Go Cart Parts

Important Facts about Go Cart Parts

Incorporating the finest go cart parts into your go kart will give you the greatest amount of satisfaction and enjoyment in your go cart racing endeavors. All go kart components must be of high quality and work well with the various other parts to produce a racing go cart that is fast, stable, and long-lasting. Using inferior go kart parts will lead to more breakdowns and malfunctions, which will mean less success on the track. The main components of a go cart are the frame, engine, tires, and system controls, among others.

If you expect to keep long-term problems to a minimum you need to start with high quality parts made from durable materials. Nothing is more frustrating than constantly repairing or replacing cheap parts. Starting with good parts will mean less time repairing things and more time racing go carts. Plus, your kart racing results will probably improve as well.

The frame, also known as the chassis, is made from strong steel tubing and has no suspension. A chassis can break when put under too much pressure, and therefore must be stiff enough to prevent cracking and breaking, and flexible enough to work as the suspension. There are four different types of frame, each best-suited for a particular type of racing. These include the open, caged, offset, or straight chassis.

Caged go cart frames have a roll cage that completely surrounds the driver. They are normally used on dirt tracks where rollovers are most common and are intended to protect the driver during this type of accident. Open cart frames have no roll cage, but often include a roll bar situated directly behind the driver. This offers a good deal of protection in the event of a rollover, but not as much as a caged go kart frame. The difference between straight and offset frames is the position of the driver. If the driver sits directly in the center of the go cart it is considered straight. If the driver is positioned on the left side of the vehicle it is considered offset. Offset go cart frames are usually used in speedway racing where the track is oval-shaped with only left turns.

A stiffer chassis is generally better in dry race conditions and a flexible chassis is usually best in wet conditions. Some cheaper frames do not allow for adjustment, but high quality frames allow the driver to adjust the amount of stiffness by placing or removing stiffening bars on the front, rear, and sides of the go cart.

Engines can either be 2-stroke or 4-stroke with the 2-stroke engines being the most powerful. Some go carts have electric motors, but since these lack the power of gas engines they are typically reserved for fun center go karts. Electric go carts have many advantages over gas powered go carts. They are cheaper to operate because they don’t require expensive fuel. They are cheaper to maintain since gas engines will break down a lot more frequently. They don’t have toxic emissions, are quiet, and can be used indoors. The two main drawbacks are their top speeds and the need for a recharge after about 20 minutes of use.

4-stroke engines are more powerful than electric, and are also found on many amusement center go kart tracks. However, they can be modified to produce much more power than electric motors. Some are even used in National Championship races. 2-stroke engines can produce more hp than 4-strokes and can generate go kart speeds in excess of 160 mph. The high-power engines of today are usually water-cooled, but in the past they were mostly air-cooled.

There are two main types of go cart tires that are used for various track and weather conditions. In wet weather, rain tires are the tire of choice. These grooved tires put less rubber on the road and allow for better traction on wet tracks. Slick tires, also known as “slicks,” are used for dry track conditions. In dry weather slicks are the tire of choice. They have no grooves which permit more tire rubber to meet the road. This gives better grip in dry track conditions.

Two other types of go cart tire are spiked and cuts. Spikes are used in icy conditions and consist of spikes embedded in the tires that will actually poke into the track. Cuts are modified slick tires that are used for dirt and clay speedways.

Being able to keep track of various go cart parameters can improve a driver’s success on the track. Monitors are placed on the steering wheel that will allow a driver to monitor specific racing parameters such as lap speed, RPM, cooling system temperature, and others. These monitors may be simple or sophisticated. Some of the more costly and sophisticated systems will monitor things such as brake pressure, throttle position, and other parameters. Additionally, the data can be downloaded to a computer and later analyzed to help improve performance.