EZGO ME29 Transaxle Lock

1989Marathon

I posted this in the EZGO section, but thought it might get alot more traffic with all the motor-heads in this section. I'm looking for ideas guys!

I've been throwing around the idea of building a cable operated differential lock for the ME29 transaxle. After looking at the original design of the gearbox, it appears that it is not easily possible to make changes to the internals to make this happen. If anyone has an idea of how to do it internally, I'd like to hear about it. So I started thinking about how to do it from the outside.
Here is my "3-beer" rendering of one possible way. The axle tubes would need to be shortened by the width of the new plates. The gears could be chain driven, or use an intermediate gear. They would be enclosed inside the new plates.
I'm throwing this idea out there so we can all add our ideas.

BGW

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slonomo

Pretty interesting. How would it be serviced? Would that be a sealed housing for the chains, oil bathed? Or just like a mx chain, exposed?

Seems easier to change to a ST480 rear end with the cable diff lock, assuming you could find one.

1989Marathon

Slo, these are the questions I'm looking for, so it can be built into the design.
The ST480 rearend is wider than the ME29, and probably hard to find/expensive. This design keeps it the same width. The new plates would need an access cover to install the gears. This access cover could be used to lube the gears/chain. The gears/chains would not be exposed.

slonomo

Ok, well it seems like a pretty simple design. So you would just have a movable coupling on the new jack shafts that will couple the axles together making them move together. Seems heavy duty enough and reliable enough. I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Man you are tenacious aren't you?.....Aw shoot, my wife just called me that tonight.....can't lay claim to the "big word".....I'm not that smart! LOL

1989Marathon

Yes, I have golfcart OCD! I know the design will work mechanically, I'm just looking for ideas to make it easier for the masses to install. Not everyone has access to a mill/lathe. I would like to make it as simple as possible so anyone with a little mechanical knowledge can make it work.

1989Marathon

The cool thing about this is... if I can get it working on the ME29, it is applicable to any rearend with minor changes.

nobuckbuild

see my reply on your other post

1989Marathon

OK Rich, here it is modified with the electric clutch. I'm liking it better already.
True shift-on-the-fly.

I went with the idea of cutting the axle tube because it seems to be the simplest. Just remove the tube, cut a section out of the center, then slide the two sections into a larger tube and weld it back together. That eliminates the problem with re-welding the perches, the axles being too short, having to add an axle extension, and support bearing.

The plates just seem a little complicated. I'm trying to figure out a different way to attach a drive mechanism(gear) to the axles.

Keep the ideas coming!

rifter

We need a side view of the gears on the axles and added shaft.

1989Marathon

Here's a quick drawing. The new shaft location would need to be adjustable for chain tension.
The shaft only needs to clear the rear of the diff housing.