Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Hey guys! Wanna help me design a track?, Not the typical track for this forum...

[saturnv7890]

Hey everyone! I know you all missed me! I havent really been on ever since i lost interest in rc's..

Anyways, I have a go kart, and I really want a track so i can actually use it. I asked my mom, and she said it was ok to go mow one down in the tall grass we have in our back yard! It think thats really awesome. I realize all the tracks in this forum are RC tracks, but I figured that the title is "Custom Race Tracks", and the description includes "Configuration", and also, it's in the miscellaneous section, so I feel that the rightful place for this topic is here!

Yeah, so the area for the track is in horrid shape right now. It's basically turning into a jungle because nobody has mowed it for over a year now. I mowed a path down into the woods and have been maintaining it since the winter, because i knew I wouldn't be able to get down there. The grass ended up getting to be about 3 feet tall.

The field is surrounded by woods on two sides, and a driveway on one side, and my yard on the remianing side. It's about 75 feet by 120 feet, roughly. I'm not too good with that, so if you want, I'll measure It tomorrow. As you can see in the picture, I made lines showing the downhill. It goes towards the direction of the woods. It's much steeper towards the yard, and isn't very noticeable towards the driveway.

My goal is make a nice big layout, weed whack it, mow it, and then rake the grass a bit.
It should be going clockwise, to utilize the hills efficiently. I want the track to be more technical on the downhill, and have a nice big sweeping corner to allow for lots of speed on the uphill. Also, the track is going to be just a few feet wider than the go kart, and maybe a little wider on some corners, just to minimize mowing, and to simulate rally!

Heres the picture (click for bigger image)



thanks in advance! Any help would be greatly apreciated!

[Mooshu_Beef]

Make sure your track is at least 4 times the width of your go cart...can your cart go on low grass? Also, do your parents mind that you'll be ripping up the yard with the tires? Just wanna check

Sometimes actually, the tracks that are the most fun are the ones that are not too complicated. I would start with something simple, but allow room for expanding the track so that you can add another technical part that eventually turns back into the original track as you get better at it.

I think a picture of your yard would be good too, just so we know what we're looking at

[saturnv7890]

Yeah I think I'll take a picture tomorrow. And I would plan on raking out the grass a little bit so it's just dirt. Is there a more efficient way of doing that?

Also, great idea about keeping it simple! And then I can add something like the bus stop on daytona speedway

I'll take a few pictures and get measurements tomorrow when it's light outside. Me and a friend are probably gonna make the track on wednesday, or at least start to.

[Mooshu_Beef]

Just get the grass mowed where you want to drive, and your tires will take care of the rest. In fact, the grass MIGHT hold up, so maybe you will want a grass track... hmm...

You can get grubs. They help kill grass. That's what happened to my backyard

[baratacus]

the grub idea may have an environmental impact on the woods or his yard area that he doesn't want to destroy. Keep in mind that the gras and its roots are keeping the dirt from eroding. A good rain could cause a pretty good slide if you turn it into a dirt lot.

I like the idea of carving your track out of the grass. You can accomplish this feat with less effort if you just get a backpack sprayer full of roundup and spray your track area. Carefull to stay in the lines, Roundup is very area specific and highly contact sensitive. In a few days the grass you sprayed will wilt and turn to golden tan, straw-like groundcover.

You'll wan't to build up the walls in the turns so that you don't run out of bounds. If you go out, you'll just crush the surrounding grass and you won't be able to tell where your turns start and stop.

Try to get some measurements on the hight of the grade at the different levels. It will help when designing the track.

[Mooshu_Beef]

Hehe I was kidding about the grubs...

What kind of go kart are you using? I am curious as to the clearance and tires you're using.

[saturnv7890]

well i'm really tired and i dont wanna type too much
but i will answer your questions

i went with mooshu and made a simpler deisgn, its gonna have a little chicane at the steep hill, a bus stop in the back towards the woods, and a long sweeping turn going back parallel to the driveway.

and yeah i decided to make it wider, in the video, where it's really wide before the bus stop, that'll be how wide the whole track will be, unless we decide that's too narrow, and we widen it more.

Oh and we're just gonna mow it barat, just so we can say that we really put some serious physical effort into it. Its pretty fun mowing down everything with a little push mower. I'm using the "chomp" method, where i tilt up the mower, and chomp down

this is a lot like the go kart i have:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aKNM34WTaGw

and heres the track!! (so far)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7ETNYNU3XOo

One thing about my go kart, i just remembered, the drive wheel is on the other side!
Is there a way to make an axle that powers both wheels? I understand the whole issue with the lack of a differential and stuff, but i'll be shredding grass/dirt on every corner anyways. So any ideas on making an axle that goes all the way through?

[baratacus]

cool track! heres a link to your axel needs. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...ite=kart%20axle

[saturnv7890]

barat you are my hero!!

Now i just gotta come up with the money!