Performance Upgrades for Your Golf Cart

While we’ve already talked about how to improve the speed of your golf cart, there are a lot of other ways to improve the performance. That’s why we’ve highlighted some additional areas you can focus on if the feel of your golf cart’s performance still isn’t quite right. You can also stop by Dever Golf Car Sales to talk to our experienced staff about some of the features they’d recommend. You’ll find us in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, so visit us today!

Battery

Some performance upgrades can be as simple as upgrading your battery. Golf cart batteries aren’t like car batteries. They’re deep cycle batteries and can be drained and recharged multiple times before they kick the bucket. There are, of course, some of the standard models, but if you’re able to pay a little bit more, we’d recommend familiarizing yourself with some of the higher-end models. A better battery will not only last even longer, but can provide you with more power. It might also be helpful to know that in some cases, you can get a tax break because of their ties to renewable energy.

Tires

We’ve talked about tires in the past, but it’s worth reinforcing now that we’re discussing performance. Depending on the kind of terrain you expect to spend most of your time on, the tires that come with the golf cart might not be up to the task. Many stock tires are built for turf, so the more off-roading you do, the more important it’ll be to switch out your tires. Not only will they handle the terrain better, but they’ll allow you to use the model’s maximum efficiency levels for fuel or electricity.

Brakes and Suspension

We realize these are a little more complicated than just changing out the tires or the battery, so we highly recommend getting in touch with our service department about getting some of these parts installed. But just like you’d find with other vehicles, upgrading your golf cart’s brakes and suspension system can help a lot with performance. If you know you’ll be spending quite a bit of time on some rocky terrain, you’ll want a suspension system that can handle the bumps.

Plus, brake failure is a leading cause of golf cart accidents and injury. Installing a braking system that activates at all four wheels can help prevent this.

Gear Ratio

Now we’re really diving into the technical. Depending on how your golf cart was designed, adjusting the gear ratio could really increase the speed. Many golf cars are built with a 12.5:1 gear ratio. This means that in order to turn the wheels one time, the input shaft (which transmits energy created by the engine to the gearbox) must turn 12.5 times. Seems like a lot, right? There’s a way you can adjust it so that the ratio is 6:1, meaning the input shaft would only need to turn six times to turn the wheel. Thus, you go faster.

Keep in mind, this can ultimately decrease the torque, which means you’ll need to do some careful thinking. For some, just having a golf cart that can get from one place to the next is all they need, in which case maybe the tradeoff doesn’t matter. However, if you spend quite a bit of time on uneven terrain, or hauling large amounts of cargo, you’ll start to notice the change. You’ll want to think about exactly what you’ll be using your golf cart for and whether adjusting the gear ratio is in your best interest.

If this is something you’re interested in, but maybe you’re not a mechanic, feel free to stop by Dever Golf Car Sales. We’ve got an experienced team ready to help you make all the performance upgrades you need for a better ownership experience. You’ll find us in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, so visit us today and let one of our staff know how we can assist you.