Upgrading to lithium battery

[Bama Brad]

There is no more risk (unless these are "lifted" carts) to topple over than a gas cart. I would think that they would want a much lighter cart traveling over their golf course (less chance for rutting).

[CP241]

The only “balance” issue I’ve encountered with lithium is the weight difference. Yes ride is a bit harsher but not a ton. The bigger issue is with a back seat and people on the back, the weight distribution is disproportionately behind the rear axle. Without the extra 300lbs in FRONT of the axle to help balance it, the front end can get a little “light”. I haven’t gotten around to it yet because it’s not a “huge” problem, but when I take the front cowl off to repaint I’m planning to find a way to add some weight directly over the front axle. Steering gets a little squirrley on uneven terrain at higher (20+ mph) speeds because there isn’t enough weight in the front to firmly plant the front tires into the ground. I don’t think it will take a whole lot of weight to do it.

Granted, this would not be an issue on a course cart with just some clubs in the back. But the extra 150+ lbs of the rear seat itself (behind the axle) plus a few hundred lbs of people on the seat can create a bit of an issue.

Regardless I’ve never been remotely close to tipping it over. Just the occasional wheelie if I goose the gas pedal too hard

[Volt_Ampere]

Lifted carts with larger wheels are more likely to tip over on hard cornering due to the much higher CG. My carts have slightly larger wheels than stock but they feel very stable under normal driving which is all we do with it. CG is a bit higher with lithium vs FLA but the weight is far less which means the moment during cornering is not more so it feels nice and stable.

[Scobra1]

Tell them to slow down when cornering. Lol

[WalterM6]

voltage as compared to lead acid battery (which is approximately 58V). Will it cause damage to the controller?

Just curious. Why is management worried about damage to your controller?

[Pat911]

I would guess he maintains a fleet owned by the golf course and it is those carts that are being considered for a lithium conversion, hence the questions about safety and reliability.

[simicrintz]

Originally Posted by Scobra1

Tell them to slow down when cornering. Lol

There you go using common sense......

[richmond]

Originally Posted by Pat911

I would guess he maintains a fleet owned by the golf course and it is those carts that are being considered for a lithium conversion, hence the questions about safety and reliability.

You are right. I have been convincing my management to change to lithium as there is much lesser maintenance and labor cost.

After upgrading to lithium, the golf cart is slightly "higher" as the weight has been reduced and they "feel" unstable during cornering.

If it is stable at 20mph, I dont think my golf cart will flip as the maximum speed is capped at 15mph. However, they still asked me to proof that it is safe to upgrade to lithium as safety is the main conern.

Thanks all for your kind reply.

[DaveTM]

Well.....I suppose you could always pour 50-100 lbs of concrete in the space that is freed up by going to lithium.

[WC53]

Originally Posted by DaveTM

Well.....I suppose you could always pour 50-100 lbs of concrete in the space that is freed up by going to lithium.

Water in the tires like tractors