Links to other parts:
Oh no, A plastic burning smell?
Well the relay configuration worked a little too well i guess?
I suspect this issue arose due to two things, using relays that aren't rated for this amount of power and using lead acid batteries.
lead acid batteries tend to drop in voltage quickly when under load. a voltage drop would increase the current and melt the relay contacts.
I ended up removing the relays all together and instead just wiring the bank for 48V. I reluctantly bought a cheap 48v lead acid bike charger as well.
Quadbike throttle conversion
Until now i'd been using the go-kart pedal that came with the motor kit. Next step was to find a way to use the original 'Thumb Throttle' that the quad originally used.
The original throttle is just the normal wire pull type.
pedal that's included in the kit.
Internally, there's a spring that returns the pedal to idle position. i removed it, cut down the pedal and put a stiffer spring on the outside.
while pulling this housing apart, i discovered that the motor controller uses a hall-effect sensor with two magnets opposing each other.
I drilled holes through the housing, added a random nut to hold the throttle cable in place.
Eh, it does the job.
Now it can be ridden without having to hold the pedal in your hand.