As part of the chassis department, I was responsible for designing and fabricating a Go-Kart chassis for the IKC 2018 national competition. The primary focus was on driver safety, with additional goals of lowering the center of gravity, weight reduction, and cost-efficiency.

The chassis was built around the driver with ergonomics in mind. We fixed the wheelbase at 47 inches and selected a track width of 0.8 times the wheelbase, adhering to rulebook guidelines. After finalizing the 3D ladder frame design, we used PVC pipes for a prototype to ensure proper ergonomics before moving to fabrication.

The 3D chassis design of the front end also reduced ground clearance to 1.5 inches, a 25% reduction from predecessor. For material, we chose AISI 1018 steel based on its cost-effectiveness, weldability and ease of fabrication without the need for additional heat treatment as compared to AISI 4130 steel. The final chassis weight was 15.6 kg.

We used CATIA V5 for CAD modeling and ANSYS for FEA to verify the chassis’s structural integrity. Our design secured 2nd place in the Design Event at the IKC 2018 national karting competition. Click HERE to see the detailed report.

PVC Prototype for Driver Ergonomic check

Go-kart Chassis Fabrication

Go-Kart with Front and Side Bumpers

Go-Kart initial Assembly without panels

Our kart at Indian Karting Champtionship 2018

2nd Place Design Presentation Award