How I'm combatting rising fuel prices with solar.

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Biggkidd said:
@Supervisor42
I ran the cart about 5 miles today after the first 2.5 the temperature gauge never moved but I was where I was going so I put my hand on the motor. At that point it was warm but not hot to the touch. By the time I went another stop or two then came home the gauge still hadn't moved so I put my hand back on the motor. It was hot to the touch but not hot enough that I couldn't keep my hand on it for as long as I wanted to. So I guess the gauge is or could be working but just didn't get hot enough to move off the peg at 130f. I did make sure the gauge actuated using a lighter before installing it.
What do you think, do I have anything to worry about temperature wise?

In all that running I used about 20-25% of the battery.
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No. Sounds great. :thumbs:
If it takes 130° to move the needle, that is about at the 'too hot to touch' level. (I know 140° is :()
...When you can boil water on it, then worry.:oops:
 
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Biggkidd said:
@Supervisor42
I ran the cart about 5 miles today after the first 2.5 the temperature gauge never moved but I was where I was going so I put my hand on the motor. At that point it was warm but not hot to the touch. By the time I went another stop or two then came home the gauge still hadn't moved so I put my hand back on the motor. It was hot to the touch but not hot enough that I couldn't keep my hand on it for as long as I wanted to. So I guess the gauge is or could be working but just didn't get hot enough to move off the peg at 130f. I did make sure the gauge actuated using a lighter before installing it.

What do you think do I have anything to worry about temperature wise?

In all that running I used about 20-25% of the battery.

ETA: Just checked the BMS I used 23% of the battery today.
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Take a picture of the mounting?

You want good thermal conductivity. Some thermocouple (assumption) are grounded and others not.

Did the wires get flipped?

Ben
 
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I don't think I could have held my hand on the motor at 130 like I was able to when I got home. It takes 130 to start to move the needle off the peg.
 
Supervisor42 said:
No. Sounds great. :thumbs:
If it takes 130° to move the needle, that is about at the 'too hot to touch' level. (I know 140° is :()
...When you can boil water on it, then worry.:oops:
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Thank You Sir that's what I needed to know.

Almost all of my running is either on the gas or the brake and split nearly 50/50 it's all hills around here. I tried to get a top speed number today but @16mph going up hill I gave up as it's to rough to drive that fast around here close to home.
 
Biggkidd said:
Thank You Sir that's what I needed to know.

Almost all of my running is either on the gas or the brake and split nearly 50/50 it's all hills around here. I tried to get a top speed number today but @16mph going up hill I gave up as it's to rough to drive that fast around here close to home.
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For @Neb , it will work fine as long as he doesn't have a hot-chick wearing a bikini sitting on the seat beside him, that keeps him from seeing the gauge. :D
If the motor gets hot, the JB weld and the bulb will be just as hot.
A pic of the gauge face would be a help so we can tell that it isn't a trans-temp gauge.
...Or a pic of the 'hot' chick:LOL:. (temperature pun:rolleyes:)
 
Supervisor42 said:
For @Neb , it will work fine as long as he doesn't have a hot-chick wearing a bikini sitting on the seat beside him, that keeps him from seeing the gauge. :D
If the motor gets hot, the JB weld and the bulb will be just as hot.
A pic of the gauge face would be a help so we can tell that it isn't a trans-temp gauge.
...Or a pic of the 'hot' chick:LOL:. (temperature pun:rolleyes:)
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I would like to see an outside confirmation of the temp. A Mercury thermometer

Ben
 
Neb said:
I would like to see an outside confirmation of the temp. A Mercury thermometer

Ben
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Of the hot chick?
Ok, but you have to place the thermometer. :oops:
Sorry, just being funny.:(

On topic, he doesn't have to be accurate within 10 degrees. Just in the ballpark.
Knowing if it is hot, really hot, or really-damhot, is accurate enough.
If it is too hot to put his hand on and the gauge hasn't come off 130, then test.
 
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Yeah I'd be a lot more worried if I hadn't been able to hold my hand on there without any trouble. I was surprised it didn't warm up any more than it did. It was 99 here today so I fully expected it to get a lot hotter than it did.
 
I think I found a deal on some wheels & tires. Full set of new take offs for $150. Supposed to go meet the guy at 5. Not exactly what I wanted but for the price they will be just fine! lol
 
Got the tires I'll get pics after it cools down. They are BRAND NEW all the little rubber tags on the tread are intact, look even better in person than I expected. One is flat or low on air hope it doesn't become an issue. They are a little smaller than expected, only measure 21 across even though they have 22X9/10 on the side but they'll do. Sure can not complain about the price.
 
Turned out Savannah got pics. Click for bigger pics.

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What a HUGE difference in ride quality. Went up by a minimum of 300%. The old tires were so stiff I might as well have been riding on steel! Granted these tires will never last 20-30 years like the others. Doesn't matter one lick to me my back loves these in comparison! Like getting out of an empty garbage truck in to a luxury SUV! I'm not done yet either. The springs and shocks should get here later in the week.
 
Biggkidd said:
What a HUGE difference in ride quality. Went up by a minimum of 300%. The old tires were so stiff I might as well have been riding on steel! Granted these tires will never last 20-30 years like the others. Doesn't matter one lick to me my back loves these in comparison! Like getting out of an empty garbage truck in to a luxury SUV! I'm not done yet either. The springs and shocks should get here later in the week.
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😍

You are quite the salesman. That sounds like an adventure I would enjoy to duplicate.

Ben
 
You should it's been a blast and it should last me a good long time.

I did spend some bucks though. For half again to double what I spent I could have bought a plain jane running cart but it wouldn't have been lifted or have larger tires or solar or a LifePO4 battery plus all new springs, bushings, shocks and steering components. Basically I have a new cart built the way I want it. One of these days I would like to get a newer operating system and AC motor for it. That would greatly increase the efficiency, my current setup WASTES a lot of energy in the form of heat to control the speed.
 
I setup a secondary power system here today to run the AC. I used the old batteries out of the golf cart and an inverter that has been used about 5-6 years until it died and then I repaired. Along with one of those PowMr 60 amp charge controllers. I can not even begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to just cut the AC on at night without having to first go start the generator. Then there's the fuel savings as well.
 
I thought the BMS had started flaking out on the GC but it turned out the battery cell bolts needed to be re-torqued. First time I've ever had to re-torque any type of battery bolt. Maybe the vibration got them. Vibration is 90% gone with the new tires. Dang those old ones rode ROUGH!!!!!

Replacement lift kit and new shocks came in today. I'm going to cheat and replace the spring with one off a trailer instead of opening the other kit they sent. I do have another cart ya know! lol The heavy duty rear springs should be here friday I believe.

There's a small chance I might make a trade for another bare club car frame sometime this week. If I do there could be a custom build in the future if anyone would be interested in following along. I'd still like a mini truck to use around here and I kinda hate to give up the 2 back seats to make a small bed on the cart I am using now.

Had the cart up to 21 today on what I think was more or less level ground. Did 15-16 up a pretty good hill too. I was by myself.
 
Alright all my parts are in. I just got done cutting the old trailer spring pack apart to rob a leaf from to fix the front where the spring is broken. It's a bit thicker and stronger than the original so it should work well. It will lift the front a little higher than it was and the heavy duty rear springs are going to pick the rear up another couple inches. So it should finally sit like I want it to and lose a TON of body roll and lean. It will have new springs and shocks all the way around. Should make it drive & ride a LOT better. Of course it could end up being crazy stiff without a load on it.
 
Trade for the other frame fell through someone showed up and bought it before I could get there. Oh well I have other ways if another doesn't magically appear before I get around to needing it.
 
I made a map of all necessary and possible stops and plotted the most fuel efficient route. where the path crosses itself is where I head home. Just for a joke I call it the beans and bullets run!
One 18 mile trip does all. then I sit on my butt a month and giggle at my tank full of gas.
 
Magus said:
I made a map of all necessary and possible stops and plotted the most fuel efficient route. where the path crosses itself is where I head home. Just for a joke I call it the beans and bullets run!
One 18 mile trip does all. then I sit on my butt a month and giggle at my tank full of gas.
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Pretty much the pattern I follow when I do leave the property.
 
Got the new HD rear springs on today and worked on another hotspot in one of the connections.
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20220716_142400.jpg

Still need to fine tune the fron suspension to level things out a little better.

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Old spring versus new.
20220716_132934.jpg

Just a little bent!

They were a lot worse. I loaded the rear down and hit it hard in reverse to straighten them so I could use it until the new ones got here.
 
Looking better... cart needs an Afrika Korps insignia on it, or some sort of cool insignia. Lose the '45 A' and use your imagination... at the very least, a Metal Mulisha sticker or two, like the one on my microwave, lol. It's a bit thrashed from moving, but it still makes a statement. Triple M = Metal Mulisha Microwave!!! Lol.

IMG_8224.JPG

IMG_8225.JPG
 
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Wingnut said:
Looking better... cart needs an Afrika Korps insignia on it, or some sort of cool insignia. Lose the '45 A' and use your imagination... at the very least, a Metal Mulisha sticker or two, like the one on my microwave, lol. It's a bit thrashed from moving, but it still makes a statement. Triple M = Metal Mulisha Microwave!!! Lol.

View attachment 90388
View attachment 90389
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😍 Or this:
Roundel_of_the_USAF.svg



Or this one:
P51_Mustang_Red_Tail-450.jpg
 
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Between rain storms I ran back out and tweaked the front end a little. Lost about 3/4 of an inch of the rake. I'm a lot happier with it but still not quite there yet. One more little tweak should do it though.

Once I get all of it functioning the way I want it I'll worry a little more about how it looks. I've always been a function over form type so looks come last.

All the tipping and body roll are GONE!
 
@Wingnut @Supervisor42 and anyone else who's been there done that. lol

This cart is doing pretty well as it sits but it's still not quite everything I'm after yet. I want the impossible and I think I know how to go about getting it. LMAO I would like to be able to keep up at minimum and preferably outrun some of my buddies 4 wheelers up to about 40 anyway. That would just flat out blow their minds! lol

Not that I can afford to do anything else with it or the other one at this time but in the future, after I "find" everything I need here's what I'm thinking.
Right now both carts have a 12 something to 1 rear gear ratio. They make a 8:1 and 6:1 that can replace that 12:1. I'm leaning toward the 6:1. That would pretty much double the speed from my top of 20 to around 40. Wait I know what you're thinking, that will kill the torque and strain the motor so hard getting going it'll burn out. Well the fix for that is a TAV it will take some custom engineering and fabrication but it should be doable. A custom shaft to couple with the rear and another to couple to the motor. Along with a custom motor mount for the backside of the motor so it's not hanging in the breeze. The TAV will or should take care of the front side mount with some fabrication. That will give it all the low end torque it'll ever need even for hauling loads and towing a trailer with that 6:1 rear gear ratio. Because it triples the torque which is 50% more torque with the 6:1 gears than it has now with the 12:1 gears.

What I want you guys to do and you too @Neb is to give me all the reasons why it won't work and why I can't do it.

Thanks guys if it wasn't for this project keeping me sane I think I'd loose it. So nice to be able to do something fun and useful for a change after 15 years of prepping and building this place. Not that it's done mind you but we all need some fun in our lives in this crazy old world!

BTW This will probably not get done to this cart but the other one that came as part of the deal when I bought this one. I rely on this one to much now to chance breaking it playing with it. So a whole other blank slate to play with.

@Supervisor42 you wouldn't happen to have any old junk motors for parts mainly the shafts laying around you'd be willing to part with would you?
 
Biggkidd said:
BTW This will probably not get done to this cart but the other one that came as part of the deal when I bought this one. I rely on this one to much now to chance breaking it playing with it. So a whole other blank slate to play with.

@Supervisor42 you wouldn't happen to have any old junk motors for parts mainly the shafts laying around you'd be willing to part with would you?
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Sorry, I transfered it all to others when I hung up my wrenches, retired, and moved away from Alabama.:mad:
In answer to your question, yes it can be done. We have done it.
You will need a bigger drive motor, much more robust drive controller, and you can cut the 'life expectancy' of trans axle to 75% less than normal :(.
 
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