97 txt 48 volt conversion worth it

[Sideways]

For what it's worth, I upgraded my 94 Medalist (series) from 36v to 48v as everyone on here suggested and have been very happy with the results. I mainly use my cart on and around the golf course with 20in tires and a semi lift. I get 18-19mph with 2 people and 2 golf bags.
I did keep the stock motor.
What ever you decide to do have fun, rebuilding it will give you a chance to teach your son a thing or two. They are never to young to learn.

[yurtle]

Guys, remember OP has a series cart, which are the most expensive drive types to upgrade to 48 volts, and did mention cost as a consideration. The things we still don't know are condition of batteries, and type/condition of motor.

As stated by others, if excess resistance were causing enough voltage drop to cause a stock motor to go that slow, something would have likely melted by now.

If I were OP, I'd do a voltage check of each battery, resting and under load, to see if it's time to replace them.

I'd also follow advice and post model number - not serial number - of motor, to see if it's a torque motor.

Need more info to get better advice on where to go.

If motor is good and problem is with batteries, then 36 volts would be the cheapest.

[Speedfreak95]

So on a full charge all batteries show in the 6.0-6.4 range. After about 40 mins of crusing battery number 3 reads 4.0 and the rest are stil in the 6.0 plus range. Bad battery 3?

Under a load the batteries drop and raise to around 25-27 volts.. assuming under a load all batteries would raise back up to 36 colts so.. looks like either battery 3 or all batteries are bad.

As far as the motor the label shows 2 spaces for part number one for serial one for colts and the bottom is rating. No model number.

Guess for the money 48 volts seems to be the smarter idea. I’m guessing a 400-500 amp controller and 200 amp solenoid are about to be on order. As well as 48 volt batteries and a charger. Any recommendations on a charger?

[JohnnieB]

Batt-3 is bad.

The voltage of Lead-Acid batteries drops almost instantly under load, but recovers slowly. It takes an hour or more to fully recover.

When(if) I go to 48V, I'll most likely get a Yewy 1200Z charger. http://www.cartsunlimited.net/yewy-1...t-charger.html

[yurtle]

Originally Posted by Speedfreak95

So on a full charge all batteries show in the 6.0-6.4 range. After about 40 mins of crusing battery number 3 reads 4.0 and the rest are stil in the 6.0 plus range. Bad battery 3?

Under a load the batteries drop and raise to around 25-27 volts.. assuming under a load all batteries would raise back up to 36 colts so.. looks like either battery 3 or all batteries are bad.

As far as the motor the label shows 2 spaces for part number one for serial one for colts and the bottom is rating. No model number.

Guess for the money 48 volts seems to be the smarter idea. I’m guessing a 400-500 amp controller and 200 amp solenoid are about to be on order. As well as 48 volt batteries and a charger. Any recommendations on a charger?

I may have missed it, but what's the date on the batteries, month and year? Try your load test on the batteries individually. If they're relatively new, one option could be to buy a used battery same age and amp-hours as yours, and see if the existing motor goes fast enough to satisfy you. Can you post a photo of the motor label? Curious if it's original or an upgrade - which could be a slow high torque motor, in which case, you'll probably want a new motor regardless of whether you go 48 or not.

[Speedfreak95]

Batteries are PowerTron and there 2015. The motor looks original.. as soon as the kids go to bed I’ll dig more into the motor

[cgtech]

Powertron is low-buck batteries as far as I'm concerned. And low buck isn't known to get the lifespan as the top tier batteries do. In my area, with the frequent usage patterns of our golfers, 2.5 years life is common for the guys who "saved money" by going cheap when new battery time came up. They saved all that money, and can't understand how on Earth I could suggest to them that it's time for new batteries.

[yurtle]

One option could be to shop around and once you find a battery place with good prices, ask if they have a used one you could "borrow" or "rent", with the understanding that you'll be buying either the used one, or a whole set of new ones from them. The reason would be to determine if you'll ever be happy with the motor you have at 36 volts, or if it will be disappointing even at 48.


In October and November 2011, I spent over $2,000 for batteries, controller, solenoid, FNR, and cables. Then I needed better brakes and steering, so another couple of hundred dollars. Then I "needed" a faster motor, then needed tunes...

EDIT:
Just saw the post above on your brand of batteries, so buying a used one prolly doesn't make sense. It would still be good to somehow test your motor. Maybe take out the two weakest and use a car of truck battery, just for a really quick run?

[Speedfreak95]

Yeah that’s my contemplation.. I mean I don’t have an emotional attachment to the cart that’s why I’m debating 36 volt batteries and a bandit motor.. i live in Tampa and honestly there’s 1000s of carts for sale so instead of a few grand in upgrades to a 48 volt I could just sell and buy a 48 volt 2001 model where I can add the speed chip which would probably be a cheaper alternative then doing all the upgrades.

How would a stock 48 volt compare to upgrading my 36 to a 48 volt

[yurtle]

I can't speak to performance, but for cost, you can look on Craig's List to get an idea in your area. Spring is right around the corner, and probably a good time to sell and buy. Tampa should be a good place. It's not "too" far from Georgia, where the biggest buggy names are manufactured/assembled = cheap. You prolly have a number of shops where you could test drive different used make/models to get an idea of performance.