# Golf Cart motor shaft adaptors?



## Salty9 (Jul 13, 2009)

Have you considered using the male shaft that is used with the motor?


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Salty9 said:


> Have you considered using the male shaft that is used with the motor?


It's usually just as much work to modify a part as it is to make one from scratch. I can buy splined shaft to fit the motor, size it to fit bearings, put retaining grooves for clips, and cut a keyway.

Here's one company that sells it.

http://www.grobinc.com/coldrolled/std_spline_shafts.htm

Golf cart motors are easy to find and prefect for DIY gokart, atv, and motorcycle use, but very hard to couple to it. Advanced-DC already produces the DE and shaft but they won't sell them to me.

What I have in mind would look something like this but a keyed shaft not splined.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

lazzer408 said:


> It would consist of a DE housing with 2 bearings and a shaft. The housing would then bolt to the golf cart motors like the one shown below.


Then you end up with a 3 bearing motor which is a very bad idea


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## Jayls5 (Apr 1, 2012)

Here's a nice tutorial on how to do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkmkzr2k77s


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Jayls5 said:


> Here's a nice tutorial on how to do it:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkmkzr2k77s


Thanks. I have seen that video but have you priced replacement golfcart pinions? I don't like the idea of having to fab a 3rd bearing support. That's a little harder to do on a motorcycle.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=o....,cf.osb&fp=d661207e1a830e9d&biw=1400&bih=848


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

I made mine by making an aluminium DE cap with bearing first.









I then made a splined shaft to take the sprocket and two bearings.









This is how it looked.









I then made a steel assembly to support the sprocket shaft. Granted it is 'agricultural' but it worked.









The motor only had two bearings, the shaft had two bearings. The motor was bolted to the steel assembly which also supported it. That way the motor armature and the shaft were not one rigid unit and the splines were only taking drive loads and not dynamic ones from the armature.

An alternative I considered was to have a splined shaft welded to the motor armature shaft and then trued, machined and balanced before motor reassembly with a machined DE cap and bearing.


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Woodsmith said:


> An alternative I considered was to have a splined shaft welded to the motor armature shaft and then trued, machined and balanced before motor reassembly with a machined DE cap and bearing.


The next best way to mod these motors is to weld a nut on the end of that female spline and drive a bolt into it, that spline pops off. There's a nub left on the armature. Use ~1.25" solid shaft, then drill an appropriate sized hole into the end, heat it, then press it onto the nub. Then turn the shaft to size and cut the keyway. I'd still run double roller bearings in my DE housing though.

For the average garage junkie, a bolt on solution would be ideal. Most of us don't have a machine shop at their disposal unless they know someone with one.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

lazzer408 said:


> The next best way to mod these motors is to weld a nut on the end of that female spline and drive a bolt into it, that spline pops off. There's a nub left on the armature. Use ~1.25" solid shaft, then drill an appropriate sized hole into the end, heat it, then press it onto the nub. Then turn the shaft to size and cut the keyway. I'd still run double roller bearings in my DE housing though.
> 
> For the average garage junkie, a bolt on solution would be ideal. Most of us don't have a machine shop at their disposal unless they know someone with one.


It is the 'bolt on' solution that will be easiest to use but more difficult to get right and easy.

Difficult to bolt on a shaft extension that is true and balanced, when fitted, straight out of the box.

I guess if you can get the design right, the cost right and the bolt on ease then there might be a market. How much market I wouldn't like to hazard a guess.


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Woodsmith said:


> It is the 'bolt on' solution that will be easiest to use but more difficult to get right and easy.
> 
> Difficult to bolt on a shaft extension that is true and balanced, when fitted, straight out of the box.


 
There isn't a shaft 'extension' in the design I have in mind. It would be three parts consisting of a spline-to-keyed shaft, a bearing housing, and a plate. All aluminum. The bearings bottom into the bearing housing then the shaft is held in place with two clips. That assembly is then bolted to the plate which is then bolted to the motor. I drew one up quickly as a cut-away view. I didn't draw any provisions for mounting to the vehicle but it's easy to drill holes into the plate wherever you need them.

Could anyone else use a product like this?


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

I suppose the concern, as raised by major, is that if the splined part is a tight fit then the motor will have three bearings on the armature. If it isn't a tight fit then the armature will not have a bearing at one end.

I know you are effectively reproducing, as far as the motor is concerned, something that 'looks' the same as the golf buggy transmission so I don't know if there is a real issue or not.

It is an interesting proposition. I still don't know if there is enough of a market, I guess that depends on price and shipping costs.

I could have done with one when I started with my Club Car motor.


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Woodsmith said:


> I could have done with one when I started with my Club Car motor.


Yes I see you have a what looks like a garden tractor. Does it have a electric mower deck also? Build thread?


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## Arlo (Dec 27, 2009)

Awesome thread!


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

lazzer408 said:


> Yes I see you have a what looks like a garden tractor. Does it have a electric mower deck also? Build thread?


See the link in my sig for 'Me Wee Beastie Thread'.

It's not a lawn tractor, I don't have a lawn, or any land for that matter. It is a 'just cos I can' project.

I have moved on from the Club Car motor (after it broke the diff pulling wheelies ) and now have a 9" motor on a stronger transaxle!


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## lazzer408 (May 18, 2008)

Woodsmith said:


> See the link in my sig for 'Me Wee Beastie Thread'.
> 
> It's not a lawn tractor, I don't have a lawn, or any land for that matter. It is a 'just cos I can' project.
> 
> I have moved on from the Club Car motor (after it broke the diff pulling wheelies ) and now have a 9" motor on a stronger transaxle!


I found your thread and seen the damage. So thats how it happened.


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## jinwenx (Apr 12, 2015)

lazzer408 said:


> Anyone know where to find DE housings and shafts to turn an opended-ended golf cart motor (with a female splined shaft) into something usable with something like a 1" keyed shaft?
> 
> If not, is there any interest if I produced these in quantity?
> 
> ...


Hi, have you created this faceplate for a golf cart motor? if yes, would you sell one copy to me? I am just want to convert my gas riding mower to electric version using golf cart motor,


Thanks a lot!


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## seanmiller (Jul 31, 2015)

I could certainly use one of these! How much are you asking?


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## opie5000g (Nov 30, 2016)

I know this is old but I really need something like this. Did you ever make them? I am trying to use some old golf cart motors for other projects.


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