lifted suspension a little squirrely

Dirtcarver

Hello,
I’m looking for a little advice on a problem I’m having with a lifted cart. I’ve never dealt with lifted suspensions but I am eager to learn. I just purchased a Yamaha G29 with a 6” Madjax lift and 12” wheels. The cart will be driven on the street just as much as it will be driven in the dirt. The suspension is so squirrely on the pavement that if there is any rocking or turning movement at speed (15 mph), it starts to toss back and forth until you let out of the throttle and straighten it out. After looking through this forum, I located the Monroe pdf guide and feel pretty confident I can come up with replacement shocks. I assume that stiffer shocks would help most of the problem but I was wondering if anyone here has experienced similar issues and possibly found a different solution. Thanks in advance.

Attached Images

Cart front suspension.jpeg (117.7 KB, 0 views)

BGW

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

LostHusker

You need to make sure your front tires are set to 1/4" to 1/8" toe, if you are out of this range it can cause the issue. On the madjax lifts make sure the wheels are straight up and down, you may need to lift the cart so you adjust things and put it back down to get it where it needs to be.

pachanga90

I would check toe,tightness of all steering linkage,and all suspension bolts.Also check tire pressure.

Dirtcarver

OK, perfect. Heading out to the garage right now. Thanks for your time guys.

Dirtcarver

Didn't seem to fix the issue at all. I'm a pretty big guy (6'2", 225). I tried sitting dead center in the middle of the seat to see if it was a CG issue. Not much of a change. Seems like any little undulation or turn in the road that causes the upper portion of the cart to shift/lean to the left or right causes the front wheels to want to rebound and travel in the opposite direction. Everything seems tight up front. Toe looks right. Tire pressure is correct. In fact, I tried tire pressures at three or four different settings with no change. At this point, I'm a little leery of letting my teenagers drive it.
I'm thinking about stiffening up the rear end. Reading another thread here, someone posted a similar problem and added Jakes HD rear coils. I guess the thought is if you eliminate the swaying action, it will keep the front planted and prevent it from dancing around. We will see.

johnk4jmk

hey dirtcarver you need to make very sure your toe is right, when i was first gitting into carts i made my front tires perfectly straight up and doun and the exact same thing happened and ime a big guy like you 6'3" , 270 i counted threads on my steering and all kinds of stuff so i took it back to my dealer and they lined it up just like you would a real car and its been perfect every since and yes my front tires lean in very slightly,you are experiencing bump steer like in older jeeps but just more severe cause its in a golfcart i hope this helps you yamaha's are a little different than some of other brands.

Attached Images

new wheels and tires 003.JPG (122.6 KB, 0 views)

johnk4jmk

I was looking at your picture closely looks like you might could drop some air pressure on your tires,they pop them on the bead at about 30psi but you only need to run them about 15psi some might run more some maybe less, my tires are the exact of what you have i think

Attached Images

new wheels and tires 001.JPG (164.5 KB, 0 views)

Dirtcarver

Thanks John. You are correct. In fact you were all correct. In the interest of posting information that may or may not help someone who has the same problem with this type of lift, I am going to admit my ignorance, throw myself under the bus, and explain how I came to a solution.
Here is what I learned first. When several people in the same thread say the same thing, curb your ego and admit you aren't familiar with how to get to the solution they suggested. I for example, thought I understood "toe" or "camber" enough to tell if it was actually the problem. At 4:35 this morning, after posting my dismay, I finally decided to reach back, grab my ears, and pop my head out of my backside. I set out on learning how to adjust the aforementioned (yes I know, multiple times) "toe" and "camber." Madjax as many of you know have video install tutorials for their products. In addition, the online diagrams and instructions were fairly easy to find.
What I found, was that in fact, the rear inner measurement of the front tires was nearly two inches wider than the front. This as I found out was not correct. By adjusting the tie rods, I was able to open up the distance between the front most portion of the front wheels to 1/3 inch more than the distance between the rear inside portion of the front wheels. In addition, the camber was about half an inch off on both wheels as well. This was fixed by adjusting just one nut under the lower A arm and measuring the outer walls of the tires against a carpenter's square. After monkeying around with the adjustments, walking around in circles, and staring at diagrams on my computer that I had sitting next to me on the garage floor, the cart is now rolling straight and true.
So yes, please, fell free to hit me with a big fat, "I told you so". I very much have it coming. Fortunately for my cart, I do not have to order a set of new springs and or shocks and I can instead use the money to make a batch of beer this weekend. Unfortunately for my liver, I do know how to make large amounts of beer well.
Again, thank you very much for your advice gentlemen. It is greatly appreciated.

DIRTPIT HC

Dirtcarver, you got things figured out in 7 posts and posted how you came to your senses and followed direction in post 8. The guys wish all issues were fixed that easily. Sometimes it's 30 or 40 posts before they blame the gang for not helping and claim they got it figured out on their own.

pleighdammet

i think the guys that helped you like beer too