Demo Video
How Fast is the Wooden Go Kart?
The main goal for this project was to build a Go-kart over in the summer. As a result, the design of the Go-kart is made to be as simple as possible, going at 17.8 km/h (my weight included), with the only complication involved in the powertrain and steering system.
Creating the Steering System
This Go-kart is design with a Ackermann steering system, providing different turning angles for the front wheels. What this does is that it gives the driver greater handling compared a non-Ackermann steering system.
These are images of blueprints for the go kart, both for the steering system and the rear axle. This step in the project helped me with calculating what I need, how everything should be put together, and figuring out the measurements.
The steering system is designed to be an Reverse Ackermann steering system, allowing for more mechanical grip while cornering. This was applied by moving the joint (first image under, circled with a red circle) outwards. Using a Ackermann system was essential, not only for grip, but it avoided the wood block from splitting (the wood block connecting the tire). It was later figured that the joint could be moved further inward into the wooden block, but this would randomly adjust the steering column from the tire vibrations.
Handling the Lateral Forces
One of the issues that came up during this project was the reliability of the steering system. For instance, as you turn the Go-kart, the front wheels will begin to bend and break due to the lateral forces applied onto them. To solve this, the front of the Go-kart needed more stability to support the wheels.
The hub of the wheel was damage by the lateral force. You can also see in the gif above how the wheel began to wobble as the turn increases.
A long metal piece was added in order to keep the wheels in place.
Working with a ESC with No Manual
Another issue that was faced during the project was a unknown problem with the eletric powertrain. After manually debugging the speed controller, a yellow wire now connects the keylock, allowing the project to continue. From this, it was heartly noted to find and read over the purpose and design of a product beforehand, as it most likely holds the answer.
Here is the circuit diagram for the kart. Two 12v SLA batteries are connected in series to create 24v.