I am sure this is one of the top questions you get all the time. I know I do when someone finds out what I do for a living. If you start with a basic cart what do you upgrade first? Where is your customers’ money best spent? I wish the answer were as easy as many people hope but unfortunately, it is not. There are many factors to consider and the best way to make sure that your customers are happy with not only your work but the evolution of their cart as well.
The first thing you need to do is a overall assessment of the cart. That’s right you need to kick the tires and make sure there are no hidden problems. Any wear issues need to be addressed first. Just because the cart “looks” nice doesn’t mean that it is mechanically sound.
Kick the Tires:
- Check the batteries – First & foremost this is your cart’s lifeblood if they are bone dry and toast recommend that they replace these first they will be so happy with a fresh set of batteries.
- Check bushings – these are wear items and need to be replaced this will affect the handling and ride.
- Check the shocks & springs – does your customer have a rear seat? Did they upgrade their rear springs to heavy-duty springs? Does their cart sag in the back?
- Check the frame for rust – If it’s an older EZGO this is pretty much guaranteed! Clean up the rust and spray an undercoating to protect from further damage.
Once you have given the cart a once over and addressed any simple issues have a conversation with your customer and see what they plan on using the cart for. This is something I am surprised many people don’t do. If your customer is going to use the cart for going to and from the club house and occasional rounds of golf their needs will be much different then someone who is looking for a hunting buggy.
Most of the time you will have customers that are looking for more speed and maintained battery life. I would recommend the following upgrades in this order.
For a 36v series cart:
- Controller
- Motor
- High-Speed Gears
- Convert from 36v to 48v
For a regen cart:
These upgrade options will give your customer plenty of increased speed & torque that will leave your customer incredibly happy. This is a very large investment so I would do the upgrades in stages if the final cost gives your customer sticker shock.
