Golf Cart Question...

[Balthazar00]

I know... I know... It doesn't really have an "engine" per se, but it does have a motor (electric)! I couldn't figure out where else to post this question. :-)

I purchased a 2001 Club Car DS in excellent condition a few months ago for next to nothing. I'm using it to get around on my property and it's serving me pretty well so far. I recently put a little money into it with a 4" A-Arm lift kit, new wheels/tires, heavy duty rear leaf springs, and an HID headlight/taillight kit. I'm now interested in giving it a little more torque, but I'm not sure what to do. Do I need a stronger electric motor, higher amp controller, both of them, or something else? So far, I've spent very little on it, so I don't mind doing a few more things with it. If anyone out there is experienced with electric golf carts, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on what I need to do to give it more torque. Thanks!

I've attached a few before and after photos.

 

[the_great_white]

go the controller route first. the stock one is around 250amp. with that lift and tire combo, i would go up to a 500 amp. dont forget to beef up your wiring also for the added amperage load. if you end up toasting the motor, then upgrade it, until then, use what you got

 

[the_great_white]

for more better info, check out this site:

www.buggiesgonewild.com

it seems to be the ODT of the golf cart world

 

[Balthazar00]

for more better info, check out this site:

www.buggiesgonewild.com

it seems to be the ODT of the golf cart world

Thanks for all the feedback! I'll check out the site!

 

[FrogHunter]

Buy an UTV ...., more torque will ensue.

 

[Balthazar00]

Buy an UTV ...., more torque will ensue.

I knew someone (or more than one person) would say this. :-)

I know it's the best thing to do, but right now, I've only got about $2K in my cart, and that's including the cart itself, lift, wheels/tires, HID lights, and heavy duty rear leaf springs, and its gets me around pretty good on my property (only 8 acres). I'd have to quadruple that amount to get a decent used Polaris Ranger 400 (that's what I would get).

One problem cannot be overcome, however... The cart is not 4-wheel drive. :-(

 

[the_great_white]

One problem cannot be overcome, however... The cart is not 4-wheel drive. :-(

ask and ye shall receive!

http://www.imaginativemfg.com/

they have 4x4 conversion kits

 

[Balthazar00]

ask and ye shall receive!

http://www.imaginativemfg.com/

they have 4x4 conversion kits

WOW! Will definitely keep that in mind! Thanks!

 

[Balthazar00]

go the controller route first. the stock one is around 250amp. with that lift and tire combo, i would go up to a 500 amp. dont forget to beef up your wiring also for the added amperage load. if you end up toasting the motor, then upgrade it, until then, use what you got

Hey... Just wanted to let you know that I went with a Curtis 500 amp controller, a 200/600 amp White-Rodgers solenoid, and some really good 4 gauge wiring. Definitely gave me a boost in immediate and low-end torque (maybe around 25% or 30%?). It launches pretty hard now. It has helped slightly with getting up hills, but not much. No noticeable difference on top end speed (to be expected).

I still need to play around with the controller a bit. Apparently, it can be programmed in a variety of different ways depending on what I'm wanting. Gonna be a learning experience. :-)