05-15-2020, 05:43 PM
Richard, there's no need for 5/8" spindle bolts on a kart. Of course, if it came that way, fine. Steering shaft, fine, kingpin bolts, no. Otherwise just use the same size bolt that fits the spindle and the bushings in the axle. I will go along with Doug on using new bolts and bushings, but I still maintain that grease is a grit catcher. Also, a reasonable fit, bolt-to-spindle is all that's needed. We don't need precision reaming. These are go karts, not Formula I cars. I will state flat out that the guys who do all the precision machining and fitting don't run one bit better than the guys who run their karts in the same form as they were made so long ago, in the thousands. You can put Terry Ives in the seat of a ratty kart, and he'll still outrun 90% of the "hot dogs" on the track. Now, if you get a kick out of doing the machine work, and want to showcase your skills, great. If you just want to run a vintage kart and have fun, don't try to reinvent the wheel! TJ