# Need some ideas for a downhill cart **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [September 11, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742 "2008-09-11T13:52:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/1 "2008-09-11T13:52:13Z")
No motor. every year we do this. last year i took the checkerd with a pallet that had the bottoms off roller blades on the back and the front had a childs fork and tire off a bike. Problem is another 5-feet i would have lost the race i got top ended. i need some ideas for this year(has to be finished by this tuesday) So should i go with a bigger tire? add weight? take weight off? what do you guys think? here is what some other ppl had in the other years ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/05.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/05.jpg) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/06.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/06.jpg) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/052.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/052.jpg) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/051.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/051.jpg) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/100_0591.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/100_0591.jpg) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/100_0689.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/Twizted8x/100_0689.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Karter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/2 "2008-09-11T13:54:20Z")
I wanna do this next year, Give me a heads up haha. More weight twords the front should help pull you down a hill. ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/3 "2008-09-11T13:55:43Z")
LOL you know Ginavan ---
**Author:** ![BOBBYGRV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BOBBYGRV](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BOBBYGRV)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/4 "2008-09-11T13:57:20Z")
haha i like the guy riding the cooler, beer in hand!:headbang: ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/5 "2008-09-11T13:57:29Z")
> [@Just Karter](#): > > I wanna do this next year, Give me a heads up haha. > > More weight twords the front should help pull you down a hill. SHUTUP, you don’t know anything. Brian, you want BIG wheels w/ good bearings. Like road bike wheels, but with a LOW SLUNG chassis, so you’re low to the ground. Your best bet would be laying down. What you want to do is minimize friction… only 2 major instances in this problem. 1. air drag… keep your cart as aerodynamic as possible. a teardrop shape is the most aerodynamic, but anything that looks like a missile will be good. 2. bearing friction…more on that… bigger wheels decrease the moment about the axle. also regarding bearing friction: this is where weight comes into play. The axle load on the bearing is the only variable you can control. A lighter cart will have less bearing friction, but the downhill component of force imparted by gravity will also be decreased. Make the cart too heavy and the normal load on the bearing will slow you down. The fwd acceleration vs weight diagram would be an inverted parabolic shape, you need to find the peak of that curve, but the only way to do this is through a semi-complex math problem or through testing. Make the cart as light as possible, test, add balast, retest to maximize. The shape of the hill doesn’t need to be exactly like the actual race course though. good luck Also you want to inflate the fuck out of the tires. ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/6 "2008-09-11T14:00:48Z")
When I was younger I made a sweet ass street luge. I used a 2x6 about as long as my body, took a cheap skate board and used the board for my ass,back support and attached the trucks to the very front, and around 3/4s of the way back. I used rollerblade wheels with like abec 8’s or something. the things hauled ass. fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/7 "2008-09-11T14:02:53Z")
> [@bobbyg1243](#): > > haha i like the guy riding the cooler, beer in hand!:headbang: lol same looks like a good time… what are the rules/guidelines? Can you have any kind of propulsion system? ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/8 "2008-09-11T14:04:40Z")
cheat and put a motor on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/9 "2008-09-11T14:06:40Z")
lol I’d go with seddlemeiers idea use like 16 rollerblade wheels with the best bearings you can get your hands on, that shit will FLY with a good push and properly weighted edit: mount 2-4 sets of rollerblade souls on the bottom of the device to mount the wheels to and 2 regular sized wheels up front for steering ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/10 "2008-09-11T14:19:52Z")
i think newman has got it down. Thing i will only have time to work on it tomorrow. Could i use the existing pallet cart i have in the last pic shown? where to get supplies from? anyone have anything laying around? ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/11 "2008-09-11T14:20:08Z")
> [@Dr.Stevil](#): > > lol I’d go with seddlemeiers idea > > use like 16 rollerblade wheels with the best bearings you can get your hands on, that shit will FLY with a good push and properly weighted > > edit: mount 2-4 sets of rollerblade souls on the bottom of the device to mount the wheels to and 2 regular sized wheels up front for steering No, only two trucks. one as far forward as possible. Any more than 2 trucks and you GREATLY fuck your turning ability. Loosen the trucks up a little bit and you’ll be able to use your side to side weight to make the turns. ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/12 "2008-09-11T14:23:01Z")
TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR I WILL NOT BE TURNING AT ALL! JUST STRAIGHT DOWN THE HILL ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/13 "2008-09-11T14:23:38Z")
More info: \*1 race this year for all the marbles. \*More races can be run time and police presence permitted but the first one gets the bragging rights. \*Race winner(trophy) \*Most innovative award(trophy). $50 Best appearing cart award. \*No motor/engine \*One pusher per cart. \*NO SHOPPING CARTS! \*No Open Beer Containers near starting line. Winner to be interviewed with cart prior to the start of the mod 200. Please have cart at the track for the interview. We were supposed to do this last year but I was racing and didn’t have time. Im not racing this year so there will be time. Race time between 11:20 to 11:30. ---
**Author:** ![Karter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/14 "2008-09-11T14:25:15Z")
> [@newman](#): > > SHUTUP, you don’t know anything. That’s why it works on most downhill races, and is also the proper way to build a soap box car if I remember correctly. SMH ---
**Author:** ![02NismoSpecV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/0/74df32/32.png) [@02NismoSpecV](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/02NismoSpecV)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/15 "2008-09-11T14:25:49Z")
maybe remove some of the pallets that arent really needed to cut down on weight? just a thought. dont want it to crack or anything either tho for not having enough ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/16 "2008-09-11T14:27:19Z")
yeahh its a half pallet as is so its not that bad for weight. Newman u wanna make me something ill toss u some $ for doing it plus supplies? if i win the best appearing cart ill even give u the 50$ ---
**Author:** ![mindless](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mindless/32/7286_2.png) [@mindless](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mindless)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/17 "2008-09-11T14:55:52Z")
Yea i would say find the biggest wheels and tires you can, think old road bike or something that will help to cut down on resistance. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/18 "2008-09-11T14:56:58Z")
:lol: hire newman you will win… ---
**Author:** ![BDR5oh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bdr5oh/32/7315_2.png) [@BDR5oh](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BDR5oh)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/19 "2008-09-11T15:00:55Z")
this whole thread screams mercy flight ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/need-some-ideas-for-a-downhill-cart/54742/20 "2008-09-11T15:07:41Z")
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