Most of the beach carts that I have seen have wide tires. I think this helps them from sinking into the loose sand. I am not sure how a narrow tire would do in the sand, it might work or might not. You might want to go with a wide tire just to be on the safe side.
Selecting the right size batteries is one of the most important aspects of the build and I can help with that. Is the 1.5 hours of use time continuous use, meaning that the motor will be on for 1.5 hours a day?
KIT-147 would provide enough power for use on flat ground and small inclines, it should work OK but is borderline on power so it might need a little push to help it get started in deep sand. Its battery pack should provide a 1.5 hour run time. Here is a link to it:
KIT-149 would provide enough power for steep hills and for getting out of deep sand unassisted. It has a much bigger motor than KIT-147. It also has more batteries but uses more power so the ride time should be the same at 1.5 hours. If it was used on mostly flat ground I would expect the ride time to be longer than 1.5 hours though. Here is a link to KIT-149:
https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/36-volt-600-watt-electric-beach-wagon-power-kit
KIT-147 and KIT-149 both use off the shelf parts so they could be made and shipped out right away. We could also modify these kits with different throttles if you would like. If you need an axle sprocket for one of these kits that is something that we could have custom made by one of the machine shops that we work with. I would just need to know the axle diameter and which kit you want and I can then get a quote for a custom made sprocket and axle hub to fit it. We could send the kit out first, and then the custom made sprocket after it is produced, or ship them out both at the same time.
I am leaning towards that one with the bigger motor and batteries. I'm new to building these so please bare with me on all my questions. Can I not use the sprocket that comes with the kit or does kit #149 not come with a sprocket. And the axle hub what is that for. Will i need that for sure. Can you help me figure a conversion chart for using the kit # 149, 15" tall tires and 6" wide, with a walking speed of around 3 miles and hr. or more whatever you suggest. Is there anything besides the kit that i will need like a chain, etc. Thanks for your help .
Shawn
If you have a sprocket on the shelf that will work and hub if i need that for sure that would be great.
I'm in a bit of a time crunch. 5 weeks until beach trip. unless kit comes with sprocket of course
I recommend the larger kit because loose sand takes a lot of power for a wheeled vehicle to travel through.
KIT-147 includes a 36 tooth sprocket however it is just a plate sprocket without a hub, so a hub to fit the axle would be needed to attach it to an axle, and the sprocket would also need to be machined to fit the hub. I can remove that sprocket from the kit and lower the kit price a little if you do not need it. KIT-149 does not include a wheel or axle sprocket.
An axle hub is the part that attaches to the axle and plate sprocket together. Unless a sprocket has a built in hub then a two piece hub and sprocket are needed. Here is a KIT-149 gear ratio calculation for your project .
With a 60 tooth wheel or axle sprocket the top speed is 3.58 mph. This top speed will be a little less in loose sand and when going up grades. We can include a chain with the kit if you would like.
We do not have any 60 tooth sprockets or 60 tooth sprockets with axle hub in stock. That part would have to be special ordered or custom made.
Here is a gear ratio calculation for KIT-147.
A 48 tooth sprocket would work good with it.
I can check and see how long a sprocket and hub would take for us to get or have made. To check price and lead time on this part I just need to know the diameter of the axle that it will mount onto?
Please let us know if you have any questions.
For a live axle setup where both of the rear wheels are powered at the same time, go kart part stores have the most readily available source of axles, axle bearings and hangers, and wheels.
We carry sprockets for #420 chain, sprocket hubs, and chain.
http://electricscooterparts.com/sprockets420chain.html
Also, we custom make sprockets in case an off the shelf sprocket is not available in the size that you need. Our custom made sprockets can be ordered on this page:
http://electricscooterparts.com/custom-made-sprockets.html
Sprockets for #40, #41, and #420 are all compatible with each other and work with #420 chain and will work perfectly with KIT-149.
For KIT-147 we have sprocket for #410 (1/2" x 1/8") chain along with compatible go kart axle hubs on this page:
http://electricscooterparts.com/axle-sprockets-and-hubs-for-bicycle-chain.html
A good source for the other go kart parts is MFG Supply at this link: http://www.mfgsupply.com/gomini.html
If you can source all of the parts for the rear end from a go kart parts store then we can supply the rest of the parts from our inventory and be able to ship the order right away to meet your deadline.
Shawn Schwartz
Looking to buy a kit for a beach cart. So will be using to and from beach through loose sand. What kit would you suggest for me. Do you have any suggestions on tires to use since going to be going through the loose sand also. Currently have 13" tires but narrow. I was thinking of putting 15"x6" wider tires on cart and adding kit.
What do you think i should use for tires to go on beach. Do these sound ok. Would like to be able to use maybe 1.5 hrs at a time and load into back of pickup truck on ramp. Walking speed is ok. Cart weight is 70lb. and hauling maybe 170 to 180 lbs. Thanks for your help,
Shawn Schwartz