Dead axle karts

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Scott Grundfor
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:33 am
Vintage Karting items owned: 1960 homelite spitfire
1960 go kart 400c
1960 percival

Dead axle karts

Post by Scott Grundfor » Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:38 pm

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I have a dead axle single engine kart that is a ton of fun to race. Fox (GK 2100?) with scrub brakes and a Homelite KL92. Only problem is that at nearly all the vintage events I'm the only one out on the track with the dead axle. When the time comes for the "Early Karts 1960 and older" class to run there is usually no one else. I have to run with the later karts. Some of you guys have to have them. Why not bring and run them at the events? I have just as much fun with the dead axle Homelite as I do with my MC91b. Takes a bit of getting used to when the drive wheel lifts on hard right corners.

Rob Voska
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Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:04 am

Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Rob Voska » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:58 pm

Come to The Big One. I have a 58 Hancock Diesel 580 WB & a 59 Century Speed kart Clinton A400. Don Thompson & I had a grudge race with our Clinton A 400's. Bob Lapke has a GK400 he wears the knobby tires out on most every year. Tom Marchard has a twin A400 kart.

A Dead Axle Revival is already in the works for The Big One 2012.

Mike Anderson
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Vintage Karting items owned: SAE karts (2)
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Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Mike Anderson » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:17 am

Hey Rob and Bob,
Dead axle event sounds great. Be fun to have my old Blackstone Special and Simplex on track with like machines. Talk to you soon, exhaust manifolds HaHa.
Later Mike :lol:

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Dominic Salvato
Posts: 325
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:27 am
Vintage Karting items owned: Caretta's, Darts, Lancers, Bug, Cates, Customs, Margay
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Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Dominic Salvato » Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:34 pm

Will the 2012 "Big One" be held anywhere near Anchorage? A passerby told me my 700 WBv5 sounded like a weed whacker on steroids.

Scott Grundfor
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:33 am
Vintage Karting items owned: 1960 homelite spitfire
1960 go kart 400c
1960 percival

Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Scott Grundfor » Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:24 pm

Dominic,

Very cool Caretta.... How does it go with the West Bend? What model? I have a GK400b dead axle with a WB510 or 580? with Go Power manifold and header. It can hardly get out of its own way. Anyone coming to Riverside: bring your dead axle and we can go mano y mano and make alot of noise.

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Brian Thomas
Posts: 383
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:39 am
Vintage Karting items owned: 61 Simplex MKII , 61 Fox Mak , 61 Fox , 67 Lancer,74 Kobra, Gokart 400, Unknown
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Location: Minnesota
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Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Brian Thomas » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:02 pm

This is Dottie on our 61 Simplex dead axle . Its a blast to drive after we put a pair of warmed over alky 58's
on it .
Brian
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Brian , Dottie and Shadow Thomas
Black Dog Vintage Racing
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Russ Smith
Posts: 217
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Vintage Karting items owned: 59 BugWasp; 60 GoKart800; Simplex: 60 MKII, 62 MKVI; 69 BugStinger; 67 LilIndian Minibike.
Location: Corning, California

Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Russ Smith » Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:24 pm

My Simplex MK II is destined for two engine choices: a pair of A400's and a pair of 580 v-5's. From mild to wild........sort of! ;)

Rob Voska
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Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Rob Voska » Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:29 pm

Most of those early karts put more thought into go than whoooooooo. My 58 has one 4" drum & my Century has dual bake pads that push against the side of the sprocket & kinda sorta slow it down. Please keep that in mind before someone shows with with twin 91's or 101's on a dead axle kart. I run saw tooth & knobby tires on mine. The squeel is cool ! :geek:

Scott Grundfor
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:33 am
Vintage Karting items owned: 1960 homelite spitfire
1960 go kart 400c
1960 percival

Re: Dead axle karts

Post by Scott Grundfor » Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:45 pm

It's a bit like the early automobiles. The big problem was stopping them. Not a huge concern unless you really need to. My 1959/60 Lee cart has an Engray (Maico) 175cc. It still has the 4" "original" drum brake. The Kart is original and was raced with this combination in the early 1960's. Talk about standing on the brake to stop......

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