

On the other hand, reverse gearboxes are more common on off-road and homemade go-karts.Ī reverse gearbox will enable you to get out of sticky situations such as being stuck in certain terrain, wanting to back out of a narrow path and several other scenarios. When they are required to be moved backwards, they can be simply pushed in that direction. Racing go-karts typically don’t have a reverse gearbox, as these types of go-karts are designed to be as lightweight as possible. Installing a reverse gearbox on your go-kart is not a requirement, but rather a matter of convenience and application. When to Consider installing a Reverse Gearbox on a Go-kart

Take note that electric go-karts don’t require a reverse gearbox, as the reversing function is handled by a speed controller instead. Once correctly installed, a reverse gearbox will allow you to not only drive your kart forward, but also backward.

The input shaft of the reverse gearbox connects to the driven pulley of the torque converter, whereas the output shaft connects to the rear axle via a sprocket and a chain. What is a Go-Kart Reverse Gearbox?Ī reverse gearbox is a mechanical component that is connected to the transmission (most commonly a torque converter) and rear axle of a go-kart. Before we do that, let’s first get an understanding of what reverse gearboxes are and how they work. In this guide, we’ll go through a simple 6-step process on how to install a reverse gearbox on your go-kart. A reverse gearbox is a transmission that you install between the rear axle and the transmission. In order to do that, you’ll need a reverse gearbox. However, one thing that is often disregarded is the ability of going backwards. Even for off-road go-karting, most of the attention is on driving “full-steam ahead” on uneven terrain. When it comes to go-kart racing, we’re mostly focused on stepping on the accelerator and crossing the finish line.
