metal wire that is shielded by
a concurrently emitted inert
gas (usually argon or helium).
As the wire melts, it joins the
tubes to form the chassis. Next,
the floor is welded in place, and
the attaching hardware for the
suspension, motor, and body
are arc-welded to the frame. At
this point, the chassis may need
to be straightened to adjust for
stresses introduced into the
steel tubing during welding.
Once it is straight, the chassis
and body panels are cleaned
and painted with a rust-preven-
tive finish coating.
Transaxle subassembly
3. Next, the right and left side
of the transaxle housing are fit-
ted with bearings, gears, seals,
and axle housings. Because of
the close fits required for the
bearings and gears, these parts
must be manually installed
with special assembly tools.
For example, a special gauge is
used to determine the size of
the spacer required under the
pinion gear. These spacers are
used to set preload (pressure
between the gear faces) and
backlash (spacing between the
gear faces). Next, the two mat-
ing surfaces of the transaxle
housing are coated with an an-
aerobic sealant, which hardens
in the absence of air, and bolted
together. 5. The rear cover is snapped
into the base plate. The trans-
former, which adjusts the direct
current provided by the battery
into an alternating current that
is easier for the motor to use,
is then bolted to the base plate.
Next, the electric cable with
plug, thermal switch, and DC
Ammeter (used to measure the
battery’s direct current output)
are wired in and attached. Fi-
nally, the wrap around and face
cover are bolted in place.
4. The axle shafts and bear-
ings are then slid into the axle
housings and locked in place.
The transaxle access plate
and gasket are positioned and
bolted in place. Auto-adjusting,
drum type mechanical brakes
are then assembled to each end
of the axle housings. After the chassis and body
panels are constructed, they are
cleaned and painted. Next, the
transaxle subassembly is bolted
to the chassis. If the cart is an
electric one, the battery charger
assembly is also added at this
time. Finally, the steering as-
sembly, motor, braking system,
and battery are added, and seat
cushions and canopy (if neces-
sary) are added.
Battery charger assembly (elec-
tric-powered carts only)
The first step in golf
cart manufacture is
floor and body panel
fabrication, which is
done by sheet metal
shearing or molding,
depending on the
material used. Next,
the chassis or frame
is made by cutting,
beveling, and arc-
welding the tubular
pieces.
After the chassis and body
panels are constructed, they are
cleaned and painted. Next, the
transaxle subassembly is bolted
to the chassis. If the cart is an
electric one, the battery charger
assembly is also added at this
time. Finally, the steering as-
sembly, motor, braking system,
and battery are added, and seat
cushions and canopy (if neces-
sary) are added.
Part 3 Coming in the
January 2019 issue
DECEMBER 2018
29