rearenginekarts.com

Hi All

I have started into the restoration of a very early 1958 bug twin. This cart has the expanding band brakes not shoes like the later one did. My question is does anyone have a brake drum for one of these carts? I am missing the one on the right side of the cart. I would think its the same as the one on the left. Kind of an odd arrangement with a 4 1/2 inch brake drum draw formed with sprocket welded to it. There is a significant offset formed on the inside of the brake drum that attach's it to the wheel. I would think the same brake drum was used on the later internal expanding shoe style of brake. I have both brake bands and all the linkage to operate it its just the drum that is missing. I can fabricate one that will work but would have a very difficult time building one like the original.

Thanks to the help of guys from this group I have been successfully in replicating the missing original brake on my 1961 Caretta. The carts restoration is coming along just fine but taking longer than I thought it would. My next project on the cart it making up a new rear axle and replacing the poorly made steel one someone installed on it in the past. The original upholstery is being replicated and should be done this week as well as the carpet that was on the floor of the cart. The cart came with its original carpet still installed on the cart.

For you guys that have a Caretta with the double woodruff key way in the rear wheels I have made an interesting discovery. The key ways in the Go Power wheels are not at 45 degrees from each other. I took them to the meteorology lab at my business and after inspection on a CMM (computer controlled coordinate measuring machine) we found that the key ways are in fact 43.6 degrees from each other. This makes for a difficult task of cutting the two woodruff key ways in a new axle if you don't have access to a programmable indexer such as on a CNC milling machine. I will be making my new axle from 6AL-4V titanium. I am also deviating from original by machining the axle so it will have a larger diameter on the inside of the axle tube than the 3/4 inch the wheels and bearings mount to. In doing it this way I will be able to mount the wheels solid up against the tapered wheel bearings and the clearance in the two bearings will be determined by machine work on the axle. This was one design on the Caretta I just never understood as the original setup allows the wheels some amount of movement on the axle.

Dennis Turk

In working with this old Bug I am really in need of new tie rod ends. Problem is the ones on the early Bug carts used a 7/16 - 20 fine female thread for the tie rod and a 1/4 inch hole through the ball were it fastened to the steering arm. I have not found a source of new ones with these specifications. Does anyone know of a source for these?

Turk

Dennis,

I am interested in your technique for keeping the rear wheels solidly mounted against a positive stop on your Caretta. My early A-Runner, also an enclosed, 3/4", live axle suffers from the same problem. The tapered roller bearings' preload adjustment (and the axle side-to-side placement) is accomplished by using the positioning of the sprocket and drum brake hubs before their set screws are tightened down. Then the wheels are held on by tightening the axle nuts and they always loosen a bit under the side loads of racing.

If I understand your idea correctly you are allowing your inner bearing races to bottom solidly against the axle step. Are you anticipating obtaining the correct bearing preload by machining the exact length required or will you machine for a shorter center section step so you can adjust preload by adding shimming washers between the inner races and the step? I like the idea since it would fix my wheel loosening problem without visually modifying the kart but I would worry about the chance of preload changes during normal bearing wear and/or replacement if there were no provision for adjustment.

Also, is there any concern about the amount of flex inherent in a steel 3/4" axle vs. the new material you'll be using. I ask because I am interested in copying your idea on my A-Runner and have been thinking about how much an axle of this type actually flexes. Thanks for your time,

Andy