Go Kart for my family...reliability question -Shaft or Chain

Posts: 5 · Newbie Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Pictures: 0

This is sure a great site! I want to spend the least amount of time wrenching on my family's go kart and more time fishing or watching my kids ride it......we are in the Ozark mountains, rocky terrain, mud trails - my kids have broken a few chains on our Yerf Dog 3206 but that's easy to fix quickly.....are shaft drives any more or less reliable? Am I right in assuming they are tons more expensive and difficult to fix? Dual chain or shaft?

Posts: 211

i have a dual chain drive. i love it but im constantly greasing it. but if you have shaft driven you are looking at alot of money for repairs compared to two sprockets and a chain. but you should get alot more hours on a shaft driven. if your looking at buying a new buggy, learn from my mistake. take a whole day and a big tube of lock tite and take every bolt out.

i have broken the reverse gear,rear brake calaper,and two shift cables from bolts vibrating out.

also the chain tensioner vibrates loose,the top sprocket had 4 of 6 bolts fall out,bottom sprocket had bolts about to fall out, multiple frame bolts all over,two of my fenders fell off while in motion,hubs vibratiing loose.

i could just go on and on. i have only had my buggy about 5 or 6 months. and 80% of repairs was from bolts vibrating out. the other 20% was from hard riding and misuse(i bury it up in mud so far the bottom of the seats and entire engine are submerged)

So if your asking my opinion go with a dual chain i love it, although it has a straight axel it is unbelievable in the mud!