Build a Go-Kart or Off-road Buggy
83This article focuses on things to take into account when building your own Go-Cart. If that sounds a bit beyond you and you’d sooner just get into the action, then there are a plethora of companies selling ready to ride machines (eBay has stacks). But in my book, there's a lot to be said for building your own.
Welcome, you’ve arrived at this web page because you’re a speed-demon, a motor head, an avid DIY’er looking for the next project, OR, you have kids and you want to please them big time.
Go Carts (or, Go Karts if you prefer) fulfil all those appetites and come in flavours catering for most tastes. For this article I’m going to extend the definition to include Buggies as well.
Of course, not all flavours are equal. As such care must be taken in selecting the one that’s right for you. Many a home project has sat uncompleted on the garage floor because of failure in this department; and this is not only a waste of money and time, but really annoys the spouse (who will eventually sell it on eBay for 1/300th of its actual value... never mind the rust).
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EZ GO EZGO St 350 Jacobsen 1200 Hauler Cart ATV Off Road Dependable Work Cart
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NWT Shift Assault Boys Off Road Moto Cross Dirt Bike Protective Pants Size 10/26
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Factors to be taken into account when determining your choice should include:
Who is it for?
- A thirty horsepower naught-to-one-hundred in 3 seconds Jet-Cart may me ideal for those with a death wish or seeking to orbit earth, but a tad advanced for your six year old.
- On the flip-side, don’t expect to impress your off-road buggy friends with a 3 horsepower solid frame, no suspension, bone-judder machine.
- Therefore match engine and cart frame size with body weight and speed requirements.
What’s it for and where are you going to ride it?
- Once again, go-carts and buggies serve different purposes.
- Do you want to build something small so the kids can simply scoot around the driveway? Or for a teenager who wants to join the local speedway club? Or for dirt tracks through forests, or extreme jumps down on the dunes? Maybe it’s just to test your DYI skills to see how mean you can make that machine.
- Consider also that many local authorities now have noise level restrictions that prevent go-carters from riding near built-up areas. I’ve heard of some having to sell they’re hardly-used pride-and-joy because they had nowhere nearby to legally ride it.
How are your DYI skills?
- For some they are non-existent, for others they’re fair, for a few, they can build anything. Which one are you?
- Building a go-cart/buggy comes in degrees of difficulty and many have become unglued at this point, realising they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Use the following as a basic gauge of what makes such projects more or less difficult;
The material it is constructed from. Timber is easier to work with than metal and some metals easier than others. Most can use a hammer, but how is your welding? Can you ARC, MIG, TIG? It has to be good weld if you intend to take a buggy off-road or over jumps.
Fabrication requirements. How many parts require fabricating and what tools will be required to do this? And even if you had the tools, can you operate them to the level required. For example, do you have a metal lathe that you feel competent enough to turn an axle hub? Tools can be dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced.
How deep is your wallet?
- A Go-cart can cost you as little as a few dollars to build or upward of twenty grand (for the true motor-heads).
- And you do get what you pay for. For example, many cheap go-cart wheels are simply taken from a removalist’s trolley; however these have a speed limit of 15Km, over which the bearings melt. Add a motor capable of 50km to that Go-Cart... use your imagination. In other words, spend enough to achieve what you require, but not less.
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How much time do you have?
- This is probably the main reason projects get left uncompleted, because it wasn’t anticipated how long they’d take. For example, it took me twelve months to fabricate and build my first Go-cart, weekends and after work, it was a challenge at times, but I had my five year old son work alongside me throughout, so it was well worth it.
Many companies now offer a graduated approach to building a Go-Kart, depending on your skill level, time and budget. You can purchase a plan, build what you can yourself, and then purchase the remaining parts. I did this with my first project, managing to build 80% myself.
One such Australian company is EDGE http://edge.au.com/
Of course, the more you manage to build yourself the cheaper it is for you; however it is a comfort to know you can finish the project regardless of your ability.
Final considerations are more to do with ongoing enjoyment of the toy.
- Where are you going to store it? They're not small.
- How are you going to transport it? Trailers are expensive.
- How are you going to maintain it? Things break, sometimes often.
- What safety equipment will you need? Helmets are essential.
- When are you going to use it? Nothing disappoints the kids more than a toy they can never play with (or the dads for that matter).
Hope this helped in your decision making.
All the best with whatever project you decide on and good luck.
thanks for all the help and photos and the consideration you need to think of when making something like this.
Iam gonna to hopefully make one of these at my school since we have a huge metal work area full of oxy,mig,arc welders,huge metal cutters,benders with and i think its one of the biggest australian state school workshops.
So my project is that iam goning to hopefully draw out a frame plan but copy your frame but maybe changing the sizes and add a few tweak in if need then i will hopefully find out the costing of the metal and then i hopefully will try to finish the frame this year in metal works and since we also have auto workshop ill was think that i could use the suspeisions off a quad and weld it to the frame so i would then have suspeinsions for the go cart or i might not depend what my auto teacher suggests to me but i will also fit in the motor and the seat and other parts then and hopefully will have it complete but thanks alot for all the info and photos it really helped me out alot and i hope to be the dust demon once done :)
Hey Ziggy. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment. I wish they gave me the chance to build go-carts during my school days. The workshop you describe sounds like a nice place to spend your days. ATV Suspension might work. Rear suspension is always easier than the front, because the front has to also incorporate your steering, so not sure how you might work the ATV in. Don't forget to take photos as you progress, and post them on hubpages. All the best mate, and good luck.
nomoretrucks 2 years ago
parrster hiya. The stuff you built is cool. Ive just made a 'Volks_Quad'which cost less than £100 to built, but its tiny. i reckon this sort of stuff intrigues us 'mature' kids some times. Im gonna built something more able for the muddy tracks around the forests we have here. Take a look at it and tell me what you think. Your black creation is inspired by a 'Mad Max' Type look, Yeah?