Mobility scooter to kids go kart

Hello all... Can someone tell me which category this belongs in?
I just converted an old mobility scooter to a little go kart for my little boy's third birthday (tomorrow) and I'm wondering who else has done projects with these scooters or parts from them, motors, transmissions, ESCs, axel with open diff.. It just seems like there's a whole bunch of usable parts on them... If someone has used them what did you all do to/with it?
Right now I've just replaced/upgraded the batteries, relocated the ESC,upgraded the wiring a bit, lowered the seat and steering wheel, and reinforced the two piece frame while still leaving it split-able. Still using the original 1.5hp brushed motor, esc, belt and chain transmission, and open diff, top speed is only 5.5 mph but thats enough For now, and can be easily changed, I've kept the original three wheel configuration but plan on making a whole new front end more like what a go kart should be once I get time, the good thing is I can build the whole front end and just slide it onto the drive unit future upgrades include brushless drive system with lipo batteries but only once I need to, ei burned esc or motor or to slow
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Some more picks of the neat features of a mobility scooter
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EDIT: does anyone know whet I could get connector to match this, other than the original charger, since I don't have it.

Diy-E-mod said:

EDIT: does anyone know whet I could get connector to match this, other than the original charger, since I don't have it.

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http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/206429-1/A1357-ND/19358

You'll need the contact pins and strain relief to go with it. All available from most electronic parts catalog houses.

Yes it actually can pull the semi but it's kinda cheating since it's on the smooth concrete where it takes next to nothing to get it moving, this pic is only for a size comparison I wasn't pulling the truck now, I did that yesterday before I pulled the transmission out of the truck

major said:

Diy-E-mod said:

EDIT: does anyone know whet I could get connector to match this, other than the original charger, since I don't have it.

Click to expand...

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/206429-1/A1357-ND/19358

You'll need the contact pins and strain relief to go with it. All available from most electronic parts catalog houses.

Click to expand...

OK, thank you, I wasnt sure if I could get them anywhere, I use a lot of connectors in my line of work but never anything even remotely like this, thanks for the link.
EDIT: I'm still going over charging options you wouldn't happen to know of a small 24v charger that I could just build onto the go kart/scooter. And I don't mean a $500 jumpstarter just something cheap that could charge two 100 amp hour 12 volt batteries over night. It could also be two 12v chargers. Anything smart and cheap out there?

So...... does anyone happen to know if I'm in the right category? since this definitely isn't a stand up scooter.

Things awesome... I would ditch the lead batteries and put in some lipo. Probably save you over a hundred pounds. My neighbor works for a wheelchair place and he brought one home for his kids. Did like 10mph. I told him that I'd hop it up for them. He knows I have an e-fetish. His chair used brushless motors, which he told me he'd bring some over. I might need to go over and ask for them.

I'm glad you think so, I'm hoping my boy agrees for now the ton of batteries keeps the three wheels firmly planted, I'll probably wait until I upgrade to four wheels to change to lipo.
Oh that's pretty nice for a stocker, I'm guessing it's a lot newer than this one, I'll bet those will be some heavy duty brushless motors, ment for a lot more work then the Hobby motors

thats super mad max, my razor dune buggy towed my car so im not shocked, , the motor on that has lots of potential when the kids a bit older, very cool build

I wish I had a shop to work in like yours. Positively drooling

robnewyork said:

thats super mad max, my razor dune buggy towed my car so im not shocked, , the motor on that has lots of potential when the kids a bit older, very cool build

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Thanks. A razor dune buggy? What's that? Ya I'm thinking the motor might make for some souped up power wheels for my younger boy (who's just learning to walk ) once I upgrade this build to brushless for my older son but I'm sure that'll be a while yet

daverobson08 said:

I wish I had a shop to work in like yours. Positively drooling

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I am lucky to have access to a fully equipped shop for all my projects while I'm still in the process of collecting all the tools of the trade but it seems like enough is never enough, I'm constantly in need of a lathe and an aluminum welder :lol:

Diy-E-mod said:

So...... does anyone happen to know if I'm in the right category? since this definitely isn't a stand up scooter.

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This one:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=10
might be a better match, if you want I can move this thread there.


I have what's left of a scooter similar to that one, used to be a Pride mobility scooter before the housefire. The top half is pretty well melted, but everything below the cover over the batteries is intact enough that I will probably be able to use it all (except probably the batteries, which sat uncharged for most of a year between the fire and the first chance I really had to get access to the thing to open it up and see what was left of it, after the house was fixed up).


My first thought for mine was to make a powered heavy-duty cargo trailer for my bikes; I already know what kind of torque these things can have, after having destroyed a number of chains, rings, wheels, and whatnot with them on my original version of CrazyBike2. :lol:



Swapping out hte SLA batteries for lighter ones might save you weight, but it will also mean less ballast to keep from tipping, and less traction.


As for charging those batteries overnight: that would mean a fair bit of amps. Let's say overnight means 10 hours. Let's say you actually used up 80Ah out of them (really you'd only probably get 40-60, but have to put more than that back in, most likely), so that's 80A over 10 hours, so 8A charging rate. 10A if you really discharge them all the way. More if you want htem charged faster.

Probably a regular car battery charger for single batteries, one per battery, would work out cheapest.

Just make sure that whatever you use, if using one per battery, is "isolated", meaning none of the output wires connect to the input wires (test this with it unplugged, using your multimeter on Continuity or Ohms, between each output wire and each input wire). If it's not isolated, you'll get a surprise when you hook up the second charger.

amberwolf said:

Diy-E-mod said:

So...... does anyone happen to know if I'm in the right category? since this definitely isn't a stand up scooter.

Click to expand...

This one:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=10
might be a better match, if you want I can move this thread there.

Click to expand...

That would be great, thanks.

I have what's left of a scooter similar to that one, used to be a Pride mobility scooter before the housefire. The top half is pretty well melted, but everything below the cover over the batteries is intact enough that I will probably be able to use it all (except probably the batteries, which sat uncharged for most of a year between the fire and the first chance I really had to get access to the thing to open it up and see what was left of it, after the house was fixed up).

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Well hopefully you can still use the main parts off of it, sorry to hear about the fire, I hadn't seen anything about it until now and it's over a year already (I'm still very new to ES) I feel for you though as I've been through almost that same situation twice(first our house and three years later the fully stocked shop) luckily they both happened when no one was in them, and all that was lost was personal property, and not life.

My first thought for mine was to make a powered heavy-duty cargo trailer for my bikes; I already know what kind of torque these things can have, after having destroyed a number of chains, rings, wheels, and whatnot with them on my original version of CrazyBike2. :lol:

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Ha ha now that would be an interesting project
Oops a little to much torque

Swapping out hte SLA batteries for lighter ones might save you weight, but it will also mean less ballast to keep from tipping, and less traction.

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Ya I'm thinking for now these monstrous batteries will keep it grounded

As for charging those batteries overnight: that would mean a fair bit of amps. Let's say overnight means 10 hours. Let's say you actually used up 80Ah out of them (really you'd only probably get 40-60, but have to put more than that back in, most likely), so that's 80A over 10 hours, so 8A charging rate. 10A if you really discharge them all the way. More if you want htem charged faster.

Probably a regular car battery charger for single batteries, one per battery, would work out cheapest.

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Oh shucks that's kinda what I was expecting, you wouldn't happen to know of any so called "smart" chargers that can be gotten for relatively cheap that would still be reliable.

Just make sure that whatever you use, if using one per battery, is "isolated", meaning none of the output wires connect to the input wires (test this with it unplugged, using your multimeter on Continuity or Ohms, between each output wire and each input wire). If it's not isolated, you'll get a surprise when you hook up the second charger.

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I've found that out the hard (expensive) way, poof. :lol:
EDIT: right now I'm using this to charge it but that charger won't be available at home

I just saw that in the background of the previous pic you can see the beginning of my next project, a trailer for the scooter to give rides to children.
I still need to cut the drum nearly in half and screw in some boards for seats +I need to get some Dolly wheels that fit nicely on the axle.

Progress is slow. Just thought I'd see if anyone had any good ideas for a drop down hitch to level the trailer a bit. I was thinking of cutting the existing channel iron in half and welding the front half onto the bottom of the rear half upside down that would drop it quite a bit

Does anyone happen to know what a drum full of oil weighs? Looks like I should have made the wheel base a few inches wider to fit the drum father back. but then it wouldn't fit through doorways nearly as well. 27 inches is the outside width of it now. The trailer frame might be a little overkill just to haul a plastic drum with kids in itThe pipe I used has 1/8 inch thick walls.View attachment 2

Well I got the drop down figured out now it's just a matter of making it fit to the kart

Some more picsView attachment 4View attachment 1

The funny thing about birthdays is that everyone there needs a turn not just birthday boy

Now that's a heck of a good time.

They all seemed to think so, but I've found out that I'm going to have to try to upgrade things sooner then I had planned. everyone was trying to drive at the same time the motor didn't get a chance to cool down at all between rides (it never stopped moving for hours) and the children found some mud, soft ground and grass to go through, with the trailer full of people. the motor was smoking hot when the breaker on the speed control popped everything still works and probably will for a long time yet but I've found out that I'll need something better for continues high torque output of its ever going to be at another birthday

I think you just won Dad of the Year Award 2014

Sorry, I don't really know much about what chargers are available. I typically just use what I find laying around, tossed out by others or cheap at yardsales, thrift stores, etc.

As for the overheating: if the motor is a sealed type, just add one of those little pressurized-water-bottle misters to the motor's casing, and it'll keep it pretty cool. Or a good fan, maybe with a finned heatsink on the outside of the motor casing. If a fan is used, add a cardboard tube around the motor with the fan at one end sucking air thru it, and just enough space between tube and motor for air to flow across the surface of the motor, with the tube sized the same as the fan's outer diameter so all air it pulls is thru the tube itslef.

daverobson08 said:

I think you just won Dad of the Year Award 2014

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Thanks but I think I just gave up that position, I wasnt watching the temp of the motor until it was to late.... But I guess that gives me the chance to upgrade it some. Does anyone on here rewind brushed dc motors? Preferably someone in Canada so I could ship it for less then the price of a new motor If not can someone point me in the right direction for getting the material to rewind it myself cause I don't have Any of the materials on hand, and I'd like to put in a better quality of wire.

amberwolf said:

Sorry, I don't really know much about what chargers are available. I typically just use what I find laying around, tossed out by others or cheap at yardsales, thrift stores, etc.

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OK thanks, I guess I'll just use the thrown out one that I've rebuilt/improved it's only 12v but I'll just make a parallel/series charging/driving circuit that gets switched by hooking up the charger.

As for the overheating: if the motor is a sealed type, just add one of those little pressurized-water-bottle misters to the motor's casing, and it'll keep it pretty cool. Or a good fan, maybe with a finned heatsink on the outside of the motor casing. If a fan is used, add a cardboard tube around the motor with the fan at one end sucking air thru it, and just enough space between tube and motor for air to flow across the surface of the motor, with the tube sized the same as the fan's outer diameter so all air it pulls is thru the tube itslef.

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I was thinking of adding a fan onto the back of the motor where the shaft is sticking out but now that I've got it out I guess I can consider some other types of active cooling

View attachment 1
I'm thinking this would keep it cool even without a fan,
now I just need to make a cooling jacket that fits around the motor to pump the coolant through