Need advice on an off-road cart

[beach cart]

Lift kits are pretty easy to install. On youtube DIY golf cart repair has a bunch of great videos on TXT.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by coosa

...............It sounds like a series cart has a F/R switch that is about the same as my old resistor cart. From all you have told me, I'm thinking I need to hold out for one with a series motor. I want something that will climb; speed is no issue at all.

It is basically the same F/R switch, it was just moved to the passenger side and bottom mounted.

You've discovered the secret of getting satisfactory results from a build.
Figure out what the cart will be used for and you want it to do first, then select the best type drive system to reach that goal and build towards that goal.

[coosa]

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

well, if the cart is in really good shape, its a good price. as for what you are wanting to do, and how much?
depending on what type of lift you get, either a axle lift or a spindle lift, either will run in the ball park of $300.
you have wheels, a good set of tires will go another $300-$400
your drive train upgrade will require a controller, SD solenoid, HD F&R switch, and a new set of either 4 ga or 2 ga cables. right at $970

so all told....you are looking at roughly $1600 to $1650 for everything.

Thanks for all the info!

The tires on the old resistor cart are still good; would they not work? I'd be satisfied to just swap them out and save that $300-400. I also bought a HD F/R switch for the old cart last fall. Any chance it would fit this one?

I have 4 gauge cables on the resistor cart and still have a lot of 4 gauge cable and connectors.

So maybe I can shave a few hundred off your estimate. $1300 + $1200 = $2500. From what you guys are telling me, I'd then have a cart better suited for climbing steep hills than 2012 PDS the dealer wants to sell me for $4k. Am I thinking right here?

Of course, the advantage of buying his would be I unload it and start using it. Gonna be some work involved with doing it myself. But maybe that's an advantage too?

[coosa]

Can anyone point me to a good lift kit for the 2008 TXT? I know nothing about them and have no idea whether I need axle or spindle lift. One that requires no welding, for sure. I only want one high enough for the tires to clear the fenders. The rear axle has been the part that always gets grounded on my old cart. Even that weak motor on the resistor cart would keep pushing if the frame got on the ground, but once the rear axle gets on something, time to pull out the come-a-long.

Thanks for any ideas!

[JohnnieB]

The Rims/Tires will fit, the F/R might. If you need to replace the F/R right away, or sometime down the road, consider using a reversing contactor: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Reversing_Contactors.html

If you stay 20" or less in tire height, no lift is needed. If you go over 20" a mild lift is needed. Here is a mild lift install thread with some pictures: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...tallation.html

Also, while it may not look aesthetically pleasing to some people, just putting tall tires of the rear for ground clearance and lifting as needed for tire clearance, may work for your application and rear lifts are cheap and easy.

Yep, having a cart that is running when delivered is nice, but building one that is tailored to your needs and desires is nicer.

It depends on what is wrong/missing from the cart, but you might have it going in stock form in an hour or so.

[coosa]

Thanks again, JohnnieB! The front tires that I have are 20" because even after taking tin snips to the body, a bigger tire would scrape. I have 22" tires on the back. Sounds like a rear lift might be all I need.

Whatever I do, its gotta climb this hill or its useless:


I don't think the picture does that hill justice; it is steep. You think the 2008 TXT would climb it with my 22" tires on it?

Thanks to everyone who has commented in the thread! I have a much better idea of what to look for now.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by coosa

1. I don't think the picture does that hill justice; it is steep.
2. You think the 2008 TXT would climb it with my 22" tires on it?

1. It is difficult to estimate angles from a straight-on shot, but that does look to be 30° or more. (The short focal length of the lens on the Droid Razr distorts depth perception also. )

Here is a straight-on shot of the milder of the two hills I have choice of taking when I go into town and a side view on my cart sitting on it with an improvised plumb-bob hanging from the roof. It is roughly 30° and your hill appears to be steeper, and longer.

2. It might grunt a little with a stock (275A) controller in it, but with a 400A or 500A aftermarket controller it probably won't break into a sweat.

With 22" tires you'll loose about 20% of the stock torque, but you will increase the stock torque by about 45% with a 400A controller, so the net gain is about 25%.

Down the road a ways when you replace the batteries. Up the pack voltage to 42V or 48V and you'll gain both speed and torque.

[coosa]

Thanks to everyone for all the help! I was thinking when I went to bed last night that I would buy the cart with the series motor and fix it up myself. But then this morning the dealer that's a friend of one of my relatives offered to sell me this one at a good price:



It is a 2008 EZGO with a PDS motor, but has a new 600 amp controller. The dealer promised me it would climb my hill, and if it won't, I can bring it back and they'll fix me something else. I think it will do all I need it to do. They have set it for maximum torque, and it runs just 14 mph, so I think it oughta climb any hill around me.

I was kinda looking forward to building one, but the idea of having one ready to hunt next week won out in the end. Plus, the camo wrap it has is just so pretty.

So I'm gonna get it Friday, and be able to hunt with it next week. I also kinda hated the idea of cannibalizing the old cart, so I am gonna try to find someone to give it a try on fixing it. Woodrow is less than 100 miles from me, so I hope I can get him to take a look at it.

Thanks again for all the help. I'd never have been willing to buy this cart if not for all the info you guys gave me. I believe it will be an upgrade from the resistor cart.

[PAPABEAR1]

You can't go gasser ?

[chloe]

Nice looking cart. Hope it serves you well.