ALI is supported by its readers. When you purchase via links contained here, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The Ultimate Guide to Golf Cart Lift Kits, Wheels & Tires
Thinking about upgrading your golf cart? One of the first golf cart upgrades that many owners, including us, consider is a lift kit and maybe some wheels and tires. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons to lifting your Club Car, Yamaha, E-Z-GO, Icon, or other brand of golf carts as well as reasons you may consider this accessory. We will discuss all of the different types of lift kits, brands of lift kits, and the ins and outs of each. We will do the same when it comes to wheels and tires. We will discuss what size tires fit golf carts with 3″, 4″, and 6″ lift kits. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of aluminum vs steel golf cart wheels. We will cover street, DOT, All Terrain (A/T), mud, and sand golf cart tires and which may fit your application the best. We will also discuss what you need to know about golf cart lug nuts and if you need metric or standard lug nuts for your cart.
Many places and websites are offering golf cart combos or package deals that include the lift kit, wheels, tires, and lug nuts. This is a great way to purchase these items together but you still need to know what you are looking for and why. A lift combo for your golf cart will often safe you money as the seller is shipping all of the items at one time and is also saving on shipping. CLICK HERE to view some of the most popular golf cart lift kit combos. Most places will ship you the tires already mounted on the wheels and ready to mount on your cart. We hope that once you have completed reading this guide on selecting the best lift, wheels, and tires for you golf cart in addition to watching our Ultimate Guide to Golf Cart Lift Kits, Wheels, and Tires video that you will be an educated consumer ready to select the perfect accessories for you golf cart!
Golf Cart Lift Kits
WHY LIFT YOUR GOLF CART
The first thing you need to think about when it comes to golf cart lift kits is do you need one and, if so, what type should you use. There are several main reasons why you might consider lifting your golf cart. First and probably most common is that you like the looks of a lifted golf cart and want to be able to run oversized wheels and tires. Don’t forget, you can add custom wheels and tires to your golf cart without lifting it. In general you can run up to a 14″ wheels with no lift kit on your Yamaha, Club Car, or E-Z-GO golf cart. You will just need to run a low profile tire. We will cover the maximum tire size you can run without a lift kit on your golf cart below. The other main reason that you may want to lift your golf cart is for ground clearance. If you use your golf cart for trail riding, hunting, or other off-road riding it is important to lift the cart to clear obstacle you may encounter.
WHAT SIZE LIFT KIT SHOULD YOU USE
Ok, so you have decided to lift your golf cart. How high should you go? This depends on how you will use your golf cart and how you want it to look. The most common lift kit size is 6″ on golf carts. Golf carts generally come with 8″ diameter wheels and 18″ diameter (tall) tires. With a 3″ lift kit most golf carts will clear 20″ to 21″ tires (more discussion of sizes in the tires section of this article). A 6″ golf cart lift clears between 23″ and 25″ tires, depending on make / model. The vast majority of lifted golf carts have a 6″ lift kit with 22″ or 23″ tall tires. Go online an look at pictures or look around your neighborhood at lifted golf carts to get a feel for exactly what you would like. Remember that the higher your go the less stable your golf cart will be as you are raising the center of gravity of your cart. CLICK HERE to view the available size lift kits for your make / model golf cart.
WHAT TYPE OF LIFT KIT SHOULD YOU USE
Selecting the type of lift kit you should put on your golf cart comes down to three variables. Ride Quality, Ground Clearance, and Budget. There are three primary golf cart lift kit types with variations of each. Drop Spindle, A-Arm, and Long Travel. The first we will discuss is the Drop Spindle Golf Cart Lift. This type of lift kit has been around for years and is a very dependable set-up. By design, this lift kit give the best ground clearance. This is because the front of the golf cart is lifted right at the spindles (where the golf cart wheels connect). This means that the entire center of the front of the golf cart is higher with nothing hanging down to catch on obstacles. The rear of the golf cart is lifted with lift blocks that go between the axle and the leaf spring with the exception of some Yamaha carts that use spring relocation brackets to lift the rear of the cart. The rear lift of all types of golf cart lifts are pretty much the same. Drop spindle lifts pretty much maintains the factory ride although it will be softer due to the larger tires. The drop spindle lifts are generally available in 3″ or 6″ and are available for Club Car, E-Z-GO, Yamaha, and other golf carts. We would say these lift kits are of moderate difficulty to install. CLICK HERE to take a look at what size drop spindle lift kits are available for your make / model golf cart. CLICK HERE to browse all of the lift kit types or on each picture below to see that type of lift kit for your golf cart.
The next golf cart lift kit to consider is the A-Arm. These lift kits are quickly taking over the top position as most common in the golf cart market. This lift kit is probably the easiest to install and provides the best ride for the money. You will not get the same ground clearance at the front of your golf cart with this lift because the cart is lifted with A-Arms that hang down lower than anything on a drop spindle lift kit. If you are installing a lift for the purpose of looks, ride quality and clearing larger tires this is the lift type for you! The A-Arm lift kits are now available in standard duty and some heavy duty models. RHOX even has one know at the BMF (Bad Mother …). We feel that you should go with the lightest duty that will fit your needs. If your cart is a pavement princess go with the standard duty as it rides better and you do not need it to stand up to severe use. If you are going to beat it down the trails go with a heavy duty version. CLICK HERE to see what types of A-Arm golf cart lifts are available for your golf cart.
The last type of golf cart lift kit that we will discuss is the king of all lifts… the long travel. Made by Jakes, this lift kit turns your golf cart into an off-road beast. It provides a ride more like an ATV. It looks amazing, rides amazing, but is the priciest of all lift kits. These lifts allow the use of tires up to 25″ tall depending on the make/model of your golf cart. They are fairly complex to install but, thanks to long travel installation videos online, are a very doable project for a couple of handy buddies. If you want to stand out in a crowd of golf carts the Jakes Long Travel Lift Kit will definitely help you make that happen. CLICK HERE to see the Long Travel Lift Kit for your specific make and model golf cart.
WHAT BRAND OF LIFT KIT SHOULD YOU SELECT
Most of the brands that you see on reputable golf cart websites have been around for years and are of acceptable quality. Over the years we have used RHOX, Madjax, Jakes and GTW. We feel that you cannot go wrong with any of these brands. These companies probably account for 90 to 95 percent of all golf cart lift kits sold and all stand behind their products. These companies also carry some replacement parts for their lift kits which you may not find with lesser, off-brand lift kits on the market. These companies also provide good instructions (paper, digital, and/or videos) of how to install their golf cart lift kits.  See some amazing golf cart lift / wheel / tire combos by clicking HERE.
Golf Cart Golf Cart Wheels & Tires
Next you will need to select the right tire size for your golf cart. If you cart is not lifted or has a 3″ or 6″ lift kit there are maximum tires sizes that will fit. There are also variations in how large of a tire will fit on your golf cart based on the make and model. E-Z-GO and newer model Yamaha golf carts typically will accept a larger tire size than E-Z-GO and newer model Yamaha golf carts, including the Drive (G29) and the DRIVE2. Below is a graphic which that you can use as a guide to help you determine how tall of a tire you can run on your golf cart based on lift kit size and make / model. These estimates are based on golf carts that have suspension in good condition (not sagging) and without other modifications. Make sure to check with a professional for your exact application!… These are recommendations only and should be verified by a golf cart professional. CLICK HERE to see all of the tread patterns and sizes of golf cart tires that are around.
How you use your golf cart and where you ride are important to what type of golf cart tires you select. The look you are going for on your golf cart is equally important. We will break down golf cart tires into four major categories for this discussion… Street, Turf, All Terrain (A/T) and Mud Terrain. Each of these offer a different ride quality, performance, noise level, and look. Within each of these categories you will find tires that are Department of Transportation (DOT) rated or approved. This means that these tires meet certain criteria set out by DOT. These tires are typically of higher quality, ride smoother and truer, and have fewer issues. Take all of these factors into account when selecting the best golf cart tire for your golf cart and you will end up on many happy golf cart rides!
If you primarily use your golf cart for cruising around the neighborhood on pavement you may want to consider street golf cart tires. Street tires are generally available in sizes from 17″ to 23″. Most of them sold by reputable brands are not DOT rated and ride very nice. The cream of the crop in street tires for your golf cart are the radials. These have steel belts just like your automobile tires which gives them a great ride, low noise, and wear very well. Most of these tires are also suitable for the golf course but may not provide as much traction as a turf tire. As you are reading this section, CLICK HERE to see pictures of different types of golf cart tires.
Turf tires should be used on golf carts that spend the vast majority of their time on the golf course or in your lawn. They do not tear up the grass and provide ample traction for most course / yard activities. Available in most any size, turf tires are a great choice for the right use. They tend to last a long time, largely because they are not typically used on hard surfaces. The do not do well on lifted golf carts that are used on pavement or concrete. They have so much contact with the road that they tend to wander around which can be a little unnerving on a lifted golf cart.
All Terrain (A/T) golf cart tires are the most popular for lifted golf carts. They do great on trails and do pretty well on asphalt. Those that are DOT approve typically ride very well and are not overly noisy although not as quite as a street tire. Most can hold their own in some off-road situations when faced with sand, dirt, and even a little mud. A/T golf cart tires are most peoples favorite balance between performance in most situations and that tough look many people are looking for. All terrain golf cart tires are available in all of the common sizes and are available for all golf cart wheel sizes.
Mud Tires for golf cart definitely make a statement. They look tough / aggressive and really give a golf cart the look many are going for. If you ride your cart off-road a lot, in the mud, deep sand, and other rough terrains then mud tires may be the perfect choice for your golf cart. Keep in mind that they cannot be used on a golf course and you may not want to use them in your yard as they tend to tear up turf. If you are putting them on a pavement cruiser because it is the look you are going for keep in mind that they will be the noisiest and will wear out the quickest on hard surfaces, but they do look awesome! The added noise just means you need a louder speaker on your golf cart. CLICK HERE to see if you can pair up your favorite wheel with your choice of golf cart tire in a package deal where you may save big money.
When it comes down to selecting the perfect wheels for your golf cart it comes down to three decisions. First, do you want steel or aluminum golf cart wheels? Steel golf cart wheels are cheaper… that is their ONLY advantage. Disadvantages include being heavier, fewer color options, and being prone to rusting. Aluminum golf cart wheels come in almost any color and color combination you can think of. They do not rust and are typically very low maintenance. They are plenty strong yet they are much lighter than steel wheels. CLICK HERE to see all of the steel and aluminum golf cart wheel options.
The next decision you need to make is what size wheel do you want. The recent trend is to go with larger wheels with leaves you with a low profile tire. A low profile tire means there is less rubber/air between the edge of the rim and the tread of the tire. As a result of this low profile design, these wheel tire combos tend to ride rougher that a smaller wheel with the same height of tire. It just comes down to how much air is between the wheel and the road. Many people find that a 12″ golf cart wheel, when combined with a 22″ or 23″ tire on a lifted cart, is the perfect compromise between looks and a quality ride. Once we put a 15″ wheel with a 20″ tall tire on one of our golf carts and man did it look great… but it would also rattle your teeth out if you hit a bump. Many people don’t care. Like my nephew tells me… it doesn’t matter how it rides as long as it looks good while you are riding. Being 50 myself, those days are gone for me. I am after good looks combined with a good ride!
The last, and most difficult, consideration you must take when choosing wheels for your golf cart is design. There are sooo many to choose from that it can almost be overwhelming. Colored golf cart tires have become very popular and can really add style to your ride. Going with chrome rims, although the priciest, gives your golf cart a classy and slick look and are very low maintenance. Some golf cart wheels are now available with changeable colored inserts so you can change the colors when you get bored with one color. Choosing wheels for your golf cart is very fun and a great way to personalize your buggy.
The last bit of knowledge we want to leave you with involves golf cart lug nuts. You may have seen that there are metric and standard lug nuts available for golf carts. E-Z-GO and Club Car golf carts use standard lug nuts. Yamaha and some other brands use metric lug nuts. CLICK HERE to see the available type and color of golf cart lug nuts. You may also notice that with custom golf cart wheels that you may not be able to fit your socket, with the lug nut inside, into the whole or opening in the wheel. This is not uncommon and requires the use of a thin walled socket. Some auto part stores may loan you one but I feel it is best to purchase one as you may need to tighten up your lug nuts or use it when it is time to rotate your golf cart tires. Don’t forget that you may be able to save time and money purchasing your golf cart wheels and tires as a package deal. CLICK HERE to browse around a little.
Thanks for taking time to read our Ultimate Guide to Golf Cart Lift Kits, Wheels, and Tires. We hope that you have picked up some knowledge or ideas that will help you in choosing the best lift kit, wheels, and tires for your Club Car, EZ-GO, Yamaha or other brand golf cart. Hopefully the video on selecting a golf cart lift kit combo for your golf cart was helpful as well. As we discussed, it is often easier to buy your golf cart wheels and tires as a package deal. Some websites even offer golf cart lift / wheel / tire combos. CLICK HERE to take a look as some popular wheel / tire combos. CLICK HERE to see some lift / tire / wheel combos for your make and model of golf cart.