How to Build a Fast Go Kart

Go Kart building is a fun and fairly cheap pastime for people who enjoy building and riding. These small vehicles are usually built with a steel frame, but they can also be constructed with materials that you can often find lying around a junk yard. Having a construction price range anywhere between $50 and $1,500, Go Kart building can be a fairly inexpensive hobby.

Things You'll Need

  • Axles
  • Brakes
  • Clutches
  • Throttle cables
  • Brake and gas pedals
  • Bearings
  • Sprockets
  • Chains
  • Tie rod ends
  • Steering wheels
  • Wheels/rims
  • Tires
  • Tubing
  • Welding equipment
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Painting
  • Small motor
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a design plan. Go Kart's can be built using a Go Kart kit, such as the Go Kart Kit or StingRay. You can also build a Go Kart with a frame built from scrape wood, powered by an old lawn mower engine. Free schematics and building plans can be downloaded from GoKartGuru.com and diyGoKarts.com.

    • 2

      Construct the frame. The most common method of building a frame is by welding the pieces together. However, if you are working on a tighter budget or limited resources, you can build your frame from wood.

    • 3

      Install the drive assemblies. Cut the axles to the appropriate lengthen for your Go Kart and mount the rims and wheels. Attach the steering rod to the drive shaft's tie rods and bolt the steering components into place on the frame.

    • 4

      Bolt the gas and brake pedals to the bottom of the frame. Connect the braking cable and throttle (gas) cable to the appropriate pedals. The throttle cable is connected to the engines throttle mechanism and the brake cable is connected to the braking mechanism.

    • 5

      Mount the engine, brakes and throttle assemblies. Identify the drilling holes for the engine mount by spraying a small amount of paint on the holes of the engine block and sitting it on the engine mount. Wait approximately one minute before removing the engine block -- the paint will remain on the spots where you need to drill the holes to mount the engine.

    • 6

      Install the seat by building a beach to serve as the seat's frame. Attach the cushion and bolt the seat frame into place.

    • 7

      Install the bottom plate by bolting sheet into place.