Hand Made Vintage Style Go Kart Spindles (5/8" axles)

Description

This offering is for a pair of hand made vintage style go kart spindles. They have 5/8" axles which are typical for American karts with lots of wheel and hub options. They are hand made by me, except for the spindle brackets and steering arms. The spindle brackets are Azusa brand and the steering arms are made by A&A Manufacturing. The steering arms have two 5/16" holes drilled for your tie rod ends. The two holes allow for fine adjustment of your steering system in relation to the pitman arm length. The spindle brackets have 1/2" spindle bolts which were trimmed to proper size, drilled for cotter pins, and supplied with thin, flex head lock nuts which allow for very fine spindle barrel adjustment. Use anti seize lubricant on these threads and nuts, since these special lock nuts go on very tight, but will not loosen under vibration. The spindle brackets have a width of 1-1/4" for welding on your axle tube. And the brackets are 3" tall.  The 5/8" diameter axles are 5.0" long with 3.0" not threaded. They are made from grade five 5/8" - 18 bolts. The hex head is machined off to a round shape, then the head end of the axle is fish mouthed with a milling machine to give a good fit for tig welding the axle to the spindle barrel. The axles are drilled for cotter pins and slotted nuts. There are two cotter pin holes drilled in then end of each axle, at 90 degrees apart to allow for finer wheel bearing adjustment. (With a six sided slotted hex nut) You will need 5/8" wheel spacers (not included) to work with your wheel/hub setup. The spindle barrels are drilled and tapped for a grease fittings so the spindles can be easily lubed. The spindle barrels have bronze flange bushings installed for longer wear, and can be replaced if they get worn. They are press fit with about .0015" interference fit. The bushings are a common size and can be found easily (I use Aircraft Spruce as my supplier) The bushings can be pressed into the spindle barrels with a long 1/2" fine bolt, nut and washers.
The axles have been welded to the spindle barrels at a KPI (king pin inclination) of 7 degrees. The steering arms have been welded to the spindle barrels at a 12 degree angle. Set up the spindle brackets with the spindles installed, get all your dimensions and angles correct, then tack weld the brackets to your axle, then remove the spindles before welding the brackets completely on!! (don't weld the spindle brackets with the spindles in place, you don't want to cook the oil out of the bronze bushings) When you level the steering arms in relationship to the ground, you will end up with a caster angle of 12 degrees. The KPI and caster angles are typical for the 1960's style karts back in the day. The steering arms face forward (front steer). Please note that with the steering arms slightly splayed out towards the front wheel/tire. You may need an offset wheel/hub so the tire clears the steering arms. There is plenty of room with the length of the axle and adding 5/8" wheel spacers to adjust this properly.  The splayed out steering arms will introduce some Ackerman steering effect into the steering geometry. Ackerman steering geometry allows for the inner wheel to turn sharper than the outer wheel for better handling, tire wear, etc. Some basic installation instructions are included.
All nuts, bolts, washers, cotter pins & grease fittings are included. You will have to supply 5/8" wheel spacers to adjust your wheel/hub/tire setup. (And to clear the steering arms)
I make these spindles as a retirement hobby & spend a lot of time to make a nice spindle you won't find anywhere else. With lots of attention to detail, as you can see from my lengthy description. I built karts as a little kid, and the steering was the hardest to fabricate with limited tools. I build these to help out the home fabricators who love to make these little machines.
I incorporate KPI, caster and steering arm angles into the spindles to provide some basic, proper steering geometry.
As with any Kart, ATV or fun type motorized vehicle, there is NO GUARANTEE of any kind with these spindles. Even if my part fails. I will not be held responsible (liable) for any damages, injuries, or death cause by the failure of these parts made by me. I have no control on how these parts will be installed or used.
The buyer/user accepts all risk associated with these spindles, their installation, setup, and operation. If you don't agree to this, DO NOT PURCHASE these spindles.
These spindles are intended for low speed fun type karts. They are not for rough off road use, or racing.
Please check your measurements, wheel spacing and rim offset, etc. carefully to be sure these spindles will work in your design.The front steering arms are an 1/8" inside of the stub end of the axle bearing surface. (See the photos) No returns or refunds. If you have concerns about the fit, please feel free to contact me before purchase. I can give you more detailed info if needed.
Thanks for looking!!