How do you remove the speed limiter on a electric golf cart?

Picture this: the average golf cart can speed over 20 miles per hour within one minute. What if you could make your golf cart faster?

Although the Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t recommend that you go over 35 miles per hour, it’s still possible to fulfill your need for speed!

Good news: all you need to do is perform a few easy golf cart upgrades to maximize your top rate. Here are five simple upgrades to boost your golf cart speed!

How Can I Make My Golf Cart Faster?

With the golfing season in full swing, it’s no wonder why so many people are pulling their golf carts out of the garage. However, if you haven’t used your golf cart in a long time, you might benefit from doing a few upgrades before you get on the putting green.

That means adding more speed and power to your golf cart so you can carry a much larger load. But where did golf carts come from, anyway? Created over 60 years ago, golf cards were made to pick up the pace of the average round of gold.

Now: golf carts are the #1 vehicle for much more than golf. In fact, the golf carts of today are used for fun family activities like hunting, camping, farming, and so much more. That means that you’ll definitely want to pick up your golf cart’s pace if you live in a place where they’re legal to drive on the streets.

Want to know something crazy? Most golf carts can travel quite far on a single charge. If you want to haul around a heavy load, your golf cart’s power will be just as important as its speed.

So, how can you actually use this? Basically, there are a few things that you need to think about before you can increase your golf cart speed, such as:

• Will your golf cart be used on the golf course or on the roadway?
• Do you drive your golf cart across uneven land?
• Will you be using your golf cart to tow heavy loads?
• Are you planning to hire someone to install your rear sear kit?
• Are you planning on steering across the street, the golf turf, or on trails?
• Do you have aftermarket tires on your golf cart?

All about Series and Shunt Systems

Have you thought about how your golf cart will be used yet? If so, then you’re ready to figure out your choices for speeding up your golf cart. First of all, you should know that there are two ways that electric golf carts can gain speed: a Series system and a Shunt system.

Fun fact? These operating systems cannot be exchanged for one another. That’s because they use two different operating processes to boost your golf cart’s speed.

Here’s the thing: if your electric golf cart has a Series system, then you can expect that it will fail if there’s anything wrong with its components. What should you do if you want to upgrade your Series system’s torque or speed?

The answer is simple. You need to upgrade parts like your golf cart’s controller, cables, motor, forward and reverse switches, and solenoid. On the other hand, the Shunt system is a totally different machine!

As a matter of fact, a Shunt system has a completely separate motor and field circuit. That means that they can work independently from one another. The best part? You actually don’t need to upgrade too many parts in a Shunt system.

How do we know this? Because the speed limits of a Shunt system are easy to program into your machine. That’s why it’s so essential to learn exactly which system your electric golf cart uses before you decide to do a full upgrade!

Gas or Electric?

Get this: picking up the speed of your golf cart works differently for golf carts that run on gas and electrical power. For instance, a golf cart that runs on gas might only need a few golf cart mods to its speed governor to gain power.

Want to go faster than ever before? Then it might be a good idea to install a much stronger engine into your golf cart. Of course, upgrading an electric cart requires a couple of golf cart modifications, like adding certain electrical parts.

Dying to know how to adjust the speed governor on your gas-powered golf cart? We’re glad that you asked. For the most part, golf carts are designed to top out at 15 miles per hour on the course.

Why is this so important? Not only does a slower speed ensure a good pace, but it also makes sure that the players are safe too. If you own a gas-powered golf cart, then you’ll know that all you need to do is adjust the governor to make it drive more quickly.

That’s why so many golf cart producers decided to install a secondary speed governor to make sure that you’re not too speedy on the putting green. Why? Because going too fast could result in some damage to your golf cart.

How does an electric speed governor work, exactly? Basically, an electric speed governor can be controlled by a tiny metal rod that’s located by the clutch of your golf cart.

First things first: The electric speed governor is connected to a cable. You can adjust your speed by rotating the nut in a counterclockwise rotation. That’s what extends the cable and makes the cart run swiftly.

What if your golf cart doesn’t have an electric speed governor? Just remember that you can reach the speed governor from the inside of your golf cart. All you have to do is reach into the access panel and loosen the springs with a wrench!

How to Change Gear Ratios

Check this out: the majority of golf carts that come from the factory have a gear ratio of about 12.5 to 1 in terms of the differential. That means that every 12.5 revolutions of the input shaft result in one full revolution.

Sound confusing? It doesn’t have to be!

Let us explain: when you can reduce your golf cart’s gear ratio, you can actually go even faster than you could before. For instance, if a gear ratio is six to one, it’s wheel will rotate once for every six revolutions of the input shaft.

Of course, the gear ratio of your golf cart will depend on a few things like its:

• Rotations per minute.
• Tire size.

Another word of advice: shift your gear ratio from 12.5:1 to 6:1 to make it go 12 miles per hour faster than it did before!

But there’s a catch: you have to give up some torque in order to increase the speed of your golf cart.

The result? Your golf cart is literally stuck in high gear at all times. Similar to being in fourth speed in a manual car, your golf cart can get you to a high speed but it lacks in the torque department.

The same could be said of a golf cart that set in a low gear ratio. Have you ever noticed that your golf cart just doesn’t move as quickly on hilly terrain? That’s because it could be slowed down by:

• Heavy items in your golf cart.
• Large tires for lifted golf carts.

We can’t say this enough: you need to be extremely cautious when you think about changing the gear ratios on your golf cart. Remember to make sure that your cart works properly before you take it for a spin!

Boost Your Golf Cart’s Revolutions per Minute

Have you ever thought about changing the revolutions per minute on your golf cart? Chances are, your golf cart manufacturer already set it to the right speed for the course. That’s not all.

Good news: you can definitely change the revolutions per minute on your golf cart yourself. However, the process is totally different for gas and electric golf carts. What does this mean?

Basically, increasing the revolutions per minute of the input shaft for every ratio is the only way to pick up the speed on your golf cart. Need a push in the right direction? We got your back.

Do you have a gas-powered golf cart? If so, then you’ll need to do a little bit more than a speed governor adjustment. Just swap out your golf cart’s engine for one with higher revolutions per minute!

What about electric golf cart owners? For those who own electric-powered carts, you have a couple of options to think about. Here’s the breakdown: the motors on electric golf carts are made for torque.

That means that your electric golf cart will typically have a huge filed coil that creates a powerful magnetic field. As a result, a much greater amount of pressure is put on the armature to produce torque. However, more torque means less speed.

In addition, speedy motors have a tinier field coil, which ends up producing a weak magnetic field in order to spin the armature faster. The answer: buy a motor with an increased revolution per minute rate. But you’ll have to be prepared to give up torque to have a faster golf cart!

Why Speed Controllers are Important

Let’s get started: the primary function of a speed controller is to let the golf cart operator control its speed. What happens if your DC motor doesn’t have a speed controller? You can only apply electrical current and battery voltage to your golf cart.

Additionally, it would place way too much stress on the electrical components to fully accelerate in a golf cart that doesn’t have a speed controller. Plus, you can get whiplash too.

But here’s the kicker: your golf cart would move as fast as it possibly could if it didn’t have a speed controller. Have a new brushless DC or AC motor? Surprisingly, these types of motors don’t even work without a speed controller.

Why is that? Because a brushless DC or AC motor has several electric signals that cause it to change directions in a way that’s in tune with its rotating motor.

Curious about how a speed controller works?

Essentially, your golf cart’s speed controller sends its current and battery voltage to its motor. This process depends on your golf cart’s input device, which includes its throttle.

That’s how your golf cart’s speed controller lets you operate its acceleration rate, as well as its deceleration rate. As if that wasn’t enough, the speed controller also allows you to have a consistent vehicle speed too.

To put it simply: the voltage of your golf cart is related to its speed and current. Naturally, that amount will equal the amount of torque that your golf cart has. What happens when you turn up the voltage of the motor?

Bottom line: increasing your golf cart’s VDC is the best way to satisfy your need for speed!

Increase Your Golf Cart Speed Today

Are you looking to boost your golf cart speed? Luckily for you, there are tons of options to make your golf cart faster.

From Series and Shunt systems to gas and electric golf carts, we’ve got the answers to all of your speed-related questions.

Depending on your current golf cart’s rotations per minute and tire size, it’s totally possible to upgrade its speed, torque, and more.

In the market for a high-speed golf cart? Give us a call to schedule a consultation!

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