Go Karting

[Zack]

I'd like to build a wooden-framed (so I don't have to weld) four wheeled twostroke-engine-powered Go-Kart. I have a fair idea how I could do this, but steering is a problem. I can't figure out how I would attach handlebars or a steering wheel to the front wheels.
The engine-powered wheels would be at the back.
Any ideas or diagrams?

[seph]

makin a crude MSPaint diagram of what i think made the go-kart i drove today work. i only had a glance, ubt i think i understand it...

[seph]

okay here's the dia...



now lemme explain:

Code:

grey: wheel. duh.

yellow: this does not move, but it turns clockwise and counterclockwise, depending on how the wheel turns. it connects to the steering wheel like a T shape if you look at it from a normal perspective. it connects to the purple bar the same way, but the purple is on bottom not on top

purple: okay now this one turns the way yellow makes it turn.. so itll look like -- or / or \ or if you're doing a sharp turn, |, etc.

green. these do not move, they only connect the purple bar to the blue wheels. i thought about it, and im pretty sure they should ocnnect to the front of the wheel in order to make the wheels turn the way you want them to. but im not positive because this isnt my strong point.

blue: see purple

[seph]

my mistake. the green bars are opposite each other. what i mean is that one green bar goes to the top of its cooresponding wheel, while the other goes to the bottom. that should do it. expierment.

[wizardlife]

I don't what your plans are for mounting axles and so on, but once you get your bearings all figured out, you should be going for some type of rack and pinion.

Honestly, I might just buy a kit from some place like this: http://www.ubuilditplans.com/NEWUBUILDITPHOTOS.html

Even though you've proposed a 'wooden body', without some serious welding skilled, you'll be completely beached.

[pr0gger]

This might help you a bit:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/steering.htm

Here's one way shown; apparently there's a lot of differerent methods:

[Zack]

Whoops, sorry guys, my dad helped me figure it out.
Now I gotta try to do it...unfortunately, Go Kart engines are priced in the hundreds (Canadian currency), so I dunno...

[Z!re]

Lawnmover engine, works perfectly well...

Unless you want to actually use the cart in races...

[na_th_an]

A friend of mine used two engines of two old motorcycles he bought for almost nothing and the thing was a rocket

[eno_on]

A lawnmower engine in the 3-5 HP range should work perfect, but you need a gearbox that'll fit the engine shaft. You might be best off if you make it yourself. You really only need 2 gears - like this:
________
|***|****|
| *------1*|
|2|__________
|_|______|

1 - crown gear - from engine
2 - reg gear - to drive axle
* empty space (phpbb HAS to compress blank ones)
sorry for my horrible illustration.

Another option is two engines, but you could be going in circles if one is better than the other, even if they are the same