Go-cart Components

• Go-cart components are simple but functional. Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images

  Go-carts are small motorized vehicles for one rider, generally driven in a track against other drivers as competition and entertainment. A go-cart's components include wheels, a chassis and a motor. The components are available through hobby stores.

Tires

• Go-cart tires are made of rubber and contain pressurized tubes. Sizes are 8 to 12 inches, depending on the cart or the roughness of the track's terrain. Indoor go-cart tracks tend to have smaller wheels as the chances of driving among debris is lower than at outdoor tracks. The tires are filled using a standard automobile tire pumps and all have equal pressure to ensure optimum mileage and steering.

Chassis

• The chassis, or "body," of the go-cart is a steel frame that can hold the engine and the driver, and sometimes is covered with a plastic shell that resembles a larger vehicle or race car. The construction of the chassis is welded steel for lightness and strength. In some off-road go-carts, the chassis is expanded to accommodate a roll cage, a steel enclosure that protects the rider in case the go-cart rolls over or crashes.

Engine

• The engine is the heaviest and most expensive part of the go-cart. Most go-cart engines run on unleaded gasoline and others have electric motors. Belts transfer power from the motors to the wheels.