Where This Conversion Guide Comes From
Every step in this article comes from one source video — Golf Cart Tire Supply's Golf Cart Lithium Conversion Step-by-Step Guide — 48V 105Ah Allied Battery, watched more than 372,000 times by cart owners planning the same upgrade. In it, a gas-powered Club Car is converted to a 51.2V 105Ah lithium system in a single working day: tow mode, battery tray prep, the pack, an onboard charger, and a dash meter. If you would rather watch the install before reading the breakdown, the video is right here:
The reason this video has been watched a third of a million times is simple: a lithium conversion is the single highest-impact upgrade most golf carts can get. It removes the two heaviest maintenance items on the cart, doubles or triples the usable range, and gives instant, hill-holding power. The catch is that a bad install is a fire risk — so the step-by-step below follows the video's order exactly, with the safety checks spelled out.
Why 48V 105Ah: What the Allied Pack Actually Gives You
The conversion uses an Allied 51.2V 105Ah lithium battery. That voltage is a drop-in match for a 48V cart, and the capacity translates to roughly 40-45 miles of real range in normal course use — three or four rounds of golf, or a full day of community driving.
The numbers that matter to owners are weight and charge time. The old lead-acid set-up of six 8V batteries typically weighs around 350 pounds; the Allied pack weighs roughly 108 pounds. And while lead-acid needs all night to fully recharge and should never be left drained, the lithium pack reaches about 80% in roughly an hour and a full charge in a few hours, with an 8-year warranty from the manufacturer.
Before You Start: Put the Cart in Tow Mode
The video's first step is also its most important safety step: put the cart in tow mode before touching anything. On most Club Car models there is a run/tow switch under the seat. In run mode, the controller keeps power on the system, and unplugging batteries with power live can damage the controller or cause arcing. Tow mode disconnects the high-voltage path so you can work safely.
If your cart does not have a tow switch, disconnect the main negative first, then the positive, and tape the ends. The rule is the same for any conversion: kill the power path before you unplug anything, and never let a wrench touch both terminals at once.
Removing the Old Batteries and Cables
With power off, the old batteries come out one by one. The video removes the seats for access, then the cables, starting at the corners and working in. Keep the old cables sorted — in a gas cart the starter battery and the 12V accessory wiring are still needed, and mixing them up later is the most common source of "why won't it start" confusion.
Some carts have a single-point watering system on the lead-acid batteries; that plastic manifold should come off with the batteries. The battery trays themselves stay in the cart — the new pack sits on the same trays, which is why the conversion is called a drop-in even on a gas platform.
Cleaning the Tray and Preparing the Mounting Bracket
Battery acid residue is inevitable after years of lead-acid, so the video cleans the tray with a vacuum and a rag before anything new goes in — this also removes loose corrosion that can eat at the new pack's bracket. The mounting bracket ships with the Allied kit and is bolted to the pack first, then the whole assembly is lowered into the tray.
The comment section's favorite tip comes at this step: mount the bracket to the battery first, place the battery in the cart, and only then drill the tray holes where they actually line up. No measuring, no miss. On older carts where the tray has been bent or replaced, this trick is what makes the install clean.
Securing the Pack and Reconnecting the Cables
With the battery in place, the video secures the bracket with bolts and nylon lock nuts so nothing can vibrate loose. Then the main cables go back on: positive to positive, negative to negative, following the same pattern as the old bank. On this Club Car the charger plug is a three-wire connector — blue, black and red — and the video is careful to match the wiring rather than assume a standard pinout.
One detail worth copying: keep the old battery hold-down straps or replace them with the kit's straps. A 108-pound pack can still shift under hard braking, and a loose pack is both a safety issue and a source of cable chafing.
Installing the Onboard Charger and Charging Port
Lithium carts benefit hugely from an onboard charger — you plug the cart into any wall outlet and the charger does the rest. The video installs the Allied charger into the cart's body with self-tapping screws, and replaces the old charging receptacle with the kit's port, converting the cart to a standard three-prong plug.
The comment section notes that the $80 kit charging port can be swapped for a $15 standard 110V inlet if the cart stays out of weather — both work, because the charger itself does the AC-to-DC conversion. For carts stored outdoors, the sealed kit port is the safer choice.
Wiring the Dash Meter and First Charge
The last install step is the state-of-charge meter in the dash. The video cuts a 2-inch hole with a hole saw, runs the meter's wires to the pack's positive and negative, and connects the signal wire that reads the BMS data. On this kit the Bluetooth and CAN ports face forward so the BMS app can reach them — a small orientation detail that matters if you want app monitoring later.
Then the critical rule: fully charge the pack before the first drive. Lithium packs ship at around 50% or less for transport safety, and the BMS needs a full cycle to calibrate its state-of-charge estimate. The video plugs the cart in and waits for the charger to finish before the first test drive.
How a Lithium Cart Feels Different (And What Stays the Same)
The first drive after the conversion is the payoff. The cart pulls away instantly — no gas engine warm-up, no starter hesitation. Hills that used to fade the old lead-acid bank are taken at full speed, because lithium holds its voltage under load. Regenerative braking keeps working through the stock controller, and the key switch and pedal behave exactly as before.
What stays the same is important too: on a gas cart, the starter battery and 12V accessories still need their 12V source, which this conversion preserves with a 48V-to-12V converter. And the stock controller and solenoid stay in place — most conversions do not require a new controller as long as the current ratings match, though older carts should be checked before ordering.
Lifespan, Maintenance and the Real Cost per Year
Lead-acid in a golf cart typically needs replacement every 3-4 years, with monthly watering, terminal cleaning and winter storage care. The Allied lithium pack in the video carries an 8-year warranty and needs no watering, no equalizing, and no seasonal maintenance beyond keeping it charged. The math that usually sells owners: one lithium pack can outlast two sets of lead-acid, while removing the maintenance entirely.
The same value proposition drives every lithium conversion, and it is exactly the conversation we have with customers every day. Whether your cart is a Club Car, an EZGO, a Yamaha or a Chinese platform, the conversion logic is identical: match the pack voltage to the cart, size the capacity to your daily driving, and make sure the BMS and charger are designed for lithium. That is what our custom golf cart batteries are built around, and the buying guides cover sizing for carts, RVs and home systems in more depth.
If you are not hunting for a consumer brand but need the battery itself — a custom LiFePO4 pack at a specific voltage and capacity, an OEM or ODM project, or wholesale supply for your own power station line — that is what we do. Dajiu Energy is a Chinese manufacturer building LiFePO4 batteries for RVs, homes, golf carts and portable applications since 2017. Our product range covers LiFePO4 drop-in replacement batteries, EV and golf cart batteries, wall-mounted home storage, portable power stations, commercial energy storage and battery swap cabinets — explore the full lineup in our product center, or browse more buying guides. Tell us your voltage, capacity and size, and we will engineer the pack to hit it.
What Viewers Are Asking (Top Comments on the Video)
These are the most useful of the video's top comments, with the creator's replies quoted where they exist and our practical answers where the thread went unanswered. Thanks-only comments were left out on purpose; these are the ones with real information in them.
Source video: Golf Cart Tire Supply — "Golf Cart Lithium Conversion Step-by-Step GUIDE - 48V 105ah *ALLIED BATTERY*" (youtube.com/watch?v=IqVW2yH7qNI). Comment excerpts are quoted verbatim from the video's top comments; creator replies are quoted where they exist, and unanswered threads carry Dajiu Energy's own answers. Specs, weights and steps are transcribed from the video's install.