Thursday, June 30, 2011

How to Build a Golf Cart for Off-Roading

An off-road golf cart is a lot of fun driving through the woods or on rough terrain, but building your own cart is an even more satisfying experience because you did it yourself and saved a lot of money. It's easy to modify a golf cart for this kind purpose. It's best to start with a reliable well-maintained used golf cart. The parts and supplies needed can be found in specialty stores and even cheaper on the Internet.

There are many accessories that you can add to your cart. Here is a list of modifications to get you started:

Lift Kits: Lift kits are suspension parts that lift the body of your golf cart to go over off-road terrain. These kits are necessary not only for raising the height of the golf cart but they add a stronger suspension to the vehicle. Driving off-road exposes you to a variety of ditches and terrain that a lower profile cart would get hung up on. Without these kits you could injure yourself or damage the cart. There are many different kinds of lift kits. They come in 3 inch, 6 inch and higher. The lift kit prices range from $300 to $600 depending on lift height and suspension complexity.

Steering Wheels: Steering wheels though not a necessity add to a better driving experience. An attractive steering wheel not only adds to the appearance of your vehicle, but they provide a better grip and less fatigue on your hands and wrists. Your steering wheel should be 13 inches in diameter. You have many choices in style of steering wheel like wood grain, formula car, European, and neoprene. Expect to pay $45 for the neoprene to $190 for the Formula Gt steering wheel.

Golf Cart Windshields: Most stock golf carts do not come with a windshield. But you're going to need one for going off-road. You will encounter mud and dirt as you drive, not to mention the occasional branch. If you're not sure about the need for a windshield get one that folds down so you have an option to use it or not. Windshield prices run from $100 to $200 depending if they fold down, style of frame, and thickness of the acrylic.

ATV Tires: Of course you can't use stock golf cart tires, you have to upgrade them to All Terrain Vehicle tires. You need them for their durability on rough terrain and to give you maximum grip on muddy ground. When purchasing tires you will have a vast selection of rim and tire combinations. It's best to skip the low profile tires and get a tire with good traction and tread. The 23x10.5-12 All Trail Tire with the alloy rims is the way to go for great traction and style in all types of terrain. Tire and rim combinations can run you between $45 and $140. This is the most important part of your off-roading upgrades, don't skimp in this department.

This is all you need to build a first class machine. But if you want an even more tricked out machine you can add light packages, dashboard kits, fender flares, cargo boxes, and hunting accessories.

Get ready to have some enjoyable times out in the country with your new Off-Road Cart. It's a great inexpensive alternative to purchasing a new ATV.

Article provided by Max Jasper in cooperation with Radical Golf Carts, a golf cart accessories company selling EZ-GO, Club Car and Yamaha parts online.


View the original article here

No comments:

Post a Comment