Vintage Karting Forum

All,

I posted this question on the VKA's forum, but I haven't received any replies:

"What's the best way to cotter pin the spindle nut on a Dart Kart with 4" Turbine wheels? The spindle and nut are recessed too far to insert a correct diameter cotter pin. Maybe, when I was 14, I just bent a nail in there, but I'm looking for something more elegant (that won't fail tech, at a minimum). Just looking for something that is generally accepted and reasonably professional."

I can come up with several different ways to ensure that the nut doesn't wander off, but everything I've tried seems slipshod and unsightly. Is there a particular method that's been found to be the best for this application?

Thanks,

Kurt

You can shorten the cotter pin some, and put a little curve in it to help get it in there. Then fold it over, trim as necessary then tap the head of it down into the slot in the nut.

I was dealing with the same issue, but with 5 inch wheels. No idea how I got one in there the last time. I was even trying to find a slightly smaller pins. I did what Al said with a smaller pin. Or make your own with wire.

Romero

Makes you wonder if safety wire would be an easier solution.

Run it through twice, then twist the ends, trim and fold the twisted part down.

Voila!

Given that an awful lot of the early karting guys were veterans that worked on aircraft, I wonder if this isn't what was always the approach. I've seen some old original karts where regular galvanized steel wire was used like safety wire, twisted and trimmed.

Lots of karts and wheels were designed before cotter pins became mandatory. Try getting cotter pins in Go Kart 800 spindles with Azusa wheels. Ted

Yup, they had mechanical lock nuts without any keepers at all.

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Oh, and the shallow ("shear") aircraft (AN) castle nuts may be helpful in this situation.

I do what Al suggested.  4" are a little tougher than the 5" but I use the same proceedure.
I shorten the cotter (I use a little bit smaller cotter than the hole), put a curve in it and tap it thru using a pin punch. Then bend the outer tang.
To get it back out I use a pair of side cutters and pry it back out.

I have done this many many times and it work well.

Lots of great input today! Thank you, all. I've owned this kart since 1990, and it was set up with castle nuts when I got it, so someone "improved" it at some point, maybe.

Before posting last night, I was playing with "correct" diameter cotter pins, galvanized mechanics wire, actual safety wire, reusable cotter clips... Everything that could be made to fit seemed sketchy, even safety wire, because there was no tension and the nut could be rotated several degrees in each direction. While I was supposed to be sleeping last night, I wondered about drilling one (or two, 180º apart) of the castellations so that some tension could actually be drawn clockwise with a thoughtful application of safety wire. I may try that later tonight.

Are nylocks or "all metal stop nuts" acceptable for track use? Maybe MS17826 nylock castles, with a loosy cotter pin, would satisfy all concerned parties?

Kurt

I do use nylon lock nuts on my vintage karts.  They are much shallower that a standard height castle nut, so I drill a cotter pin hole as close to the end of the spindle as I can, then put on the lock nut, and the cotter pin goes outboard of the lock nut.  All depends on how much room you have at the end of the spindle.