, so it is possible. Best of luck! Dan

[Dan Marshall]

Here's a copy / paste of a dialog about building Go Karts, in case it's of use to anyone else:

From: Dom 
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 8:03 PM
RE: Questions about the Go kart Thank You for responding.

Did you use a bike derailer to use as a sprocket?
No, I’m sorry but a bike derailer sprocket won’t because the chain that fits on the centrificul clutch is not compatible with a bike sprocket.

And you bolted it directly to the wheelbarrow wheel. In the pictures it looked like you simply attached a nut and bolt to the end of the axle outside of the wheel.
Correct, but that bolt holds the wheel to the threaded axle. The wheel has bearings and spins freely, unless it has a sprocket and a chain attached to it of course.

How did you get the back wheels to stay and not spin freely by using the nuts?
The sprocket is screwed to the hub of the wheel with screws. Lots of washers are used as spacers between the hub and the sprocket so there’s space for the chain.

I hope this helps, Dan ________________________________________
Subject: RE: Questions about the Go kart
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:39:26 -0700
Hi Dom, I recommend starting with the clutch. It is secured to the engine shaft with a key pin and an allen screw. Both of these will likely come with the centrifugal clutch. Start by selecting a clutch that matches your engine: See http://www.mfgsupply.com/GoMiniClutchCometCSC400.html/mv_session_id=Y2sWDBQU as an example. The clutch you choose will dictate the chain, and the chain will influence your connection to the rear axle or rear wheel.

Unfortunately I’ve never seen a centrifugal clutch that matched to a bicycle chain. In the photo at the bottom of this page you’ll see an example of a sprocket bolted to a wheel. Generally this costs less than a spinning axle and a sprocket that connects to the axle, but it cannot handle much horsepower.

From: Dom
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 2:17 PM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Questions about the Go kart
Hi I am building a go kart and I have a few questions about it. First, the centrifugal clutch, do you have to secure it to the engine's shaft? Did you use a Bike chain or did you buy one? Did you use a bike derailer or did you buy the sproket? How did you secure the wheels, and sprocket to the axle without welding? E-mail me back. Thanks!

[lil jon168]

how do you get the materials for all these?? cause i wnt to build one but im by myself and only got $50 (im not talking about the engine)

[ReCreate]

you should go electric i hate gas powered ones ahh silence BAM RRRRRRRR (loses hearing) Or ahh silence (humming sound goes here)

[dungeon runner]

You hear BAM RRRRRRR, and I hear symphonies :).

-Y

[oicakes]

what is a redneck?

[marsrover]

i was gona call u a noob but due to the be nice comment policy arghhhhhh whatever a redneck is someone who spends so much time outside he or she is permantly sunburnt that may be impossable but it's just a figure of speach

[dungeon runner]

You do realize that saying you were going to call him a noob completely negates your "restraint", right? If you hate the policy so much then the "delete account" button is always handy.

-Y

[keimel]

I thought the idea of instructables was to put the instructions here, not on some other server.

[jose1ca]

yea

[cantbesaved]

 those are some bitchin' karts'

[dkongkill]

how much did it cost you guys to put this whole thing together?

[jalen898]

i want a go-kart soooo bad i just won't stop looking for all these cheap go-carts. please help me get one.

[karo818]

lol i know wht u sayin nd im like da 2 as of know go to google nd look for crigslist nd search go kart or go cart

[Killa-X]

Helps to see designs.  May build an Electric gokart this summer..Have a welder now, so that helps a ton!

[Madrias357]

I know you!  We've kept in touch by email a few times.  I'm the crazy one trying to build a PVC frame Go-Kart with electric power.  Trying to find motors (I want to build based on the motor, not trying to find a motor to fit the kart later)

[franzwa]

Do you know how to built a 3.5 horse power go-kart?

[Dan Marshall]

home.comcast.net/~makeyourowngokart/

[ldog72007]

yes

[hjay150]

Can I just asked, was that made by them, because it's not that brilliant no offence. I'm sure they didn't, as they don't look old enough. However, the lower ones look very good.

[Dan Marshall]

After creating this instructable the boys made another off-road go kart out of threaded gas pipe. It has a 350 Honda engine with a six speed transmission, electric start, and hydraulic brakes. The suspension resulted in some tricky issues: 1) They had to design it so that as the kart bounced up and down the chain between the engine and the rear axle wouldn't loosen and tighten. This was resolved by putting the engine and rear axle on a discrete assembly which is attached to the main body of the kart with a hinge point. The rod permitting the driver to shift gears had to be designed so that movement of this hinge wouldn't cause the gears to shift. 2) The steering had to be designed so that as the front end bounced up and down the tie rods wouldn't cause the wheels to toe in and out. This worked OK, but there were problems with the steering mechanism's components unscrewing, resulting in a very dangerous lack of steering at high speeds. They replaced it with a purchased rack and pinion steering system, and eliminated the front suspension. No, I don't have plans to tell you how to make this so please don't ask. The idea here is to see what others have done and get ideas to design and make your own. Again, the best way to start is by making a wooden roller coaster with no motor.

[GREYHOUNDareAWESOME]

Comparing to the kids go karts at the top ,yours is seriously stunning. Like look at the first pic, The mattress is touching the engine. tsk tsk, Nice job with the Suspension. Was it a kit or did u just make it?

[Dan Marshall]

The go kart made out of steel pipe was designed and built by the 3 kids who made the crude ones at the top.  They made the most recent one between the ages of 16 and 18 more or less.
No, this is not a kit.  They purchased steel gas pipe from Home Depot and screwed it together.