Who Makes Their Own Kart Stands?

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Tim, thanks for your comment.

I chose the badlands winch because of your success with them.

I am not going into business with it. Its just a personal stand. My brother might make one or two once in a while that I might take to an event or two to sell for him. I know even astand a week is wishful at best, especially with your, and Streeter stands and the name and stature they carry. Very hard market to break into, not really worth trying in my book.

The casters are identical to what are used in a double decker stand. I saw it at a shop in Phoenix. I am not sure if it was one of yours, or streeter, however they are identical to those casters.

I am sure these will hold up for a while, worst case I replace them as the bolt hole pattern drilled in my stand is pretty universal, and the axle size on the front wheels is VERY common.... They are also open bearing, cone type. Basically easily rebuildable, just like old school bicycle hubs!

Ps, is your son in Wisconsin at Treks main HQ? Their paintjobs have definitely picked up over the past few years. I worked at a shop selling specialized and trek. The Spec kicked their butt insales for a long time, but recently trek picked up huge! Just curious if your Son's artistic abilities might be part of the reason! It sure is a small world....

As for the handle the pulley was placed their mostly so it will double as a lock device when the stand is folded. The handle is actually the thinnest walled tubing of the hold stand, however the pulley isn't actually stressed to the handle, but rather the grade 8 bolt that goes through the hitch mount.

I made the "hoops" adjustable height from mid range, about 2" shorter than your stand, then it has an adjustment 6" higher, and lower. The higher position was designed for easier maintenance, although it won't be used too commonly. Its main use is to ensure that the kart can be pulled from nearly any truck. The mid range works great for my vehicle.

The hooks were tricky..... My biggest dilema was getting them just right so that it hooks the kart on the ground, as well as in the bed of a truck.

TJ Koyen · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:45 pm Post subject:

Jamie Webb · Joined: 30 Aug 2001 Posts: 584

For a sport that was once dominated by "do-it-yourself" people, everyone has sure got hard on a guy trying to do something on his own now.

Some people just like to "do" things in their garage. They don't consider what their "labor cost" will be, because they are having FUN doing it.

I build my own stands, tire racks, engines, karts, etc. Why, because I ENJOY it. Kudos to the do it yourself people out there. Keep at it, and have fun. Don't let anyone ruin a dream or idea you have.

EVERY kart builder, engine builder, etc started as a one man operation in a garage (some not even in a garage) somewhere.
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Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Thanks Jamie. I am happy with the way my stand turned out. It works perfectly and flawlessly, and I am not stuck at any given height. I love being able to adjust the kart to be high, or low. High is awesome for some repair or maintenance jobs, while low is awesome for cruising around the pits. I am absolutely stoked that it cost me less than $300 and a couple hours on a (rainy weekend anyhow).

I was awstruk by how many negative comments came out when I mentioned building my own stand, with the same components! Shocked

Anyhow, too each his own. I love my stand and it works fantastic! The best part is that I do not need a trailer (as I only live 3.5 miles from the track) and I can be self contained without needing anything that wont fir in/on my truck.

joseph hollinger · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:41 pm Post subject:

Its down to a couple of hours now?
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Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Well Joseph, it was presumably less time then you spend lurking these forums each week.... Infact, judging by the time on your posts from Feb 28th alone you were on EKN from 8am to 5 pm, that is about 10 hours.... All in all right around the same amount of time we spent building... With of course, a few beer breaks in between...

That being said there are context clues in my quote that bring everything together. Firstly, a couple is a noun used to describe a pair, a relationship, devices, and even on occasion a pack of animals when referring to a certain species. However, when a couple is used as "a couple of" I becomes an inderct measurment. The exact definition for the phrase is "more than one, but indefinitely small in number." This of course is up to interpretation. However it was lesser than the next larger measurement of time, being days, therefore still relevant.

So yes, it took a couple of hours on a rainy day.

If you look back, did your comment add anything to this thread? The way I interpret it you broke 3 of EKN's forum rules. 1 Be nice to each other, 2 Stay on Topic, 3 No Trolling. - If you feel that "a couple of hours" is a good topic, then maybe you should start a thread in the Non Karting forum....

Grow up.

Sincerely, Justin

joseph hollinger · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:41 pm Post subject:

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

I am back showing off what a a two guys, a couple beers, some steel and a shop can accomplish. It is quality time with my Brother doing a task which is simple for someone who builds cages, and designs suspension to tackle 30" whoops in the desert at 90mph.....

I stated that it cost me less than $300 in supplies, and here I am with a working stand I can use for years to come.

You comment on the time I take to build this stand and how if you factor in my million dollar per hour labor then I exceed the price of buying a stand. I brought up a relevant point that the time you spend on the internet, you could have built a nice kart stand for less than $300.

Please tell me how this is trolling?

Is asking for examples, or asking if anyone has built a stand trolling? Is stating that they are expensive (to someone who can build one) trolling? If you ask me, expensive is relative. If you are wealthy I assume you can sit here lazily on your computer and pay someone to build you a stand. I however, am in the military, trying to race karts on a very tight budget. I used my skills on my time off, on a day that I couldn't drive ANYWAYS, to build a stand for the expense of materials, and beer....

If you think I grossly mis-judged then please tell me how. The winch, on sale $75 at Harbor freight. Same winch used in production. Have you been to a steel yard? Thin walled tubing isn't very expensive.... Sure, if you try and buy steel from an Ace hardware you will pay quadruple that of a steel yard, but Im not an idiot... Have you spent ANY time in a shop? Let alone a shop that can build a truck from the ground up ready to run in a 500+ mile off road race on the harshest terrain you can imagine? Sure, we have a few years of experience... But if you have ever spent time around building with steel you can take one glance at my stand and see that you could build it with a grinder, with cut off wheels and grinding wheels, and a 110 welder. The tubing isn't even thick enough to NEED a higher power welder... AND it is not like we used stainless steel, titanium, or aluminum, so no real need fora TIG, unless you wanted it to be beautiful.

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Again, with the price debate...

It all depends on how you break it down. Yes including labor, and profit It would be just about the same price as the big dogs.

However please tell me ANY Do It Yourself project where you include labor? Do YOU include labor on gardening when you do it yourself? How about home renovations or improvement? How about when you clog the toilet? Do you think to yourself, man If I were a plumber I would charge myself fifty bucks to take a plunger to this toilet....

No... And that is my point. The stand cost me less than $300. There is no arguing that no matter how stuck up you are. It is plain fact, simple addition. It was a DIY project, done for myself on a day that I would be watching TV, or you would be on EKN...

joseph hollinger · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:03 am Post subject:

Cory Ross · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:14 am Post subject:

I am with Justin he got a stand for way cheaper then what he could buy one for. He spent $300 and has himself a great stand. I am jealous and might have to purchase a case of beer to get e friend to weld myself up a stand since I can do all of it but the welding part. I have done things for myself in the past to save money.

I guess Joseph does not try and save money buy working on his own engine or changing his own tires. Sure your time is worth money but unless your time was being spent doing something that would earn you money it is more or less free. I have done things for myself in the past to save money. Now if you were to factor in the hours I spent working on the projects they cost more then double what I could have bought it for. I did not take time off work or put off doing something that would have earned me money so yes I count the labor costs as being free.

joseph hollinger · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 5:16 pm Post subject:

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Brian Degulis · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:10 pm Post subject:

The hooks were tricky..... My biggest dilema was getting them just right so that it hooks the kart on the ground, as well as in the bed of a truck.

You would have had to modify a Streeter to do that,

Very nice work!!!! So you made a quality piece of equiptment designed to work they way you want it to. Saved a little money and probably enjoyed the process.

Anyone who finds fault with that is probably very good at finding fault and not much else.

Brian