Welded-Up Differential Boosts Golf Cart's Traction

Welded-Up Differential Boosts Golf Cart's Traction MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 33-3-32 Paul Malloy, Mims, Florida, welded up the differential on his electric golf cart to boost traction in tough conditions. "I use an old electric golf cart to haul stuff, and as a mobile work bench. Unfortunately, the cart used to get stuck a lot. The problem is that on loose or slippery surfaces, one wheel would spin," says Malloy. "The previous owner had tried using larger rear wheels, which only helped slightly. I tried softening up the front suspension, which also helped a little. But the golf cart would still lift one rear wheel on uneven ground, the differential would slip, and there I was, stuck. I couldn't find anyone who made a posi traction unit for the cart." One day Malloy got so frustrated he decided to just weld up the differential, resulting in a solid rear axle. "I knew that would fix my problem, but I was worried the cart wouldn't turn as sharp or might tear up the grass. However, I couldn't be happier with the results," says Malloy. "The cart turns just as sharp as ever on grass and dirt, with no damage to the grass. The only time I notice anything different is when I make a U-turn on a paved road. Then I can hear the inside tire scratching." He took the transaxle apart, and stick-welded the spider gears in the differential to the yoke at four different places. "I made the welds easily accessible to grind out in case I didn't like the results. However, after three years I haven't had any problems." He's used an electric meter and GPS to calculate that it costs about 4 1/2 cents per mile to operate the golf cart. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Malloy, 3700 Carter Rd., Mims, Florida 32754 (ph 321 269-7319).

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