converted to 48v high speed gear question

[ecaldwell78]

I have a 92 DS that I converted to 48v with all ScottyB stuff, 500 amp GE controller, HD Solenoid, HD FNR, 2g. cables and still running the 36v motor. Right now i'm getting a solid GPS 17 average with a 21 top speed on 22" tall tires. This thing takes off like the front wheels are coming off the ground! Momma won't let me put a new motor in, but said nothing about 8 or 6:1 gears. Do y'all think this is a reasonable solution even though i'm still running the 36v motor?

[joesam]

What is the primary use of the cart? Golf? Off-Road? Neighborhood cruiser for groceries & camp-ground party wagon? Since 6:1 is HALF the ratio of stock gears - your "theoretical" top speed would be 42 mph. I wouldn't be comfortable in a cart at that speed - and your time-off-the-line would definitely be affected. The high speed handling might be scary & braking a real issue.

Because your upgraded, it sounds like you have sufficient torque to handle 8:1 gears, as long as your not mud bogging or off-road hill climbing - where motor temps could become a real issue. Your theoretical/probable top speed on the flats would be just over 30 mph.

Having said all that - I am not really sure what (if any) impact that 48v has on a 36v motor. In stock situations, everyone knows its just fine; but gearing places a (somewhat) greater strain on the motor itself.....so does that mean the 36v motor at 48v now has less ability to shed some heat? Only the real electric motor folks on this forum would know for sure.

[theboss20]

High speed gears are good in any cart...even better if you install them yourself
Plus it's a great time to do new axel bearings and seals and to change over
to 30w synthetic in the rear end...did all of that...super quiet and goes like
Heck.

[TerryH]

6:1 might be asking for motor overheating trouble with the stock motor but I venture to guess that the 8:1 would be great. I assume it's a Graziano or Kawasaki. Just change the parts and seal it back up. I run the Graziano rears in the dragster. I've had mine apart several times. Pretty straightforward task to change the gears. There's no setup or shims in these rear ends.

[ecaldwell78]

This cart is just a town cruiser. Mostly paved roads and some yards. I'm not worried about losing torque. Seems the consensus is to go 8:1 as opposed to 6:1. Not real sure what my axle is though. The diff bolts come in through the driver side. Best prices online I've found were around 3 bills and I couldn't find any directions anywhere but it doesn't seem too difficult. I've got a disc setup idea in the works and this cart is adult driven only. I just don't want to have to go pedal to the floor everywhere.

[ecaldwell78]

Would I need to take the motor off or just split the case and move the driver side axle assembly with half the housing away to get at the gears?

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by ecaldwell78

Would I need to take the motor off or just split the case and move the driver side axle assembly with half the housing away to get at the gears?

That might work but personally I'd remove the motor and the rear end and work on it on the floor or bench. Once the case is split you'll need to clean both halves of the mating surfaces really well and reseal with RTV.