How to align Club Car golf cart front end?
The best way of aligning the Club Car front end is to first adjust the placement of the camber, followed by the alignment of the wheel and tire, by toeing them in or out as per required.
Here are the steps to be followed:
- Position the straight and leveled edge of the camber on the ground.
- Check if there is an opening between the edge of the front tire on the driver’s side and the straight edge.
- If there is an opening, you will need to fine-tune the wheel joints on the car. These are two joints on which the wheel construction connects with the steering assembly.
- Activate the parking brakes and raise the front end of the Club Car. Unfasten the bolt in the interior of the bottom wheel joint and measure the tire’s placement.
- If the head of the tire is nearer to the structure than the base, then move the base of the tire to the core of the cart’s structure. However, if the placement is in the opposite direction, then move the head of the tire towards the core.
- Fine-tune the wheel joint to a favorable position. Debase the cart and re-inspect the camber. If the position is still off, you have to adjust the top part of the second wheel joint of the axis on the driver’s side. If the camber still does not budge, redo the procedure on both joints and keep adjusting the position as required.
- After the front end of the driver’s side is completed, redo the whole procedure for the front tire on the passenger side of the Club Car.
Club Car Precedent front end alignment
To align the front end of the Club Car Precedent fully, you must measure the distance between the front tires and align the difference accurately by adjusting the position.
You can follow the below steps and use the mentioned tools to complete the task.
Tools:
- 19mm wrench
- 12 mm wrench
- Tape measure
- Marker
Measure the distance of the tires
Measure the distance from the interior of the tire to the adjacent tire on the other end. This would be the front end measurement of tires. Repeat the same measuring procedure for the back end of the front tires.
The criterion is to have a variance of 1/8 to 1/4 inches gap from the front tires to the back tires from one edge to another. This helps in maintaining stability.
Toe-in or toe-out as required
Adjust the tires inwards or outwards as desired to reach the ideal position for alignment. To do this, you must release the tie rod on the wheel near the driver’s side and turn it towards the left or the right according to the correct placement. To toe-in, turn it towards the Club Car’s front end and toe-out, turn it towards the back end of the Club Car.
Re-inspect the alignment
After the tires are aligned correctly, lower the cart to the ground and double-check the symmetry. When the golf cart wheels have spun forward, examine the toe-in one more time and adjust as required if the symmetry is uneven.
Test the car drive
Enjoy the newly derived steadiness of your drive along with enhanced performance and less tire damage. Drive the Club Car on the road and look for any drag that the car may be making to any side. Re-align if required.
Club Car DS front end alignment
Golfers have widely used the Club Car and you can follow the below measures to fix its front-end alignment.
Tools:
- 19mm and 12mm wrenches
- Tape measure
- Marker
- 19-inch square box
Align the steering wheel
Check and ensure that the steering wheel is properly lined up so that when you move the cart straight, the vehicle goes only in that direction.
Locate and mark the center from the ground
The first mark should be at the center on the driver’s side of the tire when measured upwards from the ground, roughly 10 and half inches. Move on to the passenger side front tire and mark its center at 10 and half inches. A similar process needs to be followed at the back end of the front tires.
Locate and mark the center point of each tire
Pick out the center point of each tire from the front and back ends and mark it with a plus sign. Ensure that all four locations are properly marked.
Measure the tire distance
Measure the distance from the center point of the tire on the driver’s side to that on the passenger’s side. This should be measured from the front and backside of the front tires. The distance should roughly be around 34-3/8 inches.
Measure and understand the gap in the framework
Stretch the tape measure across the framework from the center and lock it down at the other end. You can use the square box as a base to ensure proper alignment. Walk across to the other side and line the tip of the box with the center of the tire.
Come back to the other side and now note down the reading. If it is 34 and half inches roughly, then there is a difference of 1/8th inch between the tires that needs to be toed-in or toed-out accordingly.
Toe-in or toe-out as required
Unfasten the jam nuts on the ball joints using a 19 mm wrench. Use the 12mm wrench on each side of the tie rod and turn it outward to toe-out or inward to toe-in. Both sides must be turned the same number of times. Once done, retighten the jam nuts.
Test drive the golf cart
Drive down the ground and check the alignment if it’s smooth and straight.
Troubleshooting Club Car front end problems
Many things could go wrong with the front end of a Club Car such as camber issues. That’s a frequent one.
Some common front end problems of the Club Car Precedent are given below.
- Tilted front end tires
- Wobbling front tires
- Loose suspension
- Noise at the front end
- Camber issues
The components that are commonly replaced to handle unsteady front ends, camber problems and uneven tire wear are given below.
- Front Leaf Spring: A damaged front leaf spring leads to problems with the camber.
- Control Arm Bushings: Damaged bushings in the control arms cause the wheels to scurry around while the cart is in motion and can cause problems with the camber or the tires.
- Front Leaf Spring Bushings: Worn-out bushings in the front leaf spring can cause the Club Car to crash while in motion and could also cause camber and tire issues.
Replacing all the above parts will fix the front end problems and also improve overall control, camber and tire of your Club Car. Toeing in or toeing out the front tires by around 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch will help you to achieve fine driving with your Club Car.
How to install Club Car front leaf spring
Installing the front leaf spring of a Club Car is an easy process. You can follow the step-by-step procedure given below to install a heavy-duty front leaf spring.
- Put the sleeve inside the bushings at the front leaf spring
Place two sleeves around each end of the bushing at front leaf spring. You must do this on all of the bushings to make the process easier later on.
- Jack up the Club Car from the back
Use a ¾-inch socket to loosen the lug nuts on the back tire. Lift the cart up to get the back tire off the ground. Jack it in this position with support at the axle so that the springs can be taken off.
- Take OFF the shot
Use a 5/8-inch socket to remove the U-bolts and a 9/16-inch socket to remove the shot, which is not needed once the heavy-duty springs are installed. Go through the inspection panel and take the top nut OFF and entirely remove the shot.
- Take OFF the old leaf spring
Use a 10mm socket and a 13mm wrench to take OFF the rear bolt that holds the rear portion of the cart with the spring. Repeat this process on the front side.
- Install the new leaf spring
While installing the new leaf spring, you must keep in mind that the longer portion goes in the front and the shorter one at the back. The middle part should be placed on the axle. Tighten the bolts once the leaf spring is placed properly.
- Re-install the tire and repeat on the other side
Put the tire back in place and change the spring on the other side of the Club Car by repeating the same process in the same order.
Club Car front end wobbles
If the front-end of your golf cart wobbles while driving, it could be due to faulty and/or non-branded tires, incorrect tire alignment or a faulty engine.
- Faulty and/or non-branded tires
- Incorrect alignment of the tires
- Faulty engine
Steps to fix the wobble:
- Align the tires properly. Examine the height of the tires and ensure that the placement of both tires is even.
- Pull out the tires and clean them if there is any dirt jabbed in them. You must also consider inspecting the engine of your Club Car, along with the steering wheel.
- Buy and affix new tires if required. Follow up with a test drive of the vehicles. If the problem persists, then it’s worth seeking the assistance of a mechanic.
Club Car front end loose suspension
A loose suspension in a Club Car may be because of the faulty suspension joints, worn-out power steering pump or damaged ball joints. A loose suspension can also be due to issues with bearings or loose nut joints in your Club Car.
- Faulty suspension joints
- Damaged ball joints
- Issue with bushings
- Worn-out power steering pump
Steps to fix the loose suspension:
- Replace the suspension joints and the ball joints to fix the creaking and clunking noise coming from the Club Car.
- Fix the bushings by first lubricating them and if the suspension issue persists, pull out the old ones and replace them with the new bushings.
- Replace the power steering pump in the Club Car. If this doesn’t solve the problem, seek assistance of a technician to repair the power steering system.
Club Car golf cart front end noise
The noise from the front-end of the Club Car may be due to damaged components. The noise may also be because of loosened bolts and nuts, faulty CV & Ball joints or worn-out tie rods and bushings.
- Unfastened nuts and bolts
- Faulty CV and ball joints
- Worn-out tie rods and bushings
Steps to fix front end noise:
- Inspect all the nuts and bolts to determine whether they have become loose and tighten them.
- Examine to check whether the club car’s CV and ball joints are worn out and replace them if needed.
- Check the tie rods and bushings for faulty components and replace or repair them as required. You can also fix them again securely in place and check if the noise persists.