You can make a go-kart with your own hands if you have a simple fleet of machine tools. The design of the KS-76 model with minor changes is taken as the basis.

The picture shows overall dimensions of the map and its components:

1. Rear wheel.
2. Front wheel.
3. Frame.
4. Hydraulic brake drive.
5. Rear axle.
6. Steering.
7. Seat.
8. Bottom.

Design map.

Wheels.

The presented model uses wheels of two types (in width).

Front wheel:

• disk 4 J - 4.5 PCD = 6 x 76 ET = 4 DIA = 55
• tire 110 / 60 R 4.5

Rear wheel:

• disk 6.5 J - 4.5 PCD = 6 x 76 ET = 4 DIA = 55
• tire 168 / 40 R 4.5

Before you start designing, you need to know exactly the dimensions of the wheels and tires used. The selected wheel sizes should determine: ground clearance of at least 30 (mm); rear axle shaft length; the height of the bushings on the frame for fastening the turning mechanisms of the front wheels; location of the rear axle axis in the brackets.

Frame.

1. Brackets (supports) for rear axle mounts.
2. Hydraulic brake drive mounting plate.
3. Fuel pump mounting bracket.
4. Mounting point for the chain tensioner.
5. Engine mounting plates.
6. Bottom fastening gussets.

Welded from bent seamless metal pipes 30KhGSA. The wall thickness is 1.5 (mm). Pipe diameter: 28 (mm) – load-bearing elements; 18 (mm) – auxiliary elements (bumpers, supports).

You can bend pipes using a homemade one.

If there are attachments, fastening elements are welded to the frame: seats; master brake cylinder; expansion tank for liquid; tubes; accelerator and clutch cables and pedals; gas tank; gear shift knobs; chain tension adjustment devices; stops limiting the angle of rotation of the steering mechanism.

Hydraulic brakes.

1. Caliper housing.
2. Working cylinder.
3. Piston.
4. Rubber cuff.
5. Brake shoe.
6. Friction material.
7. Brake hose fitting mounting location.
8. Pad guide.
9. Pressure spring.
10. Brake bleeding valve.
11. Cotter pin.
12. Castle nut.
13. Guide finger.

Floating design, ensures uniform pressure of the pads to the brake disc on both sides.

When braking, the fluid in the cylinder, expanding, presses on the cuff (4), which pushes the piston (3) out of the working cylinder (2). The piston (3) moves the brake pad (5) to one surface of the brake disc. With a constant increase in fluid pressure, the caliper (1) moves along the guide pins (13) until the other pad is pressed against the opposite side of the disc, after which braking occurs with uniform pressure.

Rear axle.

1. Rear wheel hub.
2. Housing with bearing.
3. Pressure sleeve.
4. Fuel pump drive eccentric.
5. Axle (shaft).
6. Rear wheel brake disc.
7. Mechanism for attaching the brake disc to the shaft.
8. Chain sprocket.
9. Clamp (collet).
10. Washer.
11. Castle nut.
12. Cotter pin.

Radial spherical double-row ball bearings No. 1204 with washers protecting the balls from dust are installed in the housings (2).

Front wheel swivel mechanism.

1. Cotter pin.
2. Castle nut.
3. Bearing No. 201 with protective washers.
4. Hub.
5. Trunnion.
6. Bearing No. 104 with protective washers.
7. Kingpin.
8. Rounded fist.
9. Brake drive device.
10. Front brake disc.

Steering.

1. Steering wheel.
2. Rotary mechanism.
3. Steering column.
4. Emphasis.
5. Main thrust.
6. Intermediate row (trapezius).
7. Rubber-metal hinge.

If your household has an old bicycle, preferably made in the USSR, a broken chainsaw with a “living” motor, a couple of pipes - all this rubbish can be put to good use. How? It’s very simple to make a bicycle with a chainsaw motor with your own hands. With a little effort, you can get a completely normal vehicle - in all respects it will be inferior to a car, but it will be able to take you from point A to point B over a short distance, and the gas consumption will be simply miserable.

Making a motorbike with your own hands

So, how to make a moped from a chainsaw with your own hands? To do this, you do not need to have a higher technical education and have a mobile workshop at hand - just the required minimum of tools, a working motor from a chainsaw of almost any brand and a bicycle frame, preferably made of metal tubes, to withstand the load from the engine.

Motor selection

There is nothing complicated about how to make a bicycle with a chainsaw motor. But you need to understand that the motor will not work for a light chainsaw that is used for small jobs - its power must be at least 2 hp. or 1.5 kW. But as for the volume, the situation here is exactly the opposite - the volume should not exceed 50 cm3, otherwise it will violate the provisions of the Vienna Convention. Otherwise, such a vehicle does not require a license or registration, since this vehicle is defined as a “bicycle with an outboard engine.”

Frame equipment

A homemade moped from a chainsaw is made from a bicycle in any, even the most “dead” condition - the main thing is that there is a whole frame. The engine from a chainsaw is installed on a bicycle at the junction of the lower and seat tube - this is the optimal location method. A gasoline tank is screwed next to it, and a battery is installed above the engine, on the top pipe. You need to install the chainsaw engine so that it is fastened firmly and securely - the motor is subject to vibration and if it is loosely secured, it will fall.

If you don’t have a frame from a finished bicycle, you can easily weld it - for this you need several pipes and a welding machine. It’s even better - such a DIY chainsaw motorbike will be more durable and reliable, and a self-welded frame will allow you to position the motor as close as possible to the drive wheel.

Transmission

Simply installing a chainsaw motor on a bicycle is not enough - you need to make sure that the torque from the motor is transmitted to the wheels. For this, pulleys or a chain mechanism are used:

1. Pulley system. In this embodiment, the engine from a chainsaw on a bicycle will transmit torque through a belt. This system is simpler - it uses factory or homemade pulleys, one on the engine shaft, the other on the rear wheel hub, as well as a tension belt. The downside is that the belt stretches faster than the chain and is less durable, although V-belts are not inferior to chains in durability.
2. Chain transmission. Here you can use a rear sprocket and install a gear on the motor shaft. The transmission of torque occurs through a chain - it is more durable and resistant to stress, but requires regular maintenance. Choose for yourself how to make a bicycle with a chainsaw motor, or rather, what transmission to install on it.

Motor connection

A DIY motor scooter made from a chainsaw will not work if the engine is not connected correctly. To do this, you need to connect the battery to the engine ignition unit, as well as to the brake handle. Position the connecting cable so that it can be easily wound using the handle. The last step will be installing an exhaust pipe - you don’t have to install it, but in this case the chainsaw scooter will “delight” with the exhaust right in your face.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about how to install a chainsaw engine on a bicycle - here you only need to put in a little effort and have the necessary minimum of spare parts and assemblies. But such a self-propelled mechanism will go a little faster than a regular bicycle. But homemade go-karts made from a chainsaw are on a completely different level. With the right approach, you can organize real races, so we’ll look below at how to make a go-kart from a chainsaw with your own hands.

Homemade go-kart with a chainsaw engine

The main difference between a chainsaw go-kart and a motorbike is that it is designed for higher speeds and therefore has a more rigid four-wheel design. Therefore, the most important element is not the engine, but the frame - it will have to be made by hand, and not just bolted together, but welded.

Body

1. It is recommended to use a square or round pipe for the frame - it has higher bending resistance and rigidity than a regular profile or angle. In general, you need to use several sizes: a thick pipe with a diameter of 25 mm for the chassis beams, 20 mm round timber for the frame and engine support platform, 15-20 mm pipe for the seat and other components.
2. Draw a drawing of your future kart, take careful measurements, and only then start making a kart with a chainsaw engine. There are tons of different templates online. Recommended parameters – from 1300 to 1800 mm long, from 760 to 1000 mm wide. The center distance is approximately ¾ of the total length of the kart.
3. Proceed with assembly. The structure should not be purely welded - for example, the rear axle should be movable and rotate freely, so it will have to be secured through a support bracket. Otherwise, the chainsaw kart will turn very poorly and have insufficient controllability. You don’t have to bother and buy ready-made support-bearing units - it will be easier and more reliable.
4. Making a seat. This is also not as simple as it seems - when passing a sharp turn, the driver can easily fall out of the seat. You can use a homemade seat made of metal or plywood, as long as it provides a tight fit.

Motor and transmission

Choosing a motor is a simple matter. The more powerful the engine, the faster the homemade chainsaw go-kart will go. Power 2-3 hp. it will be enough to accelerate to 20-30 km/h - nothing more is required from such equipment. By the way, you can make a go-kart from a chainsaw, or from a trimmer.

1. Before installing the motor, prepare a platform at the rear of the frame on which the motor will be installed.
2. Drill holes in the motor casing for fasteners that will coincide with the holes on the platform.
3. The motor pulley must coincide on the axis with the working pulley.
4. The sprocket can be used from the chainsaw itself, but you will have to sharpen it a little.
5. A chain is used for the transmission, but in some cases it is possible to use a pulley with a V-belt - it is cheaper, and in many respects it is not inferior to a chain.
6. Place a gas tank next to the engine - a plastic or metal container with a volume of 2-3 liters.

Steering and braking system

1. The pedal assembly is easy to make. Cut out pedal models from a metal sheet; for the feet, use an 8-10 mm metal pond. Lay the control cables so that they do not interfere with your feet and lie flat - otherwise, the cable may break.
2. The brake must be a foot brake. You can, of course, make it manually, but this will only complicate the design. The brake disc must be attached directly to the frame, and the brake caliper must be attached to the wheel. In a homemade version of a go-kart with a chainsaw engine, you can install brakes only on the rear drive wheels, but if you are doing a “high-speed” version, install brakes on the front axle as well.
3. Steering. One of the most difficult aspects is making the front wheels turn. Here you will have to use swivel brackets, to which you need to attach the steering rack. The rack itself is connected to a thick rod, onto the top of which the steering wheel itself is placed.

Chassis

For the chassis, you can use any wheels you have on hand. The front ones can be taken with a smaller diameter, and the rear ones with a larger diameter. But at the same time, estimate the power of the motor - if the motor is weak, then there simply will not be enough torque. So here we will have to find out everything experimentally. As a rule, the wheel diameter does not exceed 250-400 mm.

ATV from a chainsaw

Another option for motorcycles that you can make with your own hands is a small ATV for a child or teenager. In fact, the technology used to make a homemade children's ATV from a chainsaw is practically no different from that used to create a go-kart. But there are several features:

• The do-it-yourself ATV frame made from a chainsaw has a slightly different design - it is more complex, tall and massive.
• For the power unit, the most powerful motor possible is used. Usually, motorcycle engines are installed for such equipment, but you can make a homemade children's ATV from a chainsaw - you only need a small modification in the form of a gearbox or intermediate shaft to increase traction and torque.
• Due to the peculiarities of the seating, a chair from a moped or motorcycle is installed - it will be more comfortable than a chair with a back, like in a go-kart.
• A children's ATV made from a chainsaw with their own hands has better cross-country ability than a go-kart, so it uses wheels of increased diameter. Their diameter should be at least 350-500 mm, preferably with a developed tread. Otherwise, it will not be an ATV, but the same go-kart.
• If possible, you can install shock absorbers in the suspension - this way you will achieve a smoother and softer ride.

In all other respects, the design of the children's ATV repeats the technological solutions used to make go-karts.

Today, a huge number of children and even adults are passionate about karting. These nimble, fast cars allow you to gain driving skills and also feel the rush of adrenaline during fast trips around the go-kart track. But many hobbyists cannot or simply do not want to buy a kart; they want to assemble it themselves. And it is quite possible to do this.

Where to begin

Before starting work, you need to purchase the necessary materials and units, which are difficult to make yourself. For this, there are special kits that include wheels, chassis and steering parts and other small components. You will need pipes from which the frame and thin sheet metal will be made. The tools you will need are a set of wrenches, screwdrivers, a pipe bender, a hammer, pliers, etc. You will definitely need a welding machine and the services of a specialist welder.

Making a layout

At the next stage, according to the drawing, a mock-up of the go-kart frame is made on cardboard. Pipes of a given length are cut according to the layout, which are fastened with welding seams; if necessary, they can be bent using a pipe bender. The components of the power, steering and chassis need to be attached to the resulting frame.

To start work, 2 U-shaped tubes are welded to the bottom of the card, which need to be reinforced with transverse ties. Each tie is attached at one end to the frame, and at the other end to the corresponding tubes intended for fastening the units. This will give the entire structure the necessary rigidity. Brackets for mounting the engine are welded onto the frame, the location of which depends on the brand of engine chosen for the go-kart. For installation, special engines are used, for example, Rotax.

A more budget option is any air-cooled engine, for example, from a Zaporozhets or motorcycle. The transmission drive will be attached to the rear axle, so the engine will be installed under or behind the driver's seat.

Installation of controls and assembly of the car

Installation of the steering control is quite simple. A gear is attached to the steering shaft, the best option is z = 10. Next, this gear is connected to the rotary cams, which, in turn, are attached to the rods that turn the wheels. Then this entire structure is attached to the frame.

At each stage you need to strictly check the dimensions on the drawing, otherwise you can break the symmetry, which will not allow the map to stay on the road normally.

The pilot's seat is bent from sheet metal and then mounted on the frame. At the final stage, the wheels included in the go-kart kit are attached to the frame, and the front ones are attached to the steering. The brakes are mounted only on the rear wheels; they are connected to the pedal using cables. At this stage, all sizes and levels are finally measured and adjusted.

A go-kart is a sports microcar without suspension, very popular among young people interested in motorsports. Often in such competitions (especially in Russia) racers take part in karts made by themselves. Indeed, why pay someone money if you can design your own vehicles, especially since the costs for this are minimal (and not only from a financial point of view). How to assemble a go-kart with your own hands? You will find out the answer to this question in this article.

How to make a go-kart with your own hands? Selection of technical characteristics for a vehicle

Firstly, you must have an idea of ​​what size your future car will be. To properly assemble a karting with your own hands, you should draw a plan diagram on paper. Only with this help will you be able to correctly assemble the go-kart with your own hands. Drawings of this transport are shown in the photo below.

This is roughly what your diagram should look like. The most important thing to note here is the length of the wheelbase and overall dimensions. By the way, the longitudinal distance between the axles on go-karts should be no less than 101 and no more than 122 centimeters with a total length of 132 cm. The diameter of go-kart wheels should not exceed 35 centimeters. It is these characteristics that will contribute to stable and safe driving in this type of transport.

How to make a go-kart with your own hands? A little about the frame

The best place to start assembling a kart with your own hands is from the frame. It is more convenient to draw it in full size on graph paper glued to an A1 sheet or thick cardboard. Such a diagram will serve as a plan according to which individual components and elements will be adjusted into the rough. The frame diagram should be drawn in several projections - side and top views. In this case, the front spar is depicted separately.

Now we begin to manufacture the slipway for assembling the frame. This element will be required if the machine will be produced in a small series (that is, as in our case). As a base for the slipway, a duralumin sheet of steel measuring 170x90 centimeters should be used. In this case, the thickness of the material used should be about 15 centimeters. A longitudinal line is drawn along the axis of the element (this will be a trace of the plane of symmetry of the transport frame), and perpendicular to it - a base line (for mounting the pin bushing clamps).

The holes in the bushings are cut using a special machine. Fixing longitudinal spars are mounted on the slipway. The frame itself is assembled from several elements:

1. Two spars.

2. Front bump stop.

3. Front, rear and middle crossbars.

4. Steering column mounting brackets.

About the engine and chassis

As for the engine, karts are often equipped with two-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled gasoline units. You should also think about a special protective device that will protect the pilot from possible burns from the internal combustion engine. The braking system is also installed on the go-kart yourself. It must use at least two wheels.

However, for safety reasons, it is recommended to install four at once. The control system will be traditional, like on any other car, with a round steering wheel.

Proportions

Pay attention to the ratio of the sizes of all leading components and assemblies in the machine. The width of the go-kart platform should correspond to the dimensions of the frame, and its length should correspond to the distance from the seat to the pedals.

Other important details

The design of this vehicle also needs to provide special guards that will prevent your feet from slipping off the pedals. The same applies to the seat - it should not be such that the driver flies from one side of the go-kart to the other when cornering. Ideally, the pilot sits tightly in the seat and does not move to the side during sharp turns and high speeds (with the exception of possible overload of the internal organs).

Individual parts of the gearbox should be covered with a special shield for ½ part. Also pay special attention to the fuel tank. Remember that its volume should not exceed five liters, and the container itself is securely fastened in order to completely prevent unauthorized release of fuel to the outside. You should not make an excessively large tank - five liters is enough for a single-cylinder two-stroke engine, the working volume of which is only a few tens of cubic centimeters.

All parts of the steering system and chassis must be cottered. It is also permissible to use an ignition system, shockproofing agents, and carburetors of any type (foreign or domestic production).

What parts cannot be used during assembly?

According to experts, it is prohibited to use the following elements in the design of this vehicle:

1. Body.

2. Fairings.

3. Steering with worm, cable, chain or gear drive.

4. Differentials.

5. Various superchargers and fuel injection.

6. Pedals that, when pressed, extend beyond the dimensions of the frame.

Follow these rules, you will assemble the safest possible unit in the shortest amount of time!

So, we found out how to build a go-kart with your own hands, what details you should pay attention to during assembly. Good luck!

Nothing quenches the need for speed like racing a go-kart. You can assemble it yourself from a set of spare parts or from a sketch - it will be an exciting and fun garage project for amateur mechanics of any age. Depending on what tools you have, you can learn how to design a cool go-kart yourself, weld the chassis correctly, and achieve a powerful ride. See step 1 for more details.

Steps

Design

Draw a detailed diagram of the future karting. It can be of various sizes, shapes, models. Almost any element can be added to the design of these homemade machines. The basis is a chassis, a simple engine and a steering/braking system.

• Get creative with your project planning and draw a detailed diagram to make sure you have enough materials to complete the job. Look at other kart models for inspiration, and talk to mechanics who already have experience building karts.
• You can also find schematics for many different models online if you prefer to let someone else do the design. Use the template and modify it to your liking.

Carefully consider the dimensions of the go-kart. They are determined by the age and height of the driver. For teenagers, suitable sizes are 0.76 meters wide and 1.3 meters long, for adults - 1 meter wide and 1.8 meters long.

• It is very important to design the kart as accurately as possible using specific measurements, otherwise it will be difficult to select the right materials and quantities.

Gather materials. If you're on a budget, look for inexpensive parts at a junkyard. Or you can use salvage parts from an old lawnmower or broken go-karts from a flea market. Lawn mower repair shops may give you unwanted parts or broken trimmers, as well as a used 10-15 horsepower four-stroke engine with a horizontal shaft and clutch drive. Here's what you'll need:

• For chassis:
  • 9.2 meters of 2.5 cm square pipe
  • 1.8 meters of 2cm round steel pipe
  • 1.8 meters of 1.5 cm pipe
  • Steel plate 0.5 cm thick, slightly larger in width and length than the engine
  • Plywood or metal (for seat and bottom)
  • Seat
• For engine:
  • Engine (you can take the engine of an old gasoline trimmer)
  • Chain to match the sprocket hub
  • Bolts, washers
  • Fuel tank
• For transmission:
  • Wheels
  • Gearbox and handbrake
  • Drive shaft
  • Bearings
  • Steering shaft
  • Brake pedal
  • Throttle/gas pedal

Get a welding unit. If you don't know how to cook, you will need to hire a welder. The most important part of a go-kart is the strong chassis that will hold you in place while you ride. They also house the engine. If you intend to make a multi-piece chassis, welding should be done at a fairly high temperature and penetration, with neat welds. Otherwise, the elements may not be welded well, and bubbles, cracks will appear at the welding points and/or they will only be strong in appearance, which will turn your kart into a death machine.

• If you've never done welding, don't start by assembling a go-kart. Start with small pieces to practice.

Consider purchasing a kit of parts for the kart. If you are not interested in inventing and welding kart parts yourself, buy a construction kit with detailed instructions and diagrams, which you can easily assemble without welding using simple tools.

• The pleasure of assembling a kart yourself without the hassle of designing a model and finding materials will cost you about $550.

Chassis and steering column assembly

1. Cut the metal pipe into the required lengths according to your drawings.

   • On most models, the camber angle of the front wheels is narrower than the rear, allowing the wheels to turn, allowing the chassis to spin slightly. To achieve this, strengthen the steering axle at the front corners, where the wheels will be, to ensure easy rotation.
   • To make it easier to navigate the dimensions, you can draw marks on the floor with chalk where you work, and do not have to take measurements again each time. You can even draw the entire model on the floor and lay out the parts on top of it.

2. Weld the frame elements in accordance with the diagram. Press the parts down with a concrete slab while welding, making sure the welds are holding well and the chassis is secure. They must be strong enough to support your weight and the weight of the engine, so welding cannot be done haphazardly. To increase strength, insert wedges at all corners. Use concrete blocks to secure the frame in an elevated position while you work.

   Assemble the front axle plugs. Make the axle from a strong metal rod with a diameter of 2 cm and two bushings attached to the frame. Secure the structure with washers and cotter pins, screwing them into the axle.

   Install the rear axle of the wheelset. You will likely need to attach the axle holder with a support bracket to the rear axle, meaning the axle will be welded to the frame but will be able to rotate freely. Weld the steel plate to the chassis, securing the pressure plate on the outside with high-strength bolts and machine nuts to clamp the bearing.

   • Instead of doing this yourself, you can purchase ready-made structures called “support-bearing units.”

3. Use plywood or metal to make the seat and bottom of a go-kart. To save money, you can use a seat from a used go-kart, find a car seat that fits in a junkyard, or make one from a simple seat with a cushion for support. Leave room for the steering wheel and control levers.

Installing the engine and steering column

1. Install the engine mounts. Weld a steel plate to the rear of the frame to strengthen the engine. Place the motor on the plate and mark the holes where the bolts will be inserted so that the motor pulley lines up with the drive pulley on the axle.

   • Attach the pulley to the axle before inserting the axle into the bushings. You can also use a set screw to reinforce the pulley or weld it directly to the axle, but it must lie in line with the engine pulley.

2. Assemble the steering gear. Use a 1.5cm steel rod for the drive and a 2cm steel rod for the axles. To bend the 1.5cm rod at a right angle, you may need to use a soldering iron to heat the steel.

   • To align the steering wheel, adjustable joints are needed because it is very important to correctly adjust the camber and toe: the vertical of the front wheel and the tilt of the steering wheel.

3. Install wheels and brakes. Get small racing wheels to give your go-kart optimal acceleration and controllability. Attach them to the axles and begin installing the brakes to secure the kart.

   • To install the brakes, attach the disc to the rear axle and the caliper assembly to the chassis for the most professional setup you can make. Sometimes this mechanism can be found in relatively good condition in broken motorcycles. They fit true to size and will be easy to work with.
   • Install a foot brake pedal no matter what type of accelerator you have. Leave driving and a minimum of other actions to your hands.
4. This kart uses a centrifugal clutch, but modifications can include a tension belt drive system or a hand- or foot-operated gas/clutch pedal.
5. The mechanism does not have an accelerator, which can also be added using a simple lawn mower cable, or a more complex foot pedal.
6. This instruction assumes that the mechanic will use scrap parts from broken lawn mowers and other sources. It will probably be cheaper to buy a ready-made kart than to assemble it from new purchased parts.
7. The price of the simplest card reaches 60-70 dollars, if not more. A good set of models can be purchased for about $40, some even cheaper. The price of the drawings is just under $80. It might be worth considering this unless you're a pro.
8. It is often recommended to purchase a set of drawings of well-designed and thought-out models that incorporate tried and tested motoring principles: Ackermann angles, castor angles, kingpin angles, and so on. You're more likely to finish and enjoy your go-kart if you build it from a good blueprint.

Warnings

• Check the kart before going to the track as parts may come loose or break.
• Since the model is simple, without high-tech engineering and design solutions, it is not recommended to use a high gear ratio or a large engine. Speeds above 15-25 km/h can cause failure of insufficiently well-designed elements.
• Wear protection while driving - helmets, pads, etc.
• This is not a real car and should NOT be driven on the road under any circumstances!

Making a go-kart with your own hands is not so easy. Manufacturing kits and ready-made materials are not so cheap. But drawings are sometimes difficult to find, and certain parts are not always available. In this article we will try to figure out how to make a go-kart with our own hands, where to get the necessary parts and materials for this, and we will also try to figure out how to draw up a drawing for making a go-kart ourselves.

Where to get the necessary materials.

To make a go-kart with your own hands, you need to decide on the materials and their availability. If there is a metal collection point or some kind of auto dismantling station near you, then some of the parts can be purchased there.

• Pedals
• pedal mounting block
• steering shaft
• steering rods
• axle shafts
• steering knuckles
• kingpins
• master and working cylinders of disc brakes
• armchair

Basically, all the parts can be removed from old Soviet cars; it is better to take the chair from a foreign car because it will be more comfortable. When purchasing parts, you should pay attention to their condition - the steering knuckles and kingpin should rotate without jamming, the brake cylinders should not leak, and other parts should not be rusty.

At the metal collection point you can look for the following parts:

• gears
• metal pipes, strips, corners
• motor
• wheels
• bearings

We are developing a scheme

When all the details are collected, we begin to develop the circuit. There is no general concept for the size and shape of a kart, so everyone does what they like. The decisive argument here is the availability of parts. However, it is worth considering the height of the pilot; for tall people, the kart should be longer. If you find a car seat with a sled, you can make a long kart with adjustable distance to the pedals.

For greater simplicity, we take any drawing found on the Internet and customize it to fit our materials and units. When developing the diagram, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the kingpins, methods of installing the brake cylinders and the features of attaching the seat to the frame.

It is necessary to take into account the method of attaching the steering rods to the steering pendulum. On most homemade karts, steering rods are made of steel rod with a diameter of 8-15mm, and the pendulum is made of a plate 5-7mm thick. This scheme will not allow you to adjust the toe-in of the wheels, so there is a high probability of rapid wear of the tires.

Therefore, by welding we combine them with the tie rod ends from the car, this will allow us to change the toe angle.

Steering and powertrain

As a power unit, a chainsaw motor is not the best option, since it can be used to make a drive with only one gear. This is not convenient because there is no way to adjust the drive/driven gear ratio; the wheel torque will be the same during constant movement and acceleration.

The best option would be a motor from a scooter or an old Soviet scooter “Ant” or its analogues. Fortunately, there shouldn’t be any special problems with purchasing such a unit. To increase torque during acceleration, if we use a moped gearbox, we will have to install a gear selector lever and a clutch pedal. For a scooter engine, these operations are not necessary, since it uses a CVT transmission.

The axle shafts of rear-wheel drive vehicles and the steering shaft end are best suited for creating steering control.

We cut off the tip and weld it to the axle shaft. Next, the axle shaft is cut to the required length, and at the other end we weld the steering column pendulum. Using a bolt or welding, we attach the steering rods to the pendulum, install one on the bottom, the other on top. To prevent the steering wheel shaft from dangling, we secure it with two axle bearings. In order to fix the bearings, we use standard axle bushings, which will have to be heated to a temperature of 500 degrees. At any auto disassembly we find the master and working cylinders of the front brakes from Soviet Zhiguli or Lada (since brake mechanisms from sports bicycles are more difficult to find, and they will cost much more).

If the brake disc turns out to be large, then we use a substitute, for example, a final drive flange or a flat gear welded to the axle shaft. With small loads and low speed of rotation of the axle shaft, the flange will work for quite a long time.

For the front axle, a kingpin assembly with a steering knuckle from GAZ 21, 24 cars is better suited. But for them it is necessary to install car seats from at least Oka.

In the case of small wheels, you will have to cut off the bearings of the kingpins and steering knuckle, then make a new unit and attach the wheel hub to it.

Kart assembly.

If all the drawings, assemblies and small parts are ready to create a karting with your own hands, then you can start assembling.

For installation we use a welding inverter with electrodes with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Each seam should be checked carefully. If you don’t know how to weld, it’s better to contact a welder you know. Although this will increase costs, the homemade kart will be more durable.

Upon completion of installation of the frame, you should process all the seams with a grinder and a sanding disc, then paint it. After the paint has dried, we begin installing the wheels. When installing the rear wheels, we weld brake discs, a pulley and a final drive gear onto the axle shaft.

Next we move on to the steering. It is important to pay attention that the play does not exceed 5mm. Otherwise, the cards will be thrown from side to side. Then we proceed to install the brake. If using automobile brakes, be sure to connect the cylinders with steel or copper pipes located on top of the frame. Next, fill them with brake fluid and pump them. It is not recommended to place the tubes at the bottom; in this case, there is a high probability of their damage, which will lead to brake failure.

If you use brake actuators from small vehicles or scooters, you will have to be smart.

To check the steering and brake systems, install the seat. Ask a friend to push you. If the systems are working normally, then we proceed to installing the drive and motor. We fix the motor according to the previously developed diagram. Next, we connect the fuel tank, the accelerometer rod and the shutdown button.

Carefully check the operation of all card systems! If everything is fine, then do the first test drive. You should remember that you assembled the kart with your own hands, so you can only ride it on special tracks!

Nothing quenches the need for speed like racing a go-kart. You can assemble it yourself from a set of spare parts or from a sketch - it will be an exciting and fun garage project for amateur mechanics of any age. Depending on what tools you have, you can learn how to design a cool go-kart yourself, weld the chassis correctly, and achieve a powerful ride. See step 1 for more details.

Steps

Part 1

Design

Draw a detailed diagram of the future karting. It can be of various sizes, shapes, models. Almost any element can be added to the design of these homemade machines. The basis is a chassis, a simple engine and a steering/braking system.

• Get creative with your project planning and draw a detailed diagram to make sure you have enough materials to complete the job. Look at other kart models for inspiration, and talk to mechanics who already have experience building karts.
• You can also find schematics for many different models online if you prefer to let someone else do the design. Use the template and modify it to your liking.

1. Carefully consider the dimensions of the go-kart. They are determined by the age and height of the driver. For teenagers, suitable sizes are 0.76 meters wide and 1.3 meters long, for adults - 1 meter wide and 1.8 meters long.

   • It is very important to design the kart as accurately as possible using specific measurements, otherwise it will be difficult to select the right materials and quantities.

2. Gather materials. If you're on a budget, look for inexpensive parts at a junkyard. Or you can use salvage parts from an old lawnmower or broken go-karts from a flea market. Lawn mower repair shops may give you unwanted parts or broken trimmers, as well as a used 10-15 horsepower four-stroke engine with a horizontal shaft and clutch drive. Here's what you'll need:

   • For chassis:
     • 9.2 meters of 2.5 cm square pipe
     • 1.8 meters of 2cm round steel pipe
     • 1.8 meters of 1.5 cm pipe
     • Steel plate 0.5 cm thick, slightly larger in width and length than the engine
     • Plywood or metal (for seat and bottom)
     • Seat
   • For engine:
     • Engine (you can take the engine of an old gasoline trimmer)
     • Chain to match the sprocket hub
     • Bolts, washers
     • Fuel tank
   • For transmission:
     • Wheels
     • Gearbox and handbrake
     • Drive shaft
     • Bearings
     • Steering shaft
     • Brake pedal
     • Throttle/gas pedal

3. Get a welding unit. If you don't know how to cook, you will need to hire a welder. The most important part of a go-kart is the strong chassis that will hold you in place while you ride. They also house the engine. If you intend to make a multi-piece chassis, welding should be done at a fairly high temperature and penetration, with neat welds. Otherwise, the elements may not be welded well, and bubbles, cracks will appear at the welding points and/or they will only be strong in appearance, which will turn your kart into a death machine.

   • If you've never done welding, don't start by assembling a go-kart. Start with small pieces to practice.

4. Consider purchasing a kit of parts for the kart. If you are not interested in inventing and welding kart parts yourself, buy a construction kit with detailed instructions and diagrams, which you can easily assemble without welding using simple tools.

   • The pleasure of assembling a kart yourself without the hassle of designing a model and finding materials will cost you about $550.

   Part 2

   Chassis and steering column assembly

   1. Cut the metal pipe into the required lengths according to your drawings.

      • On most models, the camber angle of the front wheels is narrower than the rear, allowing the wheels to turn, allowing the chassis to spin slightly. To achieve this, strengthen the steering axle at the front corners, where the wheels will be, to ensure easy rotation.
      • To make it easier to navigate the dimensions, you can draw marks on the floor with chalk where you work, and do not have to take measurements again each time. You can even draw the entire model on the floor and lay out the parts on top of it.

   2. Weld the frame elements in accordance with the diagram. Press the parts down with a concrete slab while welding, making sure the welds are holding well and the chassis is secure. They must be strong enough to support your weight and the weight of the engine, so welding cannot be done haphazardly. To increase strength, insert wedges at all corners. Use concrete blocks to secure the frame in an elevated position while you work.

      Assemble the front axle plugs. Make the axle from a strong metal rod with a diameter of 2 cm and two bushings attached to the frame. Secure the structure with washers and cotter pins, screwing them into the axle.

      Install the rear axle of the wheelset. You will likely need to attach the axle holder with a support bracket to the rear axle, meaning the axle will be welded to the frame but will be able to rotate freely. Weld the steel plate to the chassis, securing the pressure plate on the outside with high-strength bolts and machine nuts to clamp the bearing.

      • Instead of doing this yourself, you can purchase ready-made structures called “support-bearing units.”

   3. Use plywood or metal to make the seat and bottom of a go-kart. To save money, you can use a seat from a used go-kart, find a car seat that fits in a junkyard, or make one from a simple seat with a cushion for support. Leave room for the steering wheel and control levers.

   Part 3

   Installing the engine and steering column

   1. Install the engine mounts. Weld a steel plate to the rear of the frame to strengthen the engine. Place the motor on the plate and mark the holes where the bolts will be inserted so that the motor pulley lines up with the drive pulley on the axle.

      • Attach the pulley to the axle before inserting the axle into the bushings. You can also use a set screw to reinforce the pulley or weld it directly to the axle, but it must lie in line with the engine pulley.

   2. Assemble the steering gear. Use a 1.5cm steel rod for the drive and a 2cm steel rod for the axles. To bend the 1.5cm rod at a right angle, you may need to use a soldering iron to heat the steel.

      • To align the steering wheel, adjustable joints are needed because it is very important to correctly adjust the camber and toe: the vertical of the front wheel and the tilt of the steering wheel.

   3. Install wheels and brakes. Get small racing wheels to give your go-kart optimal acceleration and controllability. Attach them to the axles and begin installing the brakes to secure the kart.

      • To install the brakes, attach the disc to the rear axle and the caliper assembly to the chassis for the most professional setup you can make. Sometimes this mechanism can be found in relatively good condition in broken motorcycles. They fit true to size and will be easy to work with.
      • Install a foot brake pedal no matter what type of accelerator you have. Leave driving and a minimum of other actions to your hands.
   4. This kart uses a centrifugal clutch, but modifications can include a tension belt drive system or a hand- or foot-operated gas/clutch pedal.
   5. The mechanism does not have an accelerator, which can also be added using a simple lawn mower cable, or a more complex foot pedal.
   6. This instruction assumes that the mechanic will use scrap parts from broken lawn mowers and other sources. It will probably be cheaper to buy a ready-made kart than to assemble it from new purchased parts.
   7. The price of the simplest card reaches 60-70 dollars, if not more. A good set of models can be purchased for about $40, some even cheaper. The price of the drawings is just under $80. It might be worth considering this unless you're a pro.
   8. It is often recommended to purchase a set of drawings of well-designed and thought-out models that incorporate tried and tested motoring principles: Ackermann angles, castor angles, kingpin angles, and so on. You're more likely to finish and enjoy your go-kart if you build it from a good blueprint.

   Warnings

   • Check the kart before going to the track as parts may come loose or break.
   • Since the model is simple, without high-tech engineering and design solutions, it is not recommended to use a high gear ratio or a large engine. Speeds above 15-25 km/h can cause failure of insufficiently well-designed elements.
   • Wear protection while driving - helmets, pads, etc.
   • This is not a real car and should NOT be driven on the road under any circumstances!

A go-kart is a sports microcar without suspension, very popular among young people interested in motorsports. Often in such competitions (especially in Russia) racers take part in karts made by themselves. Indeed, why pay someone money if you can design your own vehicles, especially since the costs for this are minimal (and not only from a financial point of view).

How to assemble a go-kart with your own hands? You will find out the answer to this question in this article.

How to make a go-kart with your own hands? Selection of technical characteristics for a vehicle

Firstly, you must have an idea of ​​what size your future car will be. To properly assemble a karting with your own hands, you should draw a plan diagram on paper. Only with this help will you be able to correctly assemble the go-kart with your own hands. Drawings of this transport are shown in the photo below.

This is roughly what your diagram should look like. The most important thing to note here is the length of the wheelbase and overall dimensions. By the way, the longitudinal distance between the axles on go-karts should be no less than 101 and no more than 122 centimeters with a total length of 132 cm. The diameter of go-kart wheels should not exceed 35 centimeters. It is these characteristics that will contribute to stable and safe driving in this type of transport.

How to make a go-kart with your own hands? A little about the frame

The best place to start assembling a kart with your own hands is from the frame. It is more convenient to draw it in full size on graph paper glued to an A1 sheet or thick cardboard. Such a diagram will serve as a plan according to which individual components and elements will be adjusted into the rough. The frame diagram should be drawn in several projections - side and top views. In this case, the front spar is depicted separately.

Now we begin to manufacture the slipway for assembling the frame. This element will be required if the machine will be produced in a small series (that is, as in our case). As a base for the slipway, a duralumin sheet of steel measuring 170x90 centimeters should be used. In this case, the thickness of the material used should be about 15 centimeters. A longitudinal line is drawn along the axis of the element (this will be a trace of the plane of symmetry of the transport frame), and perpendicular to it - a base line (for mounting the pin bushing clamps).

The holes in the bushings are cut using a special machine. Fixing longitudinal spars are mounted on the slipway. The frame itself is assembled from several elements:

1. Two spars.

2. Front bump stop.

3. Front, rear and middle crossbars.

4. Steering column mounting brackets.

About the engine and chassis

As for the engine, karts are often equipped with two-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled gasoline units. You should also think about a special protective device that will protect the pilot from possible burns from the internal combustion engine. The braking system is also installed on the go-kart yourself. It must use at least two wheels.

Proportions

Pay attention to the ratio of the sizes of all leading components and assemblies in the machine. The width of the go-kart platform should correspond to the dimensions of the frame, and its length should correspond to the distance from the seat to the pedals.

Other important details

The design of this vehicle also needs to provide special guards that will prevent your feet from slipping off the pedals. The same applies to the seat - it should not be such that the driver flies from one side of the go-kart to the other when cornering. Ideally, the pilot sits tightly in the seat and does not move to the side during sharp turns and high speeds (with the exception of possible overload of the internal organs).

Individual parts of the gearbox should be covered with a special shield for ½ part. Also pay special attention to the fuel tank. Remember that its volume should not exceed five liters, and the container itself is securely fastened in order to completely prevent unauthorized release of fuel to the outside. You should not make an excessively large tank - five liters is enough for a single-cylinder two-stroke engine, the working volume of which is only a few tens of cubic centimeters.

All parts of the steering system and chassis must be cottered. It is also permissible to use an ignition system, shockproofing agents, and carburetors of any type (foreign or domestic production).

What parts cannot be used during assembly?

According to experts, it is prohibited to use the following elements in the design of this vehicle:

1. Body.

2. Fairings.

3. Steering with worm, cable, chain or gear drive.

4. Differentials.

5. Various superchargers and fuel injection.

6. Pedals that, when pressed, extend beyond the dimensions of the frame.

Follow these rules, you will assemble the safest possible unit in the shortest amount of time!

So, we found out how to build a go-kart with your own hands, what details you should pay attention to during assembly. Good luck!

Making a go-kart with your own hands is not so easy. Manufacturing kits and ready-made materials are not so cheap. But drawings are sometimes difficult to find, and certain parts are not always available. In this article we will try to figure out how to make a go-kart with our own hands, where to get the necessary parts and materials for this, and we will also try to figure out how to draw up a drawing for making a go-kart ourselves.

Where to get the necessary materials.

To make a go-kart with your own hands, you need to decide on the materials and their availability. If there is a metal collection point or some kind of auto dismantling station near you, then some of the parts can be purchased there.

• Pedals
• pedal mounting block
• steering shaft
• steering rods
• axle shafts
• steering knuckles
• kingpins
• master and working cylinders of disc brakes
• armchair

Basically, all the parts can be removed from old Soviet cars; it is better to take the chair from a foreign car because it will be more comfortable. When purchasing parts, you should pay attention to their condition - the steering knuckles and kingpin should rotate without jamming, the brake cylinders should not leak, and other parts should not be rusty.

At the metal collection point you can look for the following parts:

• gears
• metal pipes, strips, corners
• motor
• wheels
• bearings

We are developing a scheme

When all the details are collected, we begin to develop the circuit. There is no general concept for the size and shape of a kart, so everyone does what they like. The decisive argument here is the availability of parts. However, it is worth considering the height of the pilot; for tall people, the kart should be longer. If you find a car seat with a sled, you can make a long kart with adjustable distance to the pedals.

For greater simplicity, we take any drawing found on the Internet and customize it to fit our materials and units. When developing the diagram, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the kingpins, methods of installing the brake cylinders and the features of attaching the seat to the frame.

It is necessary to take into account the method of attaching the steering rods to the steering pendulum. On most homemade karts, steering rods are made of steel rod with a diameter of 8-15mm, and the pendulum is made of a plate 5-7mm thick. This scheme will not allow you to adjust the toe-in of the wheels, so there is a high probability of rapid wear of the tires.

Therefore, by welding we combine them with the tie rod ends from the car, this will allow us to change the toe angle.

Steering and powertrain

As a power unit, a chainsaw motor is not the best option, since it can be used to make a drive with only one gear. This is not convenient because there is no way to adjust the drive/driven gear ratio; the wheel torque will be the same during constant movement and acceleration.

The best option would be a motor from a scooter or an old Soviet scooter “Ant” or its analogues. Fortunately, there shouldn’t be any special problems with purchasing such a unit. To increase torque during acceleration, if we use a moped gearbox, we will have to install a gear selector lever and a clutch pedal. For a scooter engine, these operations are not necessary, since it uses a CVT transmission.

The axle shafts of rear-wheel drive vehicles and the steering shaft end are best suited for creating steering control.

We cut off the tip and weld it to the axle shaft. Next, the axle shaft is cut to the required length, and at the other end we weld the steering column pendulum. Using a bolt or welding, we attach the steering rods to the pendulum, install one on the bottom, the other on top. To prevent the steering wheel shaft from dangling, we secure it with two axle bearings. In order to fix the bearings, we use standard axle bushings, which will have to be heated to a temperature of 500 degrees. At any auto disassembly we find the master and working cylinders of the front brakes from Soviet Zhiguli or Lada (since brake mechanisms from sports bicycles are more difficult to find, and they will cost much more).

If the brake disc turns out to be large, then we use a substitute, for example, a final drive flange or a flat gear welded to the axle shaft. With small loads and low speed of rotation of the axle shaft, the flange will work for quite a long time.

For the front axle, a kingpin assembly with a steering knuckle from GAZ 21, 24 cars is better suited. But for them it is necessary to install car seats from at least Oka.

In the case of small wheels, you will have to cut off the bearings of the kingpins and steering knuckle, then make a new unit and attach the wheel hub to it.

Kart assembly.

If all the drawings, assemblies and small parts are ready to create a karting with your own hands, then you can start assembling.

For installation we use a welding inverter with electrodes with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Each seam should be checked carefully. If you don’t know how to weld, it’s better to contact a welder you know. Although this will increase costs, the homemade kart will be more durable.

Upon completion of installation of the frame, you should process all the seams with a grinder and a sanding disc, then paint it. After the paint has dried, we begin installing the wheels. When installing the rear wheels, we weld brake discs, a pulley and a final drive gear onto the axle shaft.

Next we move on to the steering. It is important to pay attention that the play does not exceed 5mm. Otherwise, the cards will be thrown from side to side. Then we proceed to install the brake. If using automobile brakes, be sure to connect the cylinders with steel or copper pipes located on top of the frame. Next, fill them with brake fluid and pump them. It is not recommended to place the tubes at the bottom; in this case, there is a high probability of their damage, which will lead to brake failure.

If you use brake actuators from small vehicles or scooters, you will have to be smart.

To check the steering and brake systems, install the seat. Ask a friend to push you. If the systems are working normally, then we proceed to installing the drive and motor. We fix the motor according to the previously developed diagram. Next, we connect the fuel tank, the accelerometer rod and the shutdown button.

Carefully check the operation of all card systems! If everything is fine, then do the first test drive. You should remember that you assembled the kart with your own hands, so you can only ride it on special tracks!