Upgrade from 36 to 42 volts? ‘01 36v ezgo PDS

[10Brink]

After reading, and hoping I understand, the tons of info on the CU website, i’m at the point of no return decision making process concerning upgrades to electrical “stuff”. I’ve already spent $700 on 6/6 so going 48V isn’t happening. Ultimately, I want a new motor, 400 Alltrax controller&solenoid, #2 cables and new switch/meter as shown on the CU site. The Alltrax controller has been suggested as the place to start to get the most bang for the buck. Motor when I get the money. Here’s the question: Go to 42 Volts now or wait ‘till later. Expense will be another 6v battery and charger to match. Who’s done it and is it worth the extra money. Cart (lifted, 24” tires, back aux seat) used as a street hauler for 2 to 4 adults, consuming beverages, checking out the scenery in a Texas HILL👈 country neighborhood. No cross country, streams, hunting, etc.

[meimk]

Keep your 6 x 6 volts & buy 2 more! You’re not really using the bag well for anything, right?

[scottyb]

42v makes a noticeable improvement in torque - something you will need with the excessively tall tires. 42v will increase speed too. Not sure what your order of upgrades is but -
The stock controller should not be used on 42v

7/6v under the seat is easier to maintain than 2 in the bagwell under a rear facing seat.

[JohnnieB]

With 24" tall tires and a rear seat, you'll be better off getting the XCT48500-PDS than the 400A version. With that workload, you'll need and fan on the controller, which is optional on the 400A and included in the price of the 500A, so the 500A is only about $30 more. (Turn the 500A down to 400A with a stock PDS motor at 36V, probably about 350A at 42V and about 300 at 48V - then crank it up when you replace the stock motor with one better suited for your setup.)

Also get the MZJ400 super-duty solenoid (400A continuous/ 1000A peak), which operates at 36V, 42V and 48V, so you can do 36V now and upgrade to 42V or 48V in the future with having the replace the solenoid. The battery charger has to match the battery pack voltage, so you'll need to upgrade the charger when you up the battery pack voltage.

Another thing to be aware of is future battery pack upgrades. 6x8V is the usual way to get 48V and 8V batteries have both terminals on same side, so longer interconnecting cables are needed. The longer cable will work with 6V batteries, so you'll be ready for 8V batteries if/when the time comes.

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Running a stock motor, 42V is the sweet spot for PDS carts with tires up to about 20" in height. With 24" tall tires, the stock PDS motor isn't going to live long regardless of battery pack voltage. Heat kills motors, PDS (sepex) motors generate a lot of heat at low RPM and with the 24" tires, your motor is running 33% slower than normal, so start saving for a replacement.

The 24" tire height also reduces torque where rubber meats road by 25%, so you'll need a motor that produces 25% more torque than a stock motor.

Going from 36V to 42V increases both torque and speed by 16.7% while going to 48V increases both by 33.3%.

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What top speed are you wanting?

[10Brink]

Thanks JohnnieB. Speed isn’t much of an issue for me. If I get any increase, it’s just icing on the cake. For me, torque’s what this whole thing is about. As I told Scottie, who is probably ecstatic that i’m bothering someone else, I have 6/6 brand new batteries, and room for one more under the seat, so that puts me at 42V max. I don’t want the look or the weight of two more batts in the bagwell. Yes, I know, picky dude. I’m just trying to make sure it’s beneficial and I do it in the correct order. If I’m not going to realize much, i’ll Just do what I can with 36V! Thanks to all.

[JohnnieB]

Upgrading to 42V is definitely worth the effort. For instance, the cart will accelerate a little quicker and won't slow as much going uphill.

I ran a stock PDS motor at 36V through an Alltrax DCX controller (predecessor to the XCT that was a Plug-n-Play for the DCS controller and adapted to the PDS when the PDS replaced the DCS drive in 2000). The DCX eliminated the RPM limiting of the stock PDS controller and my speed jumped to 24MPH on 17" tall tires.

I was happy with the performance, but wanted more range (30+ miles), so I went to seven 245AH 6V batteries and got more torque and more speed (28MPH) in addition to the range I was looking for.

[10Brink]

Again, JohnnieB, thanks for the response. I’ve been reading your posts since I got my old cart & started rehabbing. Always seems like you know your stuff and don’t mind sharing it. Looks like the way to go.