Why Go-Karts Have Small Wheels

Wheels are one of the most important aspects of any go-kart build. Typically, the wheels mounted to a go-kart are smaller, especially when compared to vehicles found within the motorsport industry. This sizing is intentional — small go-kart tires provide many benefits, including easier handling and better acceleration. Let’s discover more about go-kart wheel size and why it matters.

Key Components of Go-Kart Tire Sizes

The three most important parts to understanding go-kart tires and wheels are tire height, tire width and rim diameter, which are measured in inches. While you can vary tire height and width to match your needs and driving conditions, the rim diameter should be the same for the front and back wheels. Other characteristics that affect size include:

• Rim width: The wheel rim width tells you what tire width you can use, measured from bead seat to bead seat. 
• Circumference: The circumference tells you the distance a tire travels per revolution.
• Tread depth: The treat depth is the distance between the top of the tread and the deepest groove, often changing depending on the environment and conditions.

What Are Normal Go-Kart Wheel and Tire Sizes?

Go-kart tires and wheels come in different sizes, but they’re all relatively small. Generally, tire heights range from 10 to 12 inches and can be anywhere from 4 to 9 inches wide. Wheel rims are typically around 4 to 6 inches in diameter.

In most builds, these tires tend to be smaller, often with the rear wheels being wider than the front pair. This difference in size helps with acceleration, turning and balance while maintaining the proper mass inertia.

Reasons for Small Wheels on Go-Karts

Let’s take an in-depth look at why most go-karts have smaller wheels.

1. Lower Center of Gravity

The center of gravity plays a significant role when vehicles come around turns at higher speeds. A vehicle transfers the load when turning, causing the body and frame to lean in that direction. So, the higher center of gravity a go-kart has, the more likely it is to flip.

Because small tires have shorter diameters, the go-kart sits closer to the track, maintaining a lower center of gravity. This low center of gravity enables drivers to safely and quickly navigate corners and make speedy overtaking maneuvers.

2. Reduced Weight

A go-kart is designed to be as light as possible. To achieve that lightness, they’re stripped of all non-essential parts, which often leaves the driver as the heaviest component.

Since smaller wheels carry less weight than larger ones, they’re often used to maximize a kart’s power-to-weight ratio, which helps drivers get every ounce of horsepower they can get out of the engine.

3. Increased Acceleration

To win a race, go-kart drivers must reach their top speeds rapidly, giving them a boost when cornering and overtaking others. These actions require faster acceleration, which is exactly what smaller wheels provide by generating torque.

While tire sizes don’t affect torque, they do affect the force needed to create the necessary torque. When the radius of a tire decreases, the amount of force needed increases. This higher force directly correlates to an increase in acceleration, per Newton’s formula — F=ma.

Overall, smaller wheels can supply the added force and increased acceleration drivers need to optimize their performance and give themselves the best chance of getting on the podium.

4. Improved Handling

While smaller wheels may decrease comfortability due to less air and cushion, they drastically increase handling capabilities, allowing for a more responsive go-kart operation. Because most go-kart tracks include hairpin turns and angular corners, decreasing the diameter of the wheels provides drivers with a more agile and nimble vehicle to maneuver tricky paths.

Do Bigger Tires Affect Speed?

Go-karts are built for speed. Numerous speed-altering factors, including their engine and chassis, determine how fast they can go. Many overlook how influential tire and wheel heights can be to a go-kart’s top-end speed.

Like most vehicles, a go-kart’s speed comes from its engine. Smaller tires reduce weight, offer more responsive handling, increase revolutions per minute and provide faster acceleration. Bigger tires cause the engine to expend more power to rotate them successfully, so the go-kart has a slower acceleration, but the larger diameter allows the kart to move further per revolution and increase its top speed.

Still, a go-kart with small tires can reach its top speed quicker, which is essential on a technical go-kart track. Most go-kart tracks rarely have long straightaways and consist of complex twists and turns, requiring constant braking and accelerating. In these environments, smaller wheels provide go-karts the edge they need to jump off the line, speed out of curves and reach their top speed in a shorter time.

Why Are Go-Karts Hard to Steer?

When driving a go-kart, steering can be tough because these machines engage numerous muscles, including your core, neck, legs, and arms, despite seeming small and easy to maneuver. Plus, they don’t come with power steering options that make steering easier.

Most go-karts are built with rear engines. This placement gives the driver a place to sit while offering a convenient power transfer to the rear wheels. The heavy weight of the engine presses down on the wheels, giving them more traction. That said, an engine placed too far back can put too much weight on the backend and throw off the kart’s center of gravity. When this happens, the front wheels don’t have enough weight to drive effectively.

Finding the balance between each go-kart component is the key to getting the most out of your wheels to ensure practical steering, making for a quick yet controlled lap around the track.

Put Your Skills to the Test at Tampa Bay Grand Prix

Wheels are essential to any go-kart and are responsible for some critical functions that will affect your performance on the track. Now, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to the test and hop into the driver’s seat.

Challenge your friends or try to beat yourself in a race against the clock at our state-of-the-art go-kart facility in Clearwater/St. Petersburg. At Tampa Bay Grand Prix, we offer a unique go-karting experience with high-end karts that reach up to 50 miles per hour. Purchase one of our racing packages or visit us whenever you’re feeling the need for speed.

Ready to hit the track? Book a race today!