Steering
Steering Column.
This first Diagram shows the main Steering Column, with all it's supports. The Top Column Support is either a brass bushing pressed into a mild steel pipe, or simply a suitable sized steel pipe. The steering column will turn inside this and is prevented from moving by two split pins and washers. The reason the brass bushing is inside a mild steel pipe is to facilitate it's fixing to the strut, by welding. The other end of this strut can either be welded or bolted to the chassis, however this can only be done with a person sitting in the kart and to adjust the height etc. and then finally to weld it in position.
The bottom Bushing/pivot can also either be bolted or more simply welded to the chassis, all of which should be done with a person/ driver sitting in the kart. A vise-grips or a clamp can be used to keep everything in the correct position before welding. The bottom pivot can either be turned out on a lathe, or an ordinary pipe, with a suitable washer welded on.
However it is my recommendation to leave the installation of the Steering column and Drop Arm until the near end of the kart's completion. This can then be adjusted to fit everything else i.e.. drop arm, seating position, pedals.
Track Rods.
The installation and construction of these is fairly simple. Basically the rods are 16/20mm mild steel tubing, cut to the given length, with nuts (M10) welded to each end of each pipe. These nuts will receive "rose end bearings", which as well as providing a suitable fixing to the Steering Arms as well as providing a certain amount of adjustment. In the middle the Drop Arm will simply bolt to these "rose bearings". At the ends where they meet the "hub steering arm" they simply bolt together.
Once the track rods are in place the steering wheel and drop arm can be installed accordingly.