Kingzilla A-Arm Lift

[fr8mvr]

I have a Yamaha drive 2 with a 6-inch spindle lift. Anything over 20 mph and the steering equates to a Jeep and death wobble. I am considering an A-arm lift and specifically the KIngzilla since all the other lifts seem to reuse the factory spindles, which would mean buying new factory spindles as well. Any thoughts or recommendations? I have 14x23 street tires.

[mlb75]

No time to go into detail now but I'm in the same boat even after the RHOX a-arm lift, it's got me SO frustrated. I'll try to detail my journey so far and maybe between the two of us we can figure this out.

[slonomo]

So many things can cause squirrelly handling at higher speeds.

1. Look at the alignment, toe, and camber.
2. Worn steering and suspension parts can have a big effect on the wobble.
3. Cheap Chinese rims can be out of round, same with tires, had that happen before.

But overall, golf carts were not meant to go over 15 mph and the suspension and steering designs were not meant to handle well at higher speeds, especially with a lift kit and big ole tires.

High speed suspension and steering systems are typically some version of a double wishbone design or macpherson strut design. The single or dual a arm designs with a fixed spindle just handle like crap, think Chevy Corvair or VW Beetle. Straight axle front ends are better, but not much, usually relying on a leaf spring to keep the axle straight under load.

There are really good suspension systems for golf carts, you just have to pay big money to get them. I really like the Jakes Long Travel kits, they handle like butter. Never used the Kingzilla, but it looks interesting. I'd like it better if it used coil over shocks instead of the leafs.

[Fairtax4me]

It's the same design as every other double A arm kit. That design will handle far better than any spindle kit, though to say it's "good quality" is a stretch.

[augiedoggy]

They are all clones of the original jakes design. Jakes made thier money being the first ones to offer them and forcing folks to pay what they wanted.. This invited cheaper competition. I bought a $100 6inch a arm kit for my g8... its just as good as the $300 (16 years ago) jakes kit on my g1. I have no issues with fit and finish. I will agree on the point above that lifted carts with big wheels will have worse handling not better... This is why all the performance cars out there have the opposite.

[fr8mvr]

So thinking further the sketchiness comes in at around 25mph. My newest thinking is that the front end is to light and to add axle weights.
Thoughts?

[fr8mvr]

Originally Posted by mlb75

No time to go into detail now but I'm in the same boat even after the RHOX a-arm lift, it's got me SO frustrated. I'll try to detail my journey so far and maybe between the two of us we can figure this out.

Been driving me crazy..

[fr8mvr]

Originally Posted by slonomo

So many things can cause squirrelly handling at higher speeds.

1. Look at the alignment, toe, and camber.
2. Worn steering and suspension parts can have a big effect on the wobble.
3. Cheap Chinese rims can be out of round, same with tires, had that happen before.

1- spot on
2 2018 nothing is loose or bent
3 14-in Ruckus wheels with RHOX Road Hawks

I am getting to the point of pulling the 6-inch lift and putting in a 4-inch. With a bit of trimming of the rear wheel well I can get 14x23s to fit. Or in for a penny in for a pound and getting something in the 20's.

[mlb75]

I'm with you and like I said before I've tried about everything I can think of and am now ordering new shocks front and rear as the next step not because I think that's going to make a difference but it's the next thing to try. I think the rear are probably worn out and the ones I've currently got in the front deflect more than I think they should in the shock piston. I originally had a 6" spindle lift then put the RHOX A-arm lift on (bought new factory spindles) and it doesn't seem to have made any difference over the drop spindle lift.

I'm honestly thinking it's just a design flaw and possibly the steering angle just being to tight. The problem for me gets worse with speed and weight. I think the weight comes from the fact that as I add or decrease weight it affects the toe which it really seems sensitive to. I've currently got it set up with positive camber, the tops out a bit, and toe'ed in, positive toe, a tad, front in when sitting empty. With just me in the cart it zero's out most of it and runs pretty good but as soon as I have a passenger it's back to squirrely as we pick up any real speed.

If it's just me in the cart putting it in reverse really pulls the front end around, puts even more positive toe in. I feel like it's just a really lose situation with the suspension design as it travels up / down or front / back. As it travels up and down it really changes the camber and front rear with the up down it's really throwing the toe off with I think one wheel shifting more that the other.

A long travel design with upper and lower a arms may help but I'm at a loss at the moment and it's taken most of the fun out of having the cart.

[mlb75]

Been working on this some more and talking it out with some friends and think I may be onto something, it may be weight (COG) related. I'm now thinking it may have to do with not enough weight up front so as the speed increases the front tires "float" a bit causing at least some of the issue.

With not enough weight up front combined with a poor design of a single a arm where the camber constantly changes with suspension travel it's definitely a recipe for what we're seeing. I say that since it's gotten much worse after I swapped from standard batteries to lithium further shifting the COG back and it's a real nightmare with anyone on the rear seat.

Was talking to a friend who found a similar issue with to much weight in the back of a camper, it scared the crap out of him when the camper started handling like this, he took weight out of the back and shifted it up front and it was back to handling like normal...

I'm going to strap some weight to the front of the cart and see what happens.