It has been a while since we have given an update on the go cart and much has changed since the last update. The cart is very nearly drawing towards completion and soon, barring any unforeseen difficulties, Boca Bearings will once again have an operational electric Go cart system.

Let’s start at the front end. This hasn’t changed a ton from the old Go cart as much of the parts were cannibalized from that system, but some inherent flaws were fixed. For instance, on the old system there were holes about the size of a quarter that were covered in tape from bad welds. Obviously, this is not something that makes for a structurally sound component, so the wheel mounts were cut off and rewelded. The steering column was also redone with a piece of round steel tube that is welded in place and uses two bearings to support the steering shaft. Lastly the front end is now bolted on instead of welded on, this was done to make transport and servicing much easier on the next guy.

Next, we have our new brake system that has been installed. Using what was learned with the mower we went with a top-of-the-line hydraulic brake setup out the gate. Although this setup was more expensive than other alternatives coming in at around $400 for all the parts, it is a system that has proven itself to work well when properly maintained and is relatively easy to work on. There are ways we could have cut costs just like was done with the drift trike’s brake system, but reliability is something that took high priority in this design and this system has shown itself to be less fickle than many of the cable driven alternatives we have tried in the past.

Next, we have the motors mounted to the system. Not too much to say there but they fit and hopefully they don’t have to be taken out often because they are not an easy part to remove. Anyway, as previously stated in a past blog post we opted to go for alternators instead of brushless motors because by using them we were able to cut the cost by almost $100 per motor as the rules count used alternators as $10 each for the costs. This allows us to use two motors instead of the normal one motor drive train that most carts use.

For the seat we took the old John deer seat off the mower and added multiple mounting holes so that drivers of varying sizes can have greater comfort much like you’d find on a conventional automobile. This may not be the prettiest seat ever, but it cut cost, is sturdy, and comfortable.

For the electrical system we were able to take a note out of the auto industries handbook and we have run all the ground lines to the chasse by using rivet nuts as threaded mounting points. By doing this we can both cut cost and weight by using shorter grounding lines than would otherwise be required if the system was run back to a single main linkage.

Another thing that has been added to the system is an air horn. This is not something that is required but it certainly adds some fun to the system and a solid way to tell people to move over as we pass the competition.

Overall this cart is shaping up to be a real beast and we can’t wait to show it off to everyone at maker fair!