Square Tubing Size

[redidbull]

I kind of like this frame. I'm thinking of building it into a motorized version with the 6.5 predator I have. Figure I can move the seats forward enough to have room for the motor. Was trying to figure what size tube that is. I have some 1.5" but thinking that may be bigger. Any thoughts? Thanks. Jim

 

[Old Iron]

Looks like 2x2 to me.
Definitely want as thin of a wall as possible to keep down the weight.

 

[redidbull]

Place I get most of my tubing from is by the pound, so thin it will be. Thanks. Jim

 

[Bonehead]

If you zoom in on the back bumper, you can see the wall thickness. (just as a rule of thumb, typically the thinner the wall the more square the corners on tubing)

 

[smallfoot]

I used 1x4 thin wall on recommendation of the build I was following on my kart. OI is right! If you use that go thin wall for light weight. Placement of the seat is easily done. Some changes to steering angle and length can be done easily. In fact adding length to the frame in the rear would be easy too. If you use a predator get a torque averter for easy placement of chain angle and length. The torque averters offer multi-hole attachment for easy mounting and adjustments.

 

[gene49]

Looks to me like its probably 2" square 1/8" wall (11 gauge) tubing. The next thinner 2" square is 14 gauge and it would be pretty flexible with two larger riders on that frame. Around here (at least a few years back) the 11 gauge was cheaper then the 14 gauge was, because the steel supplier bought more 11 gauge then 14 gauge. With the amount of tubing used in that frame, the difference in the weight between the 14 g and the 11 gauge frame won't amount to enough to warrant the extra cost and loss of strength of using thinner tubing., especially if you are considering motorizing the cart.
The tubing holding the steering column is probably 1 1/2" square.
I built a few adult pedal car frames, but around here 4 wheels required licensing, but a 3 wheels on the same size cart did not. The government in action!

 

[redidbull]

Looks to me like its probably 2" square 1/8" wall (11 gauge) tubing. The next thinner 2" square is 14 gauge and it would be pretty flexible with two larger riders on that frame. Around here (at least a few years back) the 11 gauge was cheaper then the 14 gauge was, because the steel supplier bought more 11 gauge then 14 gauge. With the amount of tubing used in that frame, the difference in the weight between the 14 g and the 11 gauge frame won't amount to enough to warrant the extra cost and loss of strength of using thinner tubing., especially if you are considering motorizing the cart.
The tubing holding the steering column is probably 1 1/2" square.
I built a few adult pedal car frames, but around here 4 wheels required licensing, but a 3 wheels on the same size cart did not. The government in action!

Thanks. I will definitely be running some pieces across the fram foe strength. Not going to go with bike tires either. Probably a 13". Not going to race around. Just putz around the neighborhood like a golf cart.

 

[redidbull]

I used 1x4 thin wall on recommendation of the build I was following on my kart. OI is right! If you use that go thin wall for light weight. Placement of the seat is easily done. Some changes to steering angle and length can be done easily. In fact adding length to the frame in the rear would be easy too. If you use a predator get a torque averter for easy placement of chain angle and length. The torque averters offer multi-hole attachment for easy mounting and adjustments.

I built my drift trike out of 1.5 square 1/8". Not much tubing needed with the front being an old bike frame. Thanks. Jim

 

[redidbull]

If you zoom in on the back bumper, you can see the wall thickness. (just as a rule of thumb, typically the thinner the wall the more square the corners on tubing)

Great tip. I never knew that. Thanks. Jim

 

[26Troadster]

that looks like 3/16" wall to me and the rounded corners say 3/16" to 1/4" you could go with 1/8" wall but the thinner the more flex in the frame. i know you already know this, i'm just rambling and killing time.

 

[gene49]

I'm going to stand on that tubing that the pictured cart was built from was 1/8" wall tubing. I went through a lot of 1 1/2" and 2" square tubing at my welding shop. With a 2" square tube, 3/16 or 1/4 wall looks proportionally way thicker then the picture shows. With square (or rectangular) tubing, the wall thickness always reduces the inside measurements,

On the tubing, once you get past 1 1/2" square, all wall thicknesses have the same rounded corners, but the corners have a larger radius as the size of the tubing increases.

With the 1 1/2" tubing, you can get either the square corners or the rounded corners on 14 gauge, but any wall thickness 1/8" or thicker has always had rounded corners (even 1/8" wall 1/2" square tubing has rounded corners). Locally (and that was a major steel supplier), I couldn't get 14 gauge in any size larger then 2" and anything square larger then 3" had at least 3/16" wall thickness.