03 ds. What upgrades are available?

BigBen07

Hello,
I'm a new member and new to carting.
I bought an 03 ds. (AQ0321) I looked up the number for reference and found out it's an IQ with a 48v regen motor. Motor says 3.2hp "special service".
The controller is a Curtis pmc 225amp.
It came with no batteries and I installed 4- 12v batteries. It has great take-off torque and tops out at 13 mph. ( stock tires )
Now, I have ordered a 6" all-sports lift and 22" wheels and tires that are yet to be installed. I expect the performance to suffer some until electrical updates come down the pipe.
To the meat and potatoes, my budget is tight at the moment but not forever. What are the easy and sensible upgrades available and where to start with them? I'm not looking to make a rocket. I have decent mechanical abilities and am an electrician by trade.

Any input by you guys would be appreciated

BGW

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mrgolf

One thing you can do is up grade your battery cables. 4 ga welding cable is most likely all you will need unless you are planning to go with big motor and controller. Also I'm not sure the 12 volt batteries are the way to go. My 2003 has 6, 8 volt batteries, gives you longer run time. I think that is what they came with. Also make sure they are golf cat batteries.

Check the site sponcers at the top of the page for ideals.

jakesnake27

I agree, an 03 should have the six 8v setup, which yields much longer run time and pack life than the 12v setup.

Welcome to BGW!

BigBen07

I think you'd be surprised by my batteries. They're a specialty battery.
Premium gel, 220 min runtime at 25A draw. EACH. They retail for over $250 each.
But more to the point, do I want to upgrade my controller? What are the benifits? Do I need a all new controller?
What more is my motor capable of? If I could do 18-20mph and keep the torque the same Id be pretty happy.
The only stuff I've learned so far is by trolling through posts. So there is lots of gaps to fill....

Thanks again

mrgolf

You could get the speed code 4, that will give you 19.6 mph with same torque, or you could try the speedy link (site sponsor) that will get you around 22 mph same torque. Other things you could do as well. The more amps you can get to your motor the more torque it will have, with small cables you just don't have the pipes to carry the amps the motor could draw. once the pipes are large enough you can increase the supply with a larger controller. It goes on and on. The more you search and read about it on this site the more you find ideals to spend more money on your cart.

Dale-D

Or, for $39 you can install a Hi Speed Magnet and get about 22mph with the exact same torque using the same exact controller and batteries, and that won't affect your run time at all, since you are not changing any other components

Dale D

mrgolf

Not sure about the magnet on this cart. If it has the gray G E motor, you have to remove the motor, disassemble and press magnet off and new one on.

BigBen07

Ok, we'll that's somewhere to start. I'll upgrade all the cables and get the controller re-flashed and I'll see where we sit.
Thanks for the input guys

CartTrader

No you don't. While a bit more difficult it can be done on the cart. Have done it several times.

CartTrader

mrgolf

How do you get the old one out?