I took the axle up to the shop so I could use the band saw which gives a straighter cut than the chop saw I have at home. This saw is used to cut metal up to 7" diameter on a daily basis. I have used it to cut compound angles for different projects I have worked on. I have also ruined a number of $50.00 blades trying to make the saw do something it was not designed for.

It also has a coolant pump that increases cutting efficiency and prolongs blade life. I love this saw. Now you can say you saw my saw.

Hey look at this! The shocks finally came in. They actually look pretty good. Of course they said the same thing about the Titanic. I tried to read up on shock performance and functionality. I couldn't believe all of the considerations in choosing the right shock. Quite frankly I was shocked. Not that it is any big deal for a small cart but when they start talking about suspension frequency and spring coil rate and static squash it makes my head hurt. I just want a shock for a hokey pokey little go cart. These shocks are rated at 110 lbs. per inch and the extended length is 12 3/4". It has 3" of travel and is oil filled and coil over style. It is 5 way adjustable and has a 3/8" diameter mounting hole. But mostly they cost $11.25 each. I think they will be fine.

Now that we have the shocks I would like to switch back to the front end. I am really beginning to feel the pressure of a June 1st deadline to have this cart finished. Before we start hanging the full weight of the wheels and arms on the nose section it is a good idea to brace the uprights with some gussets. There should be little or no flexing in the frame because it could counteract the orderly and controlled movement we have tried so hard to build into the suspension. I am a little nervous about finding out how close it all works compared to the design.

Once again the gussets do not have to be anything fancy but they need to fit flush with the edges of the frame. Also don't forget to grind the mill scale off of both surfaces to ensure a good weld.

According to the CAD drawing we need to be about 8 3/4" from the ground to the bottom of the frame. That means I need a quick way to prop up the frame in order to confirm the dimensions and figure out where to attach the shocks. We are in search of the Holy Grail here. Actually we are in search of the "Holly Rolling Chassis" or Rolling Chassis for short. More on that later.

Anyway we need a Prop and it must be a proper prop and we need it fast. I always keep some 2 x 4 around for things like this. Pieces can be easily cut and fastened securely together using wood screws.

It just so happened that the wood pieces put together like this came out to 8 1/2". I was able to use a couple of pieces of 1/8" chip board on the bottom to get it up to 8 3/4". The angle of this photo makes it look like the sections are curved but it is an optical conclusion. They are quite straight.

The props hold the frame firmly enough to add the weight of the arms and wheels.

This is the moment of truth for the front suspension. No I will not use that bad pun again. I am not in suspense. I am downright terrified. Brenda and I were talking the other day about being a worry wart. I told her she should be glad I am not one. She started laughing hysterically. I guess I fret too much about details sometimes. But just like you I want it to be right. This is where we either feel the elation of success and make that man noise thing or check to see if we need to pick up a new cut off blade for the angle grinder on the way home from work tomorrow and turn in for the night. Which will it be?

So far so good. I tried to screw in all of the connections evenly. Just by looking you can tell that we already have some negative camber dialed in. How can you tell? The top of the wheel is tilted toward the inside. This is a good thing but even if it was positive we could easily adjust it thanks to the fully adjustable design of the front suspension. I didn't take a picture from the side but we also have some positive caster at this point, also a good thing. Positive caster means the top ball joint is tilted toward the back of the cart. As long as it is not tilted too much it will aid in steering in a straight line. When I lift the wheel up it gains a little positive camber as planned. So let's go put the wheel on the Driver side and see what we have.

It is very close to the same as the passenger side. Also the distance from the ground to the bottom of the coupling nut on the lower control arm varies only 1/16" from the two sides. I am really glad to see it that close. Now comes the real test. You have noticed that there is not a great deal of room between the straight and angled legs of the control arms. How do I know there is enough room for the shocks to fit? How do I throw a baseball 98 MPH? I don't.

The shock can be held in place with magnets long enough to determine proper fit.
I know the shock is a tight fit but I think we just might pull this off.