Parts of a Go Kart – Labeled Diagram From Above

All 25 parts on the diagram

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Frame and body 9

Chassis A kart has no suspension, so the tube chassis has to flex.
Seat It bolts to the chassis, just in front of the rear axle.
Tires Kart wheels and tires are much smaller than a car's.
Front bumper It protects the driver's feet. The nose cone is fixed to it.
Rear bumper A kart has both a front and a rear bumper.
Side pods They are fixed to the side bumpers of the chassis.
Nose cone Mounts on the front bumper. The rule book calls it the front fairing.
Floor pan It runs from the front of the chassis back to the seat.
Fuel tank It sits on the floor pan, in front of the seat.

Steering and pedals 6

Steering wheel It tilts back toward the driver. So from above it looks like an oval.
Gas pedal On every kart the gas pedal is on the right.
Brake pedal On every kart the brake pedal is on the left.
Steering column Turning the wheel turns it. It pushes and pulls the tie rods.
Tie rods Each one joins the steering column to a spindle.
Spindles Also called stub axles; the tie rods swing them to steer.

Drive and brakes 10

Engine Sits close to the rear axle and drives it with a chain.
Rear axle A kart has no differential, so both rear wheels turn together.
Axle bearings The rear axle turns inside bearings held in cassettes on the chassis.
Wheel hubs Rear hubs are locked to the axle so they cannot slide off.
Brake disc Mounted on the rear axle. A kart's single rear brake is a disc.
Brake caliper Pressing the brake pedal squeezes its pads against the disc.
Clutch Most karts use a centrifugal clutch. It engages as the engine speeds up.
Chain It carries the engine's power to the rear axle.
Axle sprocket Can be swapped for a larger or smaller one. This is done to suit the track.
Chain guard The rules require one, covering the top of the chain and sprockets.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only when at least two of these use it. (1) CIK-FIA Karting Technical Regulations 2015 (chassis frame, floor tray, front bumper, rear bumper, side bumpers, side bodywork, front fairing, steering wheel, steering column, stub axles, rear axle, seat, pedals, brake disc, chain guard, sprocket, clutch, fuel tank), full text at https://archive.org/details/fia-karting-euro-kz-championship-2015-regulations. (2) Tecno Kart, Kart Owner's Manual (main frame, steering wheel, steering column, tie rods, stub axle and spindle, rear axle, axle bearings, hubs, brake disc and caliper, brake pedal, seat), full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5914862. (3) Jean L. Genibrel, Sprint Karting: A Complete Beginner's Guide (2000), passages found with the Internet Archive's full-text search at https://archive.org/details/sprintkartingcom0000geni (side pods, nose cone, tie rods, spindles, rear bumper, floor pan, steering shaft, steering column, brake caliper, chain guard, rear hubs, gas pedal, brake pedal, rear axle, fuel tank, clutch). (4) Jeff Grist, Karting: Everything You Need to Know (Motorbooks, 2006), passages found the same way at https://archive.org/details/kartingeverythin0000gris (side pods, nose cone, front and rear bumper, floor pan, tie rods, spindles, steering column, axle sprocket, fuel tank, gas pedal on the right and brake pedal on the left, rear hubs, brake caliper, rear axle in bearing cassettes, chain guard). (5) Wikipedia, Go-kart, text only (tube chassis with no suspension, disc brake on the rear axle, no differential, chain from the engine to the rear axle, engine and axle sprockets, centrifugal clutch, small wheels and tires). (6) Baja Motorsports Blaster 65 go-kart owner's manual (throttle pedal, brake pedal, brake calipers, fuel tank, steering wheel, seat), full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5917869. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry, a composite of no one make; nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A go-kart is a bare tube chassis with no suspension: a seat, a steering wheel, two pedals, and an engine that turns one solid rear axle through a chain. These two drawings name 25 of its parts.

Read the full guide

Read the top view

The kart is seen from above with its front to the left, so the driver's right side is at the top. The engine sits on that side, beside the seat. The gas pedal is on the right and the brake pedal on the left. The second drawing is the back end from the right, with the wheel taken off to show the chain.

Steering and stopping

The steering wheel turns the steering column. Two tie rods run from the bottom of the column to the spindles, and the spindles swing the front wheels. The brake is at the back: pressing the brake pedal makes the caliper squeeze a disc on the rear axle.

A kart has no differential: the rear axle is one solid shaft, so both rear wheels turn together.
Nose cone and side pods are the everyday names. A racing rule book calls them the front fairing and the side bodywork.

Questions and answers

What are the main parts of a go-kart?

The chassis, seat, steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, engine, rear axle and four wheels. Around them are the front and rear bumpers, and on a racing kart the nose cone and side pods.

What is the frame of a go-kart called?

The chassis. It is made of steel tubing, and because a kart has no suspension, the chassis is built to flex enough to do that job.

How does a go-kart steer?

The steering wheel turns the steering column. Two tie rods join the bottom of the column to the spindles at the front wheels, so turning the wheel swings both front wheels.

Do go-karts have a clutch?

Most do. It is a centrifugal clutch on the engine, which engages by itself as the engine speeds up. The earliest karts had no clutch and needed a push start.

Where is the brake on a go-kart?

On the rear axle. The brake is a disc on the axle with a caliper that squeezes it when the brake pedal is pressed. Some racing classes add front brakes.