Go karts are small, open, single seat vehicles with four wheels, that are often used in kart racing events for fun or even serious competition. Go karts vary widely in terms of speed and power, some having the ability to exceed 260 kilometers an hour. Go karts are also commonly used in amusement parks, but are generally limited in speed and tend to be powered by electricity. Go cart racing tends to be an expensive hobby, that requires a large initial investment as well as the committment in terms of maintenance of your vehicle.

In this brief article, we provide an overview of the most essential go kart parts that you should be aware of and address some often-asked questions.

To Build Or Buy New?

Go karts can cost many thousands of dollars, however the price will depend on the type of kart you buy. If you have time and patience, building your own kart is certainly a viable way of keeping your costs down and can be a rewarding way to familiarise yourself with the components of your kart. By doing much of the handy work yourself, you will gain a firmer understanding of the various parts of your kart and how they all work together. You will gain a firmer foundation for diagnosing and carrying out mechanical maintenance over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Essential Go Kart Parts

The following is a list of common go karts parts that make up a standard kart. This is not a definitive list, but can be considered a starting point for further research. A helpful exercise is to write down each of these headings on a sheet of paper and then try to match parts that are compatible with your particular go kart. Finding matching parts requires some study, which can usually be carried out online, or on a website such as eBay. It will also be a handy exercise to visit any local mechanics or specialist go kart shops in your area and see what kind of items they offer.

Go Kart Frames/Chassis

The frame is the surrounding structure of the vehicle. It is typically made out of steel tubing. Many go karts have little or no suspension meaning that your chassis should be flexible enough to fill this role, while being stiff enough not to give way when taking a sharp turn. Many go karts feature a roll-cage, that are commonly used on dirt tracks and completely surrounds the rider, acting as a barrier of protection. Open karts have no roll-cage are more commonly used for races on sealed tarmac.

Go Kart Engine

If you purchase a go kart new or in a standard kit, the engine will probably be provided for you to begin with. However in a few years time, once you have gained some kart racing experience, the option of upgrading to a more powerful engine might be an attractive one. Typically amusement park go karts feature 4-stroke or electric engines, whereas racing karts have 2-stroke or 4-stroke ones.

Go kart Tires

One of the most apparent things you will notice about a go kart is that it has wheels that are much smaller than a normal vehicle. Wheel rims are commonly made out of aluminium and magnesium alloy and can support cornering forces greater than 2 G, depending on the other go kart parts and accessories. Like other motor sports go karts have tires to suit different track conditions including slicks for dry weather, rain tyres or “wets” that have additional grooves for wet weather conditions and even specialized tires that can be used on ice.

Go Kart Clutch

The clutch will stop your go cart from idling, which is important due to the fact that when the clutch is engaged the kart will begin to move. In the early days of go karts and kart racing, the karts were direct drive only. Due to the inconvenience of this setup, the centrifugal clutch was born and later dry centrifugal clutches were installed for many categories of karts and are now the norm. A centrifugal clutch is one that uses centrifugal force to connect two concentric shafts. It features the driving shaft nested within the driven shaft. The advantage of a centrifugal clutch is that it keeps the internal combustion engine from stalling when the blade is stopped abruptly and that it serves to disengage loads when idling or starting.

Go Kart Steering Wheel

The steering wheel is a standard component that will most likely be provided with your kart purchase. That said, the kart steering wheel can easily be replaced relatively for one that you are more comfortable if you prefer. If you decide on doing this, then it is a matter of personal preference as to which one you choose. You should ensure that it is both comfortable and not slippery in your hand when using.

Go Kart Suspension

Go Karts are generally very close to the ground and rarely have suspension. The chassis and frame naturally fill the role of provide your go kart vehicle with suspension.

Go Kart Transmission

Go karts do not feature differential, meaning that tone rear tire must necessarily slide while cornering. To achieve this the chassis is designed so that the rear-inside tire lifts up slightly when taking the corner, thus allowing a slight loss of grip and the ability to slide or even a complete lift off the ground. Usually power is transmitted to the rear axle via a chain or belt.

Go Kart Accessories

Some popular go kart manufacturers that can provide you with good deal on go kart accessories and parts include:

• Yerf Dog go kart parts
• Murray go kart parts
• Hammerhead go kart parts
• Shifter kart parts
• And others…

Safety Considerations

Many people consider go karts as toys, but they are also relatively fast-moving vehicles that can be potentially dangerous. To ensure your safety you should always wear a good quality to kart helmet and ensure that you use go kart racing parts that are of good quality as cheaper racing go kart parts may let you down when you are pushing your vehicle to its limit. Off road go karts must be even more robust as this type of racing can bring about many more accidents, due to the unstable nature of these kinds of tracks. Off road go kart parts that are specific to your particular vehicle. While cheap go kart parts may save you some money up front, under harsh racing conditions you may find that inexpensive racing kart parts can fail at the worst possible time.