go-kart chassis

[Stevie-D]

for my senior project at school, i am building a go-kart. i have a frame, which i can't fit into. i am stretching it out a bit. one of my friends has an old suzuki 185 2-stroke motorcycle, and he is letting me have the motor. i want to make mounts for the motor on the current frame so i can see how fast it will go. (i want more power than a lil 5 horse briggs. ) however, i am buying an 88 polaris trailboss off of my friend ($50:D ), that i am going to use for parts. i want to mount the rear end of the polaris onto the go-kart frame, which will widen the rear end, allow the use of ATV size wheels and tires, and allow me to mount the motor in the center of the frame, making it more stable. what are your opinions of mounting the rear end of the polaris onto the go-cart? i'm debating on whether to mount it solid to the frame, or using the swingarm/shock as well. i'll post pictures of the frame and possibly the motor later on today.

[NTPracing22]

I'm just finishing up my kart project so If you have any questions at all, let me know.

First of all-don't mess around with hooking up the motor to see how fast it will go now, you'll be working your way back asswards. get ALL the parts you will need to start building.

here's a picture of mine, i'm just waiting on my rack and pinoin steering unit. It has a 406ex motor with moderate motor mods. I'll get more pics when it's done .

But let me know if you need help with designs/fabrication ect ect

aim=NelsonLandworks

[Butters]

that thing looks like it is going to be badass.

[punker69q]

you guys should look at the buggy some people in my school built for a competition. I was going to be in the project, but I don't have enough free time to put in this.

It costed like 15-20 k to build...

http://step.polymtl.ca/%7Eminibaja/Mini-baja_photo_comp2003.html

[NTPracing22]

that came out looking pretty good. looks like they got thier chassis design from www.hotbuggy.com

Stevie-a good site for parts is www.bmikarts.com they have just about everything you need.

more good sites for parts and designs are www.badlandbuggy.com and www.desertkarts.com

I'm working on saving up to put on a rear end from one of the Desert Karts. (19.5" 930 trailing arm driveline)

I'm currently waiting on a rack and pinion steering unit from them, i originally had a 5/8 steering shaft with the standard pitman arms and 1/2" tie rods....deffinetly didn't do the trick. first ride out a spindle let go and i bent my tie rod 30 degrees.

So now it's onto the 3/4" steering shaft and tie rods-and of course all heim joints on the a-arms.

But feel free to ask any design and fabrication questions

[Stevie-D]

NTPracing22, if you have one, could you post a picture of the rear end of your kart?

i have decided that i am going to use the swinger and shock off of the polaris. ( will most likely buy a new shock as the one on it is shot) i can't decide exactly where i should mount the swinger and shock. i don't know how i should go about fabricating the rear of the frame to mount everything smoothly. any help would be appreciated.

[NTPracing22]

When using an ATV swingarm on a kart chassis you usually have to set it up different then the common rear end. Seeing as how the atv swinger is narrow, you can't mount the engine on it (also the shock is in the middle).

Most engines are put on the left side of the kart, just behind the drivers seat. That way the shifter (if there is one) is right next to your right hand and you can use a direct linkage.

However, if you plan on using that swinger you have to use the axle that goes with it, which means using a jack shaft to move the chain to the left side of the kart, which will line up your sprockets on the right side. (this all depends on where the rear sprocket is on the atv axle)

Here's a picture of my rear end, currently rigid but suspension is in the works....

Your better off putting the engine behind the drivers seat, and boxing it in with a shock on each side to make the entire engine a swingarm. If you need me to explain more, hit me up on aim...this post could go forever

[NTPracing22]

I edited this on photo shop to give you an idea of the "boxed in" idea I was talking about


NOTE-if you were to do it this way, you would have to make One pivot.

You would have to take both those pieces of the frame where I edited in "make pivots here" and connect them with a verticle piece of tubing and make mounts to meet with the main part of the chassis with a hardened bolt.

Since it will be moving a lot, your best bet is to have an oil impregniated brass sleeve around the bolt inside the mount with a greeze serk.

Keep in mind-a lot of this you'll figure out by trial and error.