Club Car - Frame

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 gasoline 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 welds. 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.