2000 EZGO Brake Engaged after power loss

[HGFarm]

Hi all. I've got a 2000 and the charge recently went dead while driving. When that happened the brakes engaged and the DS brake is stuck. The brake pedal is very firm and I can't push it. Any ideas? I've already tapped on the cable at both ends but got nowhere.

[cybercart]

Hey, so is it stock or lifted? It sounds like you might have two problems... one is that your cart isn't working, and the other is that the brake is locked up. The brakes work on their own and aren't connected to the batteries or motor/controller. When the cart stopped working, did it jerk suddenly?

If it did, maybe the U-bolts that hold the axle shaft are loose. If the cart bumped when it died, it might have pulled on the brake cable and caused the brake to lock up.

[HGFarm]

It's stock. I was driving at FT when the brakes suddenly engaged and brought the cart to a hard stop. The cart still runs and the PS wheel spins when I press the accelerator. I just checked and the axle u-bolts are tight.

[cybercart]

It's perfectly normal to have only one wheel spin freely like when it's jacked up from how the cart's rear axle is designed in having an open differential. But do both rear wheels spin freely by hand ?

If Driver Side wheel is locked up, wheel and hub need to come off for inspection... Just remember to torque down the axle bolt heavy, over 100 ft lbs when finished...

[HGFarm]

Thanks for you help! The hub will be hard to get off with the brake engaged. That wheel doesn't spin. Would this explained the pedal being all the way up and impossible to push down?

[cybercart]

The hub will be hard to get off with the brake engaged.

Check up stream a bit and see if you can maybe loosen the tension on that side by disconnecting the brake cable, like there is a nut labeled #3 and #4 that you can loosen. If the pedal starts moving again, great, but if the drum is still locked up even after disconnecting the cable, worst case scenario I've seen where you will have to cut the drum off with a cutoff wheel made for metal, that is actually way easier than beating if off in my experience

[HGFarm]

Cybercart - thank you for your help. It's much appreciated!
I was able to loosen a nut under the cart that gave me some slack in the cable. Then I was able to get the hub off. Loosening the nut that I did had no impact on the shoe position - it's still expanded as if the brake was fully engaged. The wheel does spin without the hub so I know it's the brakes being engaged. With the next step to be to remove the cable?

[golfcartg]

I hope you don’t mind me chiming in.It sounds like you’re making good progress with your brake issue. At this point, you might want to check for a star adjuster on the brakes which is designed to adjust the brake shoe clearance.

The star adjuster is located near the brake shoes inside the drum and is a small, notched wheel that can be turned with a flathead screwdriver or sometimes by hand. [see page M-8] Turning the adjuster clockwise tightens the brakes, while turning it counterclockwise loosens them. If the brake shoes are expanded as if the brake is fully engaged, it’s possible that the star adjuster needs some attention. They are actually a wear part and need to be replaced sometimes. Inspect it for any damage, rust or debris and lubricate it as necessary. Im attaching the ezgo brake guide to this post for further reading, if you have any questions feel free to ask!

[HGFarm]

Awesome and thanks for the tip! I loosened the adjuster wheel so I can get the hub back on. Would a defective one cause the brakes to suddenly engage? I see that it has a "take up" when the cable is engaged. Will that bring back into proper adjustment? Can I get that adjuster off without taking all the internals out?

[HGFarm]

Okay update. I confirmed that the cable that connects to the hub was sliding in the jacket, so it's good from there to that center bracket that holds the two cables together. I reconnected the cable behind the hub and then tightened the nut that I loosened on that bracket to loosen the cable. Now the brake pedal is firm and the brakes lock up when applied even lightly. The cable is tight again, tighter than the PS. Could this be an indicator of a bad adjustment wheel?

[golfcartg]

Lubricating the star adjuster according to the lubrication points could help temporarily, but this issue frequently returns. To address the problem more permanently replacing the star adjuster is usually the best way. The adjusters are side specific, so you’ll need to purchase the correct one for either the driver’s side or the passenger’s side. Try to use OEM parts wherever possible

[cybercart]

Okay update. I confirmed that the cable that connects to the hub was sliding in the jacket, so it's good from there to that center bracket that holds the two cables together. I reconnected the cable behind the hub and then tightened the nut that I loosened on that bracket to loosen the cable. Now the brake pedal is firm and the brakes lock up when applied even lightly. The cable is tight again, tighter than the PS. Could this be an indicator of a bad adjustment wheel?

Could be.. can try spinning the adjuster all the way back and wrapping a zip tie around it to prevent it from self adjusting, the self adjuster normally works every time you press the brake pedal. Ive had cables that look and seem ok but were worn out inside, but yea, could be worn out adjusters or cables

[HGFarm]

Thank you all very much! I cranked the wheel all the way down put things back together. The brake pedal is still high and very firm. I'm ordering new cables and adjusters and will let you know how it ends!

This is a great forum and I'm glad I found it!

[HGFarm]

Okay... I've got cables and adjusters on order. I removed the hubs again to get a better look at the bigger picture. I found that that axle did in fact shift. The driver side shifted forward. I could see the clean leaf spring under the edge wear. It had recently moved. So I tried loosening the u-bolt nuts and moving the driver side axle Forward. I did get it to move almost 3/4 of an inch, but that's still not enough to make the axle straight. Question... If I remove those u-bolts what Will happen. Will the axle still be supported by the leaf springs? Also my axle doesn't have a castle nut on the end of the hub. How do I get the hub off?

[HGFarm]

[cybercart]

Nice work, good eyes spotting it

Heres the breakdown of the rear just to check to make sure nothing is busted or broken there, if not, loosen u bolts and reset it back into place.

To answer your question the rear wont fall down since it rests on top of the leaf spring and with the cart jacked up so no pressure there.

The rear usually fits into a slot youll see in pic 2 with the blue arrow, most have the slot but not all

[HGFarm]

Wow... This breakdown is exactly what I needed. My u bolts are upside down and the pins that align the brackets on the springs are out of the hole. I'll add pics tomorrow. Thank you so much for the diagrams. Can I ask the source and is it available somewhere?

[cybercart]

Golf Cart Service & Parts Manuals

[Michael Eddie]

Looks like you have a frankencart or a completely different brand all together. 2000 EZGO did not have a welded hub, it was bolted on, see picture attached to this post. Some more pictures of the cart couldn't hurt. To remove that hub, you'll need curved c-clip pliers to access and remove the c-clip, then it all slides out with the axle shaft.

Okay... I've got cables and adjusters on order. I removed the hubs again to get a better look at the bigger picture. I found that that axle did in fact shift. The driver side shifted forward. I could see the clean leaf spring under the edge wear. It had recently moved. So I tried loosening the u-bolt nuts and moving the driver side axle Forward. I did get it to move almost 3/4 of an inch, but that's still not enough to make the axle straight. Question... If I remove those u-bolts what Will happen. Will the axle still be supported by the leaf springs? Also my axle doesn't have a castle nut on the end of the hub. How do I get the hub off?

[HGFarm]

[HGFarm]

Michael Eddie - thank you for that msg. Your absolutely right! What I have here is a Club Car. I made the assumption based on the hubcaps that were on it when we got it.

[HGFarm]

[HGFarm]

Apparently still part Frankenstein!