How To Make A Racing Lawn Mower (Step by Step)

What are your thoughts about racing cars? Don’t you think they are just super cool? Well, I think so. But how about making a racing car? Sounds much cooler, right? 

No matter how cool it sounds, making an actual racing car will be something of a dream to achieve. But what if I tell you that you can make a racing lawnmower to get a little close to that dream. The best part is it doesn’t cost too much, it’s fun, and you can do it yourself. 

Want to know how to make a racing lawn mower? Then stick with me until the end as I take you to step by step on converting your regular lawn mower to a racing one. 

Let’s get into it right away. 

Making A Racing Lawn Mower Fast

I hope you are excited to dive into this project. If you are, then get ready with the tools and jump into your lawn mower with them. Here are the tools you will need to turn your boring regular riding mower into a racing mower- 

Tools required 

• Engine Transmission
• Steering wheel
• Chain
• Fuel tank
• Centrifugal clutch
• Hydraulic brake system
• Engine setup component
• Front and rear axle
• Wheels
• Electrical equipment
• Welding components
• Tire sealant
• Hand gloves
• Goggles

If you have already got these, then what are you waiting for? Let’s get in the process and build a racing mower. 

Steps for making a racing lawn mower

To make this process easy and understandable for you, I will take one step at a time to follow along. 

Step-1: Working on the frame

Think of it as a construction project. The first thing you do here is to create a frame or outline to put all of your components. Now, a regular lawn mower will have a frame of its own, but you can’t use the same thing for a racing mower.

So, you have to make a frame that suits the “racing” aspect of the mower. Here’s the thing I can’t tell you what shape to make because that’s where your creativity comes in. Go for the design of your choice. 

Just make sure the frame is sturdy and capable of withholding the power of a racing car. To get that kind of strength with the mower frame, you have to add some metal to it. How do you add metal to another metal? You simply weld it. 

Also, when you are shaping the frame, you have to consider the kind of wheel you will use. That will dictate the shape of your car a lot. So, you must take that into count when designing the frame, and the rest is up to your understanding. 

Step-2: Work on the steering

The steering of a lawnmower can’t cope up with the speed of a racing mower. For that, you have to refigure the stock steering components to make it fit into a racing mower. 

To make your steering work with a racing mower, you have to opt for a direct steering system. This means creating a connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels directly so that the steering is much more responsive. 

For the process, you have to use the front axle and the steering shaft. You have to attach them with your front wheels and make sure they are working properly. You can check how far the wheels are going, for the left one should be at 10 o clock, and the right one should be at 2 o clock. 

Step-3: Install the transmission and brakes

You have to begin this step by figuring out your transmission and its measurements. After the, place it in the middle of the frame where you plan to install the engine. Finally, you can bolt this into the frame to secure it properly. 

Then there is some mathematics you have to do based on your setup and components. It’s determining the gearing ratio you want to use for the mower. It will involve the clutch system, the input of your transmission, and its output along with the axle.

All the combinations will give you the required engine speed to call it a racing mower. After that, you have to get install the chain system on your setup. Doing that is fairly simple and shouldn’t take much time. 

Once that’s done, you have to move on to installing the brakes. Installing brakes is pretty straightforward. You have to bolt the caliper, align it with the rotor and make all the components adjustable then screw them with the frame. 

Then you have to install the master cylinder and bolt it through the frame. Finally, connect one end with the pedal so you can control the brakes with the pedal. Try using hydraulic brakes rather than mechanical ones because they are easy to use and install.

Step-4: installing the deck, battery, and all other components

You are almost at the finish line of your project. Now, all you have to do is complete the setup with the installation of the deck. Simply weld the mower deck with the new frame you designed. 

Then, take the battery that you will be using to power your car. Install the battery under the deck. Complete all the wiring on the battery properly and make sure it’s running. 

To prepare for any oil leakage from the mower, you have to install a puke tank. It also helps in carrying the engine with efficiency. You can weld this one right around the place from where oil might leak at times. 

After that, you have to install the seats according to your preference. You can choose whichever seat you like, keeping in mind that it goes well with the frame and the racing mower look. You can use seats from old cars as well. 

Now, it’s time to install the engine. Get any engine you prefer, but, in my opinion, going for the 12 HP engine from Briggs and Stratton will be the best as they are of high quality and performance. 

Next up is placing the battery under the seat and connecting it with the engine. Then you have to attach the chain between the back wheels and the engine. Again, this greatly helps in driving the mower. 

Step-5: Finishing it off with some decoration

You don’t want a crap metal-looking racing mower. So, color the whole thing up and design it the way you want. Before you move onto the painting, make sure to smoothen the whole thing and clean it properly.

Finally, color it the way you want. And then you just add the front wheels to start going on races with your racing mower. 

Conclusion

In short, building a racing lawn mower isn’t the hardest thing to do, neither it’s the easiest thing. You have to have some experience with welding, engines, transmissions, clutches, and brakes. I just gave you a general guideline of what to do; taking it to the proficient level is up to you. 

Having said that, this will surely help you in getting prepare for making your first racing lawn mower. If you have the knowledge and skillset, then this will be a breeze for you. So hope you start making your dream racing mower right away. It’s an enjoyable project, after all.