How To Make A Club Car Golf Cart Faster

Spring is just effectually the corner, and then information technology is time to pull out the golf cart and think well-nigh making some improvements that volition give you more speed, add power or permit you lot to booty bigger loads.

Designed initially more than threescore years ago to speed up the pace of play and provide golfers a more relaxing way to become around the class, golf carts are now multi-purpose utilitarian vehicles. Today, more golf carts are used for non-golf game related activities than transporting golfers from the tee box to the green. The uses are endless, including farming, hunting, camping and much more.

The growth of golf cart communities where driving on the street is legal requires vehicles that tin can travel longer distances on a single charge and get at that place faster. For carts that haul heavy loads, speed may be less vital, merely the power to transport cargo is essential.

Optimal upgrade

To determine the optimal corporeality of speed and torque for your golf game cart consider how the cart volition exist used:

• Will the cart be used on a golf course only, with a low-cal passenger load, for community transportation or for hauling heavy loads?
• Will you drive it on hilly terrain?
• Volition the cart be used for towing?
• Do you lot plan to accept a rear seat kit installed?
• Are yous primarily driving on trails, the street or on turf?
• Is your golf cart lifted with aftermarket tires?

Once you make up one's mind these factors, you tin can consider your options for making a golf cart faster.

Series vs. Shunt Systems

Electric golf game carts utilise two main systems to generate speed: a Shunt system and a Series system. The 2 systems are not interchangeable and employ different methods for increasing speed. The Series system is only as potent every bit its weakest link. If there is a mistake anywhere in the system, the cart will fail. When upgrading a Series golf cart for speed or torque, the post-obit components should exist upgraded: motor, controller, cables, forrad and contrary switch and solenoid.

Completely different from a Serial arrangement, a Shunt motor arrangement separates the motor and the field circuit, so they function independently. Information technology is not always necessary to upgrade the components with a Shunt system because the speed parameters forth with other control features are programmable.

It is essential to understand precisely which organisation is used in your golf cart to upgrade to a compatible system.

Gas vs. Electric

Increasing the speed requires dissimilar modifications to gas-powered and electric-powered golf game carts. For a gas-powered cart, a minor speed adjustment may be made with a simple modification of the speed governor. If more speed enhancement is needed, a more powerful engine tin be installed. A speed upgrade to an electric cart involves completing several modifications, including the electric components.

Arrange the Governor on a Gas Golf Cart

Nearly golf carts that are designed for apply on the golf course have an average top speed of 14-15 MPH. This relatively slow speed is sufficient to maintain a good pace of play while ensuring golfer'south safety. For those who own gas golf game carts, the limited speed can be increased by a simple adjustment to the cart's mechanical footing speed governor. Some golf cart manufacturers install a secondary electronic governor to prevent excessive rpm levels that may cause impairment.

An externally controlled governor uses a pocket-sized metallic rod located well-nigh the golf cart's clutch to suit the connected cable. The overall speed tin be increased past turning the nut counterclockwise, making the cable longer and efficiently adjusting the cart'due south governance.

If the cart does not have an external adjustment cablevision, the governor must exist accessed internally. Open up the golf game cart'due south engine admission panel, which may require unscrewing the panel first.

The governor can be found by tracing the thickest cable that runs from the gas pedal; information technology volition be located on the cable before information technology reaches the carburetor. Suit the governor for faster speeds by loosening the tension on the governor's springs with either a screwdriver or a wrench.

Much similar a governor on gas carts, some electric cart manufacturers, such equally the Eastward-Z-GO, offer a method of increasing the speed by irresolute a bit that regulates the speed of the cart.

Gear Ratio Modify

Most golf carts come from the manufacturer with a gear ratio of roughly 12.v to i in the differential. For every 12.5 input shaft revolutions, the wheels turn one revolution.

Reducing the gear ratio volition make the cart go faster. For instance, a gear ratio of 6:1 will rotate the wheel one complete turn for but six input shaft revolutions. Provided cipher else has been altered on the cart such as rpm or tire size, a gear ratio modify from 12.five:1 to six:ane volition increase the speed by more than 12 mph.

Notwithstanding, an upgrade in speed using a change in gear ratios will sacrifice torque. The golf cart transmission does not allow gears to be shifted as in an automobile's manual transmission. The cart is permanently in high gear. Information technology is like a motorcar in fourth gear that allows loftier speeds just lacks low-cease torque. If you effort to move your auto from a standing get-go in fourth gear, information technology goes very slowly and is unresponsive but improves equally the machine goes faster.

The same performance may result in a golf game cart with a lower gear ratio. On flat terrain, the lack of torque may non be noticeable. However, in a bumpy surface area, with heavy loads or on a lifted cart with bigger tires, the impact on performance may exist pregnant. Careful consideration should be paid to the effects of changing gear ratios to ensure that the modified cart functions correctly.

Increase the RPM

Changing the golf cart power plant rpm is some other pick for increasing the vehicle's elevation-cease speed. Although the methods differ on electric and gas cars, the effect is the same. An increment in the input shaft rpm for all differential ratios volition produce a higher speed.

• Gas Cart

For a gas golf cart, other than adjusting the governor, the speed may exist enhanced by replacing the engine with a higher rpm output model.

• Electric Cart

For an electric golf cart, several options are bachelor to attain a higher rpm.

Change the Electric Motor

Electrical motors designed for torque comprise a large field whorl that produces a strong magnetic field, resulting in a greater force practical to the armature for torque. While these motors produce plenty of torque, they generate slower speeds.

Speed motors are congenital differently with a smaller field coil, which results in a weaker magnetic field allowing a faster armature spin.

An upgrade to a higher rpm rated motor will improve the golf game cart speed, simply with a decrease in torque.

Importance of a Speed Controller

The nearly important part of a speed controller is that it allows the operator to manage the vehicle's speed.

If a DC motor is operated without a speed controller, only full bombardment voltage and current can be applied. In a golf cart with no controller, the full dispatch would place excessive stress on the mechanical drive components, not to mention an uncomfortable whiplash start for the driver and passengers. The vehicle would accelerate to height speed.

Newer AC or Brushless DC motors volition non function at all without a speed controller. These motors crave multiple electrical signals that contrary in direction periodically in a manner that is precisely timed with the motor rotation.

A speed controller delivers the battery voltage and current to the motor according to an operator input device, such as a throttle. It permits the operator to control the rate of acceleration and deceleration as well equally the continuous rate of vehicle speed.

In simple terms, voltage translates to speed and current (amperage) equals torque. Increase the voltage to the motor, and it volition generate a higher rpm. Motors are typically rated for voltages in the ranges 24-36 VDC or 36-48 VDC. For a 36-48 VDC rated motor currently running at 36 VDC, an increase to 48 VDC volition consequence in a college rpm output and therefore increase speed.

Most modern controllers can be programmed by either a handheld programming pendant or via connection to a calculator. The operation of the controller tin be fine-tuned to match the motor being used.

Dispatch

When irresolute to a high-performance controller for increased speed in a golf game cart, consideration must be made for the boosted dispatch. While acceleration is exhilarating, it tin be excessive for a vehicle that was designed and manufactured for a leisurely cruise down a golf game course fairway.

Near golf carts typically use a 300 Amp controller, while a performance controller can be equally high as 650 amps. The boost in operation and acceleration is like changing out a 4-cylinder engine to a V8 in an car. It may feel like you are prepare for the drag strip.

Lucifer the Controller and Motor

Whatsoever upgrade to a golf cart'south motor should exist accompanied past a change in the controller to achieve the desired performance characteristics. As an example, on a very hilly golf class requiring acceleration and traction, a motor upgrade from the standard 3-1/2 to 5 horsepower and controller change to 500 amps is recommended. The same configuration will work well for street driving in a golf customs. If the golf cart is used primarily for street or path driving, the standard 3-ane/two horsepower motor can be used with an upgraded 400A controller.

More Torque

Upgrades to the controller can increase torque without having much effect on the top-end speed. Since the torque is a function of current, a higher current generates more than torque and therefore more pulling power. For example, an upgrade from a stock 275A controller to a 400A controller volition virtually double the stall torque.

Increase the Tire Size

The simplest method to go just a chip more than speed from the golf cart is by inflating the tires. The expanded tires will have a slightly larger diameter, providing a minor increment in speed. For safety purposes, the increase in pressure should not produce an uncomfortable ride, adversely bear on steering, and never exceed the manufacturer's recommendations.

A more pregnant bear on on speed can be made by installing larger diameter tires on the golf cart. The upgrade, like the other options, has its trade-offs. While bigger tires result in increased speed, they reduce the effective low-end torque since it requires more ability to turn larger bore tires than smaller ones.

On the electric golf auto, an upgraded speed controller forth with other enhanced components may assist to recuperate some of the lost torque. The performance change will depend on the cart'due south usage and terrain. On a golf car with a gas engine, a clutch upgrade may be required to compensate for reduced torque.

Lifted Cart Upgrades

An upgrade from the standard 3.v HP motor is required for lifted golf carts with oversized tires. Boosted power is needed to rotate the bigger tires at the same rpm. For an upgrade from the standard 3.5 HP motor with larger tires for heavy load pulling or hauling application or for a cart used on extremely hilly terrain, an upgrade to a 400A controller is recommended.

Determine the Top Speed of Your Electrical Golf Cart

Before making modifications to an electric golf cart, utilize the following formula to estimate the elevation-end speed after the changes.

Acme-end Speed (mph) = (rpm of motor 10 radius of tire) / (gear ratio x 168)

Precautions

For safety reasons, golf cart manufacturers recommend a speed that never exceeds 25 miles per hour. The high center of gravity plus the weight of passengers, golf game numberless and other cargo tin cause a cart to tip over at loftier acceleration.

Final Thought

Careful consideration should be fabricated before making whatever golf cart upgrades. Decide the operating weather and then choose the enhancements that will give the cart the best performance characteristics. Low-end torque may exist more useful for your application than speeding downwards the street in an upgraded cart.

Source: https://diygolfcart.com/blog/diy-hacks-improve-golf-cart-performance-for-spring

Posted by: kozlowskithervey.blogspot.com

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