Hello all I have an 08 e4 with a ride 4 fun motor.
I purchased it used and it came with the motor. The speedo never gives the right speed, I’ve learned to use the km reading instead it get some kind of a sense as to how fast I’m going…but that problem is for another post. Lol
My question is I’m considering upgrading the batteries to lithium. When I google it I come across these allied drop in batteries.
Has anyone used these allied batteries?
Does anyone suggest anything else?
Besides the batteries what else would I need to get? Could I do the battery swap myself?
Should I be concerned with suspension or with the ride 4 fun motor if I convert to lithium ?
Seen a lot of people have problems with those type of batteries. Each battery is a pack with a BMS. It’s not a single pack controlled by one computer.
A big problem I’ve seen people have with those batteries is that they are only 18Ah per battery. Each battery has a built in BMS that limits the current flow out of the battery. GEMs can easily pull 200+ amps on launch. Those packs can’t handle that and they trip. So your GEM errors and doesn’t go.
And since they don’t talk to each other, so a battery might stay in balance, but the pack can go out balance as a whole easily. You don’t really have much info oh what your batteries are doing since you can’t talk to the BMS (battery management system) .
You’re paying a lot for the alleged drop in nature. But it’s set-up all wrong. it’s being treated like lead-acid batteries where you can stack them any which way and they don’t really give a crap. Lithium doesn’t work well that way.
Much better options are out there for the same or less if you can do some basic wiring and fitment yourself. Lot of guys around here are very happy with the Samsung SDI packs from @Inwo and @LithiumGods . 22p 92v 94Ah drop in lithium pack with real BMS. Trade 550lbs of lead for 110lbs of lithium. It’s a whole single system rather than 4 systems that might work together.
Lot of threads on it, search on lithium conversion or Samsung SDI.
I have different batteries in my GEMs, so I can’t say for certain, but I think the cost might be a bit less than what you are looking at. Much better pack IMO.
Just to give you a heads-up,
The incorrect speed reading is very explainable and not a mystery.
From factory these cars are speed limited. They use a speed sensor on the motor to determine the speed.
The first (and easiest) method to increase speed is to change the magnet pulses going to the controller (either by replacing the magnet or installing a device inline that limits the pulses to the controller). I’m not sure which method R4F used in your case.
Either way, this makes the controller think the car is going slower than it actually is so it keeps applying power. The drawback to this is that the speedo is no longer accurate.
The other method is to take your controller in to be reprogrammed. It’s a little more involved, Your car is down until your controller comes back.
They come with a single BMS that will show you information of the pack and individual cell on your phone and also will take care of balancing the pack.
22s will also give you more acceleration and probably more speed.
I’m running a 2p22s pack out of a chevy VOLT in my '10 el at 89v w/a MM, 23" tires and some controller tuning. The SDI packs can go a bit higher on voltage - 91.something IIRC. By comparison to the 22s SDI, the volt pack is heavy, not as much as lead, but about double or so the weight of the Samsung. The eL is heavier than than the e4, especially with the folding bed rails and stuff. This eL goes like a scalded ape with the lithium pack. 33mph on the stock GE motor, breaks tires loose on launch if the pavement is wet or dusty. Even with my foot in it and knobby tires that aren’t doing me any favors for low resistance, I’m still seeing 30 mile range, never really pushed it past that.
And, to think my eL is slow and range limited compared to some of the other GEMs on here.
@djgabriel2004 I’m in the Parkland Coral Springs area. I thiught I read in another post you do the conversions. Are you near me?
My e4 has a stake back with cargo box so not sure how easy it would be to get to the back batteries.
Should I have any concern of breaking the ride for fun motor if I convert to lithium?
What about suspension? Read in another post I might need new springs?
Maybe a Stake bed with a box mounted on it?
Possibly one of the Linksback removable stakebed?
When you have a sec, go out and poke your head under your cargo bed and maybe snap us a couple of pics. See if you can get a look at your battery tray access.
It may not be that tough of a job since battery access for swapping out needed to be handled somehow.
True, removing 400lbs of lead will probably make your car a little springier but when loaded with people you will probably not notice. Your car may not be as affected as much as some as the other cars and whatever threads you have been reading. Suspension is way better on your 08 than the early 00-04 cars.
What tires are you running? You might be able to drop air pressure for a better ride.
Converting to lithium will not affect your motor. Converting to High Voltage Lithium will actually make that R4F motor work better. Depending on how long that motor has been in your car and your environment, realize that they need occasional service.
there are screws on the floor, and u can see wehere you put your finger to lift off the cover.(red arrow) but its just a small access panel to get to the top of the batteries.
when i get home ill take a picture of the back and under.
@djgabriel2004 let me know how to contact you to discuss.
The R4F motors are built by D&D Motor Systems, they are solid. IIRC 5k RPM rated, can spin them to 6k. Lots of carts out there with those motors and lithium packs running higher voltage.
Convert it and then see about the shocks, since you have extra weight with the bed and box over the standard, you might not experience any extreme difference on the suspension. The 09 has pretty good suspension design.
You’ll be trading 600lbs of Trojan batteries for 120 of lithium, you’ll definitely notice a major acceleration performance increase.
Those tries and rims look aftermarket. What size are they?
Plenty of room to get under there. If you want more you can jack the whole car up, throw a couple of jackstands under the frame to be safe, put your floor jack under the rear axle, unbolt the bottoms of the shocks and drop the rear axle out of the way.
Samsung SDI, considered the best EV cells by many manufacturers. No current ev uses LFP cells.
Only downside may be the cost, which is double Chinese made LFP cells.
