In this video we are going to be learning about go kart axles, and how to build your
own homemade go kart axle.
We are going to be looking at two types.
The first one we are looking at is for the free plans I have on KartFab.com.
This is the one wheel drive axle (also known as a dead axle).
One wheel is the drive wheel, the other just freely spins, and the engine only powers one
wheel.
There are a few pros and cons to this; obviously you can see the con right here.
It has a difficult time climbing hills and getting traction off road.
However, they are not all that bad.
A one wheel drive go kart is the cheapest one to build, and it is super easy to drive
on flat surfaces, pavement, and you can take it on the grass and a little bit off road,
but you cant climb any good hills with it.
The next axle we are going to look at is a live axle go kart kit.
This axle comes in a kit that I have on KartFab.com for the live axle plans that I have.
As you look at these two go karts, both of them have a live axle go kart kit installed.
They climb a hill very easily compared to a one wheel drive go kart.
They do very well in the mud, and they do very well off road.
So, if you want to have a go kart with high performance, it's gotta have a torque converter,
and a live axle on it.
I actually made plans for two separate types of go karts that are live axle.
A standard one that is kind of an inexpensive live axle, and then a deluxe upgraded version
that has a 30 torque converter for off roading.
If you want to get the plans, they are 20 bucks.
They are on kartfab.com (the link is in the description).
So lets get back to the least expensive way to do this.
The simplest way is the dead axle or one wheel drive go kart axle.
What I am doing here is just taking some mineral spirits (you can use acetone or any sort of
solvent to wipe off the oil that comes with the steel).
After you cut it, you want to have it extra clean for welding.
I am using a wire wheel on my angle grinder to get the finish off of the bolts to have
a very solid weld.
Now you don't just go put the bolt on and weld it.
You want to put the bolt on right exactly where you want it, then do what is called
a tack weld, and weld it on the opposite side with a tack.
Then you do it on the other two sides, so you end with a total number of four tacks.
All is not lost if it is a little crooked after that.
Just take a straight edge to it and eyeball it (that's what I did), and then if it's still
crooked, you beat it with a hammer until it is straight on all four edges.
Then you do four more tacks, and then you weld it all the way around.
If you want to reduce warpage, you weld one side, flip it 180 degrees, and weld the exact
opposite side.
So after you are done welding on that first bolt, you repeat the process with the second
bolt.
The second bolt is four inches, and the first one is six inches (we'll get into that in
a minute).
The main idea here is tack, make sure it's straight, tack again, and do a full weld all
the way around.
As you notice here on the left it is a six inch bolt, and on the right it is a four inch
bolt.
The reason why the bolts are different sizes is because the drive wheel assembly is a little
bit wider to support the sprocket and brake.
The other wheel that goes on the passenger side that free spins is not as wide, so you
don't have to worry about it.
After you get the bolts welded on, measure it and make sure your axle is underneath the
frame, and tack weld it.
Measure it again.
It is important to get the measurements right, otherwise, your go kart might drive in the
wrong direction.
After you get everything tacked up, go ahead and fully weld everything, and then you will
be completely done with attaching the go kart axle assembly to the go kart frame.
Thanks guys for watching.
The next video that is coming right up will be going over the floor pan, so the floor
pan will be super easy thing to weld onto the go kart frame.
The previous video that we looked at was actually how to weld the base frame for the go kart.
So if you like this video, as always, give it a thumbs up, if you feel like commenting
go ahead and let me know what you think about it; or if you have questions, let me know,
and then if you haven't already go ahead and subscribe to my videos for more awesome go
kart stuff.