Just picked up a golf cart to use at the ranch. Curious what others have done to customize their carts? How do you carry your bow?

Post a picture so folks will know what you have to work with.

Lift
Tires and wheels
New batteries if necessary
New controller

For a start

I'm going to assume this is an electric cart.

Lift kit
heavier battery cables
tires

I may be embarking on this journey before long as well.

What is the + of the heavier battery cables?

In order of priority for heavy off-road work:
-2 gauge cables
-Larger controller
-HD solenoid
-Long travel (atv style) front suspension
-Wheels and Tires
-Disc brakes (to stop those larger tires)

Like water through a pipe, the heavier cable allows more electrical "flow" and less resistance.

My brother's:


Mine:

This is what I am starting with. It's a 2007 model that sat in a barn with dead batteries for a couple years. I removed the old batteries and it looks like they froze and leaked and ate up the battery tray. It has a little bigger off-road tires and a bed already. Planning on painting it satin black and installing a green light bar first.

I ordered some of those #2 cables. Picking up some Trojan batteries today.

Sounds good. This will have you in a good place if you decide to go with a larger controller down the road for more torque.

Is yours a Series or PDS cart? Does it have a lever or a switch for forward/reverse?

It has a switch on the dash.

Get a front basket, you will use it all the time.
Get a half front windshield...works great to help keep the wind out of your face, but also works great as a place to rest your gun to shoot.
A gun rack...I bought a bar that comes off the A-frame and mounted some gun grips, and put another set on the back that holds my shooting sticks.
I don't have any light bars yet, but that's my next addition.

Picture of my Bad Boy Ambush...it's a gas/electric combo, and is great for stalking pigs at night in silence:

Here is the latest pic before I recovered the seat. I took it out to the ranch this weekend. A couple times after long slow rides it got hot and shut off. After a few minutes it would run normal again. I didn't replace the main leads going from the batteries to the controller. This wire was hot when it shut off. The new jumper wires were not at all. Going to open up this controller and take a look tonight.

Upgrade controller, solenoid, FNR switch and battery cables, especially if you've added bigger tires and lift kit. If those cables keep getting hot, its going to melt the stud right out of the battery, leaving you stranded. I've either built, or helped build a bunch of golf carts and this turns out to be the most reliable approach. They always find the weakest link.

Get on "Buggiesgonewild.com" all you'll ever need to know about golf carts.......

I did. The 2 gauge cables helped but it is still overheating the controller on long slow rides. Looks like i'll be upgrading the controller next. Have enjoyed it so far though. Never would have thought it would do so great in mud.

I've had welded spider gears and a limited slip rear in carts. I prefer the limited slip...not quite as much traction, but much more driveable on hard surfaces and saves on tire wear. If it starts to get stuck, get off the cart immediately then walk it thru by steering and accelerate by hand. In most cases, it will pop right out an go if you haven't sunk it to the frame already. Once clear, jump back on and go!

Got the upgraded controller and solenoid installed this weekend. Rode around for a good ten miles up and down hills and no more problems. Even managed to sneak up on some hogs and pop one.

Here is a picture of mine. Its an EZGO Marathon. I basically gutted it and built it from new. Got rid of the speed coils and put in a digital high amp controller, heavy duty solenoid, 2ga cables, high output forward and reverse switch, and a new high torque motor. Also added a 12v convertor system to run lights and accessories. I decided to stay with 36v instead of going up to 48v but can upgrade in the future if I want by just adding two batteries and the cables for the as the whole system will also run on 48v. I still need to replace the shocks and brakes. They are on their last leg. Ive taken this thing through a lot of deep mud and deeper water. I mounted the controller at the highest spot possible under the seat. Ive gone through creek crossing with water up about 6" over the floor board. I absolutely love this thing. Still have a 4 wheeler but never use it. Ive driven right up on hogs and deer that never knew I was there. And, Ive hauled two 250 lbs men with 500 lbs of corn in the bed going through creeks and mud. As you can see Ive just got 4 wheeler tires on it.

Bought this 1997 in 1999 and used it for years.
Over the years I added:
Better tires for traction but same size to save controller.
Hand made and soldered jumper wires made of welding lead.
Rear seat that folds down to bed.
Heavier rear springs after stock spring broke on one side.
Rifle rack

Got tired of paying the battery tax every few years.
Instead of buying new batteries, I bought another used mule and it mostly sits in garage with dead batteries now.

For those that haul your roofed carts long distances to hunting leases and such, take the time to place some fender washers on the roof bolts...the bolts can pull through the plastic roof. I also recommend placing a 3/4 X 3/4 square tubing under the top, in the recessed area to help support the top along its length. Use fender washers here also.

Mine buckled right in the middle at 80 mph. I managed to rig it well enough to finish the trip, but replaced the top and front support when I got home. The top was near 20 years old and I'm guessing years out in the sun eventually weakened the plastic.

I highly recommend replacing your factory forward/reverse switch shifter with one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/Caddy-Shift-Shift...lf+cart+shifter

They make it so much easier to switch back and forth between forward and reverse.

ALSO, buy this stuff and put it on all your battery terminals and connections. Never worry about corrosion at the connections again. Works great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWO4NI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1





My 1989 EZ-Go marathon rebuild. Ive got about $2500 total into it right now. Paid $150 for the cart which already had a lift and big tires on it. When my batteries are due to be replaced, Ill upgrade from 36v to 48v which will only require 8v batteries instead of 6v, everything else is ready to run 48v as is. The only other upgrade id like to do is the brakes.

1) Used Scotty B's C54 conversion kit from Cartsunlimited $1100
500 amp SR48500 Alltrax programmable SR control,
400 amp super duty solenoid,
electronic throttle pedal kit
2g complete cable kit
HD Forward and reverse switch
link to scottyB's conversion kits

2)Upgraded stock motor to
AMD series 36v-48v High Torque motor $425
36-volt (8-hp@1600 rpm), 48-volt (11.4-hp@2300 rpm) 7124
link to motor

30 amp 12v convertor with fuse block- $65

(6)Trojan 6v batteries $650

I loved my lifted EZGO TXT PDS until the mice got after it. The mice or rats ate through every wire behind the dash. Definitely out of commission for this season.

My lease is starting to look like a junk yard now, dead ATV (going to shop this weekend) and Golf Cart dead, and travel trailer (still functioning).

Well, I just submerged my golf cart. I picked the one deep whole in the overfull creek and completely swamped it. The digital controller, solenoid,ac converter, batteries and everything was underwater for about 30 minutes.

Im guessing my $600 SR48500 Alltrax programmable SR controller is toast.
Are the HD solenoids waterproof or will I have to replace that as well?
Will the electric motor be toast?
Guessing water would have gotten into the batteries, so do I empty them and refill with fresh battery acid?

Any advice?

We used to drop our target drones in the pacific then fish em out, rinse them down with fresh water and dry them in a low temp oven and fly them again.

But we powered them down first. Good luck.