Why Are Go-Kart Wheels So Small?

Author: E. Silva (aka Mr. Awesome Expert)

Here is what you want to do, to start off with : Read this to find out more about your question on go – kart wheel size. Why are they so darn small a majority of times, after all? Valid question. I validate it, and I answer it below….

Read on now ….

First of all, then, I would like to make this point know to you, my friend : Go – karts that have these smaller wheels typically tend to enable lower centers of gravity. And as such, they give you lower end – torque than many others as well as better jacking, handling and tight turning, at the end of the day. So it’s not all bad that the wheels are smaller …. as you can see, there are already some advantages to this.

You should also know that the tires and their respective wheel diameters carry a direct correlation between your go – kart’s track surface and frame distance overall. The smaller the wheels, the lower the COG ( CENTER – OF – GRAVITY ) …. it has always been the case. So such a low COG makes for ideally smaller wheels, which the designers already thought to put in, to accommodate for that. It seems they thought of it all, already, heh?

Now, then, also keep in mind the mere fact that, to get better acceleration overall, they made the wheels smaller since your go – kart’s engine output / torque are equivalent to each other and work synonymously, smaller wheels can thus make full turns faster than larger ones. So they opted with smaller wheels.

In addition to that, we also have the simple factor of improved handling, one the designers certainly did not fail to keep in mind either when making these wheels small. Smaller tires naturally have less dampening ability, in addition to less air inside of them, making for easier tight turns and more. And with smaller wheels, you can also change your go – kart’s vector more easily for faster ( and yes, even sharper ) turns. Who doesn’t like that, right? Change direction more quickly and easily, too, if you need to ….

Now, then, keep in mind this as well …. the turning radius is much wider ( and thus, more of a pain in the butt ) with larger wheels. Plus it takes you more time, effort and wheel turning …. in order to turn. Plus, bigger wheels take up more space on the go – kart, giving you less room to maneuver around in.

Also, since bigger tires carry more added weight around them, this means that smaller tires can get more effective jacking ( plus less risk of roll – overs) . Just think on that. So when the manufacturers of most modern go – karts took all these factors into account, they saw the benefit and need for small wheels. Thus, we have small wheels on many go – karts. That’s the trend.