Club Car
Encyclopedia
Club Car is the world’s largest manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emissions electric vehicles.
powered golf carts, Club Car used a Kawasaki
FZ340 9 horsepower engine
until 1991. In 1992, it was replaced by a Kawasaki 286 cc FE290 9 horsepower engine
, which was more powerful and efficient
. In 1997, Club Car sourced new transaxles which required clockwise input. To remedy the issue, the engine's rotation was switched to clockwise, and displacement grew to 287 cc. In 2005, output increased to 9.5 hp and the FE290 engine then exceeded SAE J1940 performance standards. Output also increased for the 351 cc FE350 from 11 hp to 11.5 hp. It too exceeded the SAE J1940 standard
The options on Club Car's golf carts are the Kawasaki FE350 11.5hp (standard on many utility vehicle
s and the Precedent golf cart) and a Kawasaki
FE400 13 hp engine
, which is the only engine
offered on the Carryall 272 utility vehicle
.
With the introduction of the Precedent golf car
in late 2003, Club Car implemented DuPont
's Surlyn material for the Precedent body panels. The material that also covers some golf ball
s, Surlyn has its color molded in. No paint or clear topcoat is needed on the Surlyn panels.
vehicles made from 1984 to 1997, the frame consists of four I-beams. Two span from the extreme front of the cart to a mid-car cross member. Two placed to the outside of those run from the front of the floorboard to the rear extreme. In using that design, the beams did not need to be bent in more ways than one. From 1998 to present day, the cars implement two beams that span the entire length of the vehicle and must be bent laterally as well as vertically. However, the result is a stronger frame with fewer weld
s. Electric cars have always used but two beams that span the entire length of the car.
The Precedent cart uses an aluminum box-tube style frame, which, with modifications, also underpins the line of XRT 4 wheel drive vehicles. The Precedent frame is extremely similar to the design of the DS, but does not use as much aluminum for it uses a composite panel that underpins the floorboard and parts of the engine
or battery
compartment. This member is friction-bonded to the rest of the carriage.
. The system offers simplicity and durability, as well as ease of manufacturing
and maintenance
.
In the front of the car, the two frame beams are sandwiched between a leaf spring
on the bottom and a delta shock tower assembly on the top. The leaf spring
is sandwiched between a plate mounted directly against the frame and a lower support plate. Mounted to the upper delta shock tower assembly, two delta A-plates (a variation of a control arm
) connect the top of the king pin
and the pivots of the delta A-plate. The setup acts as an upper and lower control arm system without the complexity of coil-over shocks, struts, or double wishbone types of suspension. Club Car is now the only manufacturer to use leaf spring
s for both the front and rear suspensions.
The rear suspension is classified as semi-independent since the rear axle
, transmission
, and engine
are all connected together and are held in place only by leaf spring
s and shock absorber
s. The front of the drive train assembly is not fixed, rather if floats and is free to move in any way necessary.
Powertrain
From initial introduction of their gasGas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
powered golf carts, Club Car used a Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
FZ340 9 horsepower engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
until 1991. In 1992, it was replaced by a Kawasaki 286 cc FE290 9 horsepower engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
, which was more powerful and efficient
Efficient
Efficient may refer to:* Efficiency, the extent to which time or effort is well used for the intended task or purpose* Efficient , a Thoroughbred racehorse...
. In 1997, Club Car sourced new transaxles which required clockwise input. To remedy the issue, the engine's rotation was switched to clockwise, and displacement grew to 287 cc. In 2005, output increased to 9.5 hp and the FE290 engine then exceeded SAE J1940 performance standards. Output also increased for the 351 cc FE350 from 11 hp to 11.5 hp. It too exceeded the SAE J1940 standard
The options on Club Car's golf carts are the Kawasaki FE350 11.5hp (standard on many utility vehicle
Utility vehicle
Utility vehicle is used to describe a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed for a specific task.-Sport utility vehicle:Vehicles similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis, usually with off-road capability....
s and the Precedent golf cart) and a Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
FE400 13 hp engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
, which is the only engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
offered on the Carryall 272 utility vehicle
Utility vehicle
Utility vehicle is used to describe a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed for a specific task.-Sport utility vehicle:Vehicles similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis, usually with off-road capability....
.
Bodies
When first introduced in 1982, the Club Car DS front and rear body panels were constructed of plastic and fiberglass, respectively. In 1993, Club Car redesigned the bodies and began constructing both the front and rear panels out of a material called ArmorFlex. ArmorFlex is thicker and stiffer than the materials used by other manufacturers. The result is a smoother appearance; however, this characteristic also makes the panels break, rather than bend, when hit in certain ways. Generally, ArmorFlex panels must withstand prolonged abuse before breaking.With the introduction of the Precedent golf car
Golf car
A golf cart or golf buggy is a small vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course or on desert trails with less effort than walking.Golf cars come in a wide range of formats and are more generally used to convey small numbers of passengers short...
in late 2003, Club Car implemented DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
's Surlyn material for the Precedent body panels. The material that also covers some golf ball
Golf ball
A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits...
s, Surlyn has its color molded in. No paint or clear topcoat is needed on the Surlyn panels.
Frame
From introduction of the 4-wheeled Caroche cart in the 1970s, an aluminum I-beam style frame has been used, and is still under the DS and many utility vehicles that are manufactured today. For gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
vehicles made from 1984 to 1997, the frame consists of four I-beams. Two span from the extreme front of the cart to a mid-car cross member. Two placed to the outside of those run from the front of the floorboard to the rear extreme. In using that design, the beams did not need to be bent in more ways than one. From 1998 to present day, the cars implement two beams that span the entire length of the vehicle and must be bent laterally as well as vertically. However, the result is a stronger frame with fewer weld
Weld
Weld most commonly refers to a joint formed by welding.Weld may also refer to:-People:* Weld family, an extended family of New England** Theodore Dwight Weld** Tuesday Weld* Weld-Blundell family* Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester...
s. Electric cars have always used but two beams that span the entire length of the car.
The Precedent cart uses an aluminum box-tube style frame, which, with modifications, also underpins the line of XRT 4 wheel drive vehicles. The Precedent frame is extremely similar to the design of the DS, but does not use as much aluminum for it uses a composite panel that underpins the floorboard and parts of the engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
or battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
compartment. This member is friction-bonded to the rest of the carriage.
Suspension
Since the introduction of the Caroche four-wheeled car, Club Car has used essentially the same suspensionSuspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
. The system offers simplicity and durability, as well as ease of manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and maintenance
Car maintenance
Auto maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of car subsystems and servicing or replacing parts and fluids....
.
In the front of the car, the two frame beams are sandwiched between a leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
on the bottom and a delta shock tower assembly on the top. The leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
is sandwiched between a plate mounted directly against the frame and a lower support plate. Mounted to the upper delta shock tower assembly, two delta A-plates (a variation of a control arm
Control arm
thumb|right|300px|Double Wishbone SuspensionIn automotive suspension, an automobile's control arm or wishbone is a nearly flat and roughly triangular suspension member , that pivots in two places. The broad end of the triangle attaches at the frame and pivots on a bushing...
) connect the top of the king pin
King Pin
King Pin is a nunatak, 820 m, rising above the Wilson Piedmont Glacier about midway between Mount Doorly and Hogback Hill. Named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition , 1958–59, after the American helicopter King Pin which flew the party into this area, and which rendered a...
and the pivots of the delta A-plate. The setup acts as an upper and lower control arm system without the complexity of coil-over shocks, struts, or double wishbone types of suspension. Club Car is now the only manufacturer to use leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s for both the front and rear suspensions.
The rear suspension is classified as semi-independent since the rear axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
, transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, and engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
are all connected together and are held in place only by leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s and shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s. The front of the drive train assembly is not fixed, rather if floats and is free to move in any way necessary.
External links
- Company Website
- Club Car Golf Carts Recall, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission