Which tire type do you need?
There are three, and they are not interchangeable. Choose for the worst surface the cart will regularly see.
| Type | Best on | Poor on | Road noise | Range effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turf | Fairway, lawn, pavement | Sand, mud | Very low | Baseline |
| Street / DOT | Paved road, LSV use | Anything loose | Low | Baseline to +5% |
| All-terrain | Sand, mud, gravel, trail | Nothing much, but noisy | High | −5 to −15% |
If the cart is registered as a Low Speed Vehicle and driven on public roads, check whether your state requires a DOT-rated tire. Several do, and an all-terrain tire is often not DOT rated.
What lift does each wheel size need?
| Wheel | Typical tire | Overall diameter | Lift needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 inch | 18 x 8.50-8 | 18 in | None (stock) |
| 10 inch | 20 x 10-10 | 20 in | None to 2 in |
| 12 inch | 23 x 10.50-12 | 23 in | 3 in |
| 14 inch | 23 x 10-14 | 23 in | 3 to 4 in |
| 14 inch | 25 x 10-14 | 25 in | 5 to 6 in |
Overall diameter is what decides clearance, not the wheel size — a 14 inch wheel with a low-profile tire can need less lift than a 12 inch wheel with a tall one. Measure the tire, not the rim.
What do bigger tires do to speed and range?
A taller tire travels further per motor revolution, so the cart gains a little top speed and loses low-speed torque and range. Going from a 20 inch to a 23 inch overall diameter is roughly a 15 percent increase in distance per revolution: the speedometer, if there is one, reads low by about that much, and hill-climbing gets noticeably worse. On an LSV this matters legally — the cart must stay under 25 mph.
Some carts can be re-geared or the controller re-programmed to recover the torque. Ask before you fit large tires to a cart that has to pull a grade.
What suspension upgrades are worth it?
- Heavy-duty rear leaf springs — the single best upgrade on a cart that carries four adults or a loaded bed. Cheap and it stops the rear bottoming out.
- Gas shocks front and rear — worth it on a lifted cart, where the standard dampers are undersized for the travel.
- Long-travel A-arm kits — genuinely better over rough ground, and the right answer for trail use. Expensive, and overkill for grass.
- Sway bar — worth considering on a six-passenger cart lifted past five inches.
What is generally not worth it: air shocks on a private cart, and any lift past six inches unless the cart is built for it.
What pressure should golf cart tires run?
Check the sidewall, but as a guide: turf tires 12 to 18 psi, street tires 18 to 22 psi, all-terrain 10 to 14 psi. Under-inflation is the most common cause of premature shoulder wear on a cart, and it costs range. Check monthly — golf cart tires are small enough that a few psi is a large proportion of the total.
How long do golf cart tires last?
Turf tires on a private cart usually die of age, not tread — five to seven years before the rubber hardens and cracks. All-terrain tires on regular sand use wear out in two to four years. Check the date code on the sidewall; a cart with plenty of tread on ten-year-old tires needs tires.
Alignment after a lift
A lift changes camber and toe, and a cart driven on a bad alignment will scrub the inside edges off a new set of front tires in a season. Have it set after any lift, and re-check it after the first month. We do this at all our locations — see golf cart service.
Browse carts already fitted the way you want: lifted golf carts, all-terrain golf carts, or read the off-road guide.