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11-04-2012, 12:22 PM | #1 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Club Car TRX Fab
Hey guys as I mentioned on a previous post, I've been working on a build.
This is my first golf cart, so its my first ever cart build, but its also my first time welding and first time fabricating anything for that matter. So I have no shortage of questions for ya Anyhow I figured I would start a thread sooo here she is on the day I got her. Figured it would be a good cart. Good batteries with a CURTIS gauge, headlights/taillights and decent street tires on 10" wheels. It already had a 6" lift and I really liked the different look it had from the other lifted carts I had seen. |
11-04-2012, 01:12 PM | #2 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
The former owner had wanted a hunting buggy and make his own Z-lift without the Z - LOL. Instead he used a big aluminum plate (see pic). One day while putting the cart in the air to rotate the tires, I noticed the there was a lot of slack/movement on the front end from the rest of the cart. I inspected closer and noticed the former owners aluminum weld job was giving and all his welds were cracking/failing. Enough that it would make a "ping" sound every once and while while riding. Scary stuff.
So I trailered it to all the welding shops in the area, of those that wanted to touch it they wanted at least $200 to do it and even then couldn't guarantee the price since they had to "undo" everything this other guy did and start over. |
11-04-2012, 01:19 PM | #3 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
So I found a complete Honda TRX 250R rolling chassis on Craigslist for $50 and made short work of the home-made Z-lift with a Saws-All. Tested the tires for leaks, rears were good, fronts leaked bad.
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11-04-2012, 01:31 PM | #4 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
Chopped up the TRX and started mocking up the fitment. Fun stuff and love the way it was looking. The bumper that came on the TRX looked even looks great to me. Time to actually start the fabricating now.
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11-04-2012, 01:37 PM | #5 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
The bottom of the TRX frame was almost the exact same angle as the Cart frame. You cant weld steel to Aluminum, and I wanted something I could unbolt and return to stock so I decided to let the Cart "sit" on the TRX frame by making plates. Then I later added some gussets to the plates for more bracing and ground smooth my ugly welds. but here it is initially.
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11-04-2012, 01:56 PM | #6 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
I didn't want everything hanging off what little of the original frame I had left so I decided to fab up some brackets and also bolt it to to the top of the cart frame into holes that were already on the ClubCar. That would provide a lot of extra strength as it formed a triangular brace.
I had to extend the TRX frame a a few inches to reach the new plate because I made a mistake earlier and cut too much off - humph — ROOKIE! The "Dots" you see are from me inserting a smaller square tube into the TRX frame. Drilling holes and welding that smaller tube to the frame for more strength. I did this on all four sides of the extension in different places. |
11-04-2012, 02:07 PM | #7 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
Today I ran into a problem and I need some ideas and suggestions. I was trying to figure out how to get the ClubCar hub to mate up with the TRX spindle. I located new bearings and races that will mate the two up perfectly but as you can see from the pic the TRX Spindles are much shorter then the club cart spindle ...and different bearings wont fix that.
So most of the day I've been wondering if its safe to cut off the TRX spindle and weld my ClubCar spindle on there? Anyone done this before, its definitely not something I will attempt myself, but before I pay someone is it even safe? All I'm trying to do is get the golf cart wheel to fit back on there without a spacer or adapter ...I wonder if any 4-lug trailer hubs would fit that short TRX spindle? That would be ideal! |
01-26-2014, 09:42 AM | #8 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Tennessee
Posts: 1,269
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
Man I hate that I would have given you $ 300.00 for the rolling chassis. Those are hard to find.
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11-10-2012, 10:15 PM | #9 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,195
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Well the trailer shop was a bust. Same hubs as everywhere else. Im sure there are hubs somewhere out there that fit, but i cant find them. I've resorted to my last option ...hope to have the ClubCar spindles welded on by Wed. Made a jig tonight from left over ATV frame (pictured) and made two templates (not pictured) to line up the new spindles perfectly on the TRX hubs once their cut. This way I can tack em in place and take them to a pro for the finish weld. Im going to bevel the spindle joint a lot so they can build it up with weld and get good penetration.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1352603654.687346.jpg
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11-10-2012, 10:29 PM | #10 |
friends call me Boke
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Smithfield, North Carolina
Posts: 7,772
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Re: Club Car TRX Fab
With the time involved and the cost of the welding it would be cheaper I think just to find adapters and use the Honda hubs. And as far as a safety standpoint, what I couldn't get out of my head is...man, I hope this spindle don't decide to take a crap on me now. Just my thoughts.
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