Are you looking to add meaty tires to your golf cart? Maybe you want to be able to hang with your buddies and their ATV’s in the woods, tackling that difficult terrain. Or, maybe you want a smoother softer ride on the street with a tall set of comfort ride golf cart tires. If you are serious about upgrading those wheels and tires, chances are, you’re going to need a lift kit in order to finish the job. In this article, Golf Cart Lift Kits: A Definitive Guide, we are going to do our best to explain to you the different types of lift kits, their capabilities, and some of the most popular brands of lift kits you can buy for your golf cart right now. Let’s jump right in.
What is a Golf Cart Lift Kit?
Golf cart lift kits are engineered parts that you can install on your golf cart in order to raise the height an additional 3 – 8 inches (We’ve even seen them up to 12″). This is excellent for those looking to add ground clearance (for off-roading), or a wider, more stable stance to their golf cart. This is also essential for those looking to add bigger tires and rims to their cart, making for a smoother more enjoyable ride.
Now that we know what a golf cart lift kit is, let’s learn about the different types of lift kits you can purchase for your custom golf cart.
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Golf Cart Lift Kit Options
All lift kits are certainly NOT created equal. In this section we are going to explain to you the different types of golf cart lift kits, and a little bit about how each differ from each other. Check it out.
A-Arm Lift Kit
A-Arm lift kits tend to be a beefier version of Drop Spindle kits (we talk about these next). These kits will pretty much replace the entire front suspension of your golf cart. This helps the cart ride smoother, giving you a more comfortable experience when driving.
These are perfect for those looking to equip larger tires and wheels that you couldn’t normally attach to a stock setup. A-Arm Lift Kits are probably one of the most popular types of lift kits for golf carts considering they use a circular tubing construction as opposed to square. This makes the cart look a lot nicer, and adds durability and strength.
If you want solid performance without emptying your wallet, A-Arm Lift Kits give you the best bang for your buck.
Drop Spindle Lift Kit
Drop Spindle Lift Kits are probably the most popular options when increasing the ground clearance for your golf cart. These kits are very easy to install, they utilize the already existing suspension, and they aren’t expensive. Drop Spindle kits are used to replace and increase the golf cart spindle size and length.
This can give your golf cart a wider stance, and increase the stability. The wider stance is perfect for those looking to fit those big off-set wheels on your cart, which in turn, can allow you to add wider and taller tires. Those awesome looking tire and wheel kits you’ve dreamed of equipping your golf cart with are possible with Drop Spindle Lift Kits.
You can typically find Drop Spindle kits in two style, heavy duty, and economy. The way you plan on using and riding your golf cart will determine whether you should go with economy or heavy duty.
Block Lift Kit
If you want an instant boost to your golf cart height, without having to tear the entire cart apart, then you may want to consider Block Lift Kits. These kits consist of 4 inch steel blocks that you place under your already existing suspension.
Even though these may seem effective and inexpensive, the only option you have is 4 inches. If you’re ok with just adding 4 inches then these will be perfect for you. If you want something with a little more flexibility then you should probably go with A-Arm, Drop Spindle, or Drop Axel. Not only that, but block lift kits tend to add roughness to your ride quality, so keep that in mind as well.
Drop Axle Lift Kit
Drop Axle Lifts are great options for upgrading your ground clearance on your custom golf cart. These will replace your front axle with the “drop axle”. The way a drop axle lift works, is they add a longer stock radius, which then tapers down to the spindles already attached to the golf cart.
This can increase the axle height, and allows you to replace the whole front axel without having to mess with your spindles. These kits tend to be less expensive than Spindle Kits, but typically won’t ride as smooth as an A-Arm or Spindle Lift.
A Drop Axle Lift isn’t extremely difficult to install, but they will take you a little bit more time than equipping a Spindle Kit.
Long Travel Lift Kits
These kits are going to be the most capable and most expensive you can purchase for your golf cart. Typically, you won’t find these on your everyday community golf carts.
Why should you choose a Long Travel Kit? These Lifts are capable of separating the front and rear suspension, which are equipped with long bouncy springs. The big springs on these Long Travel kits are used as shock absorbers, which can be extremely helpful when traveling over rough and rocky terrain.
Usually, Long Travel lifts are found in heights from 6 inches to 8 inches. They consider these types of lifts “extreme duty”. Another popular lift that keeps in this category are called Coil Over Lift Kits. These are similar to Long Travel, except the rear suspension is fixed or static.
Now that we know more about the types of kits you can buy for your cart, let’s dive deeper into the lift sizes/heights that are typically found on custom golf carts.
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Golf Cart Lift Kit Sizes
The lift height of your golf cart is going to determine the type of terrain you should, or could be riding over, or maybe you are just wanting to make your custom cart fancier? Either way, below we list some of the most popular golf cart lift heights, and some odd heights you may find perfect for your setup.
Common Lift Kit Sizes
3″ Lifts
These tend to be very popular for those looking to add those cool 20″ tires to their custom cart. Not only that, but you can find 3 inch kits in all the styles we mention above including Spindle, A-Arm, and Drop Axle.
If you don’t need your cart lifted much higher than the stock height, but need to add extra seating in the back(stability), or some nicer tires (without rubbing), then a 3 inch kit should work just fine. Not only are they easy to install, but they tend to be less expensive than the other higher lifts.
4″ Lifts
If you are looking for 4 inches specifically, then a block lift is going to be your best option. These are the easiest to install, tend to be affordable, and still allow you to add taller, beefier tires to your custom golf cart.
6″ Lifts
These are probably the most popular options when it comes to lifting your golf cart. It’s extremely easy to find 6″ lift kits for all the main golf cart manufacturers (Yamaha, EZ-GO, and Club Car).
They also accommodate most tire and wheel sizes (up to 23 inches), so if you have large tires, chances are, a 6 inch lift will work just fine. This also allows for some extra room in the wheel well, that way if you have passengers, you won’t experience any rubbing.
Odd Lift Kit Sizes
5″ Lifts
Who would ever choose to add a 5″ lift to their custom cart? I know, 5 inches seems like an odd size, but they are out there. The only issue…these can be difficult to find. 5 inch lifts aren’t very popular, but if you do manage to find one for your golf cart, they could support tires up to 22″ on Yamaha or Club Car, and 23″ on EZGO.
7″ – 12″ Lifts
These size lift kits are for those who need heavy duty suspension, and monster tires. These kits are considered Extreme Duty, and are built for the most rigorous off-road conditions. Typically, you’ll need Coil-Over, or Long-Travel designs when going higher than 6″. This can help to absorb massive bumps or rocks that you drive over when taking your lifted golf cart off-road.
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Choosing the Right Lift Kit for Your Golf Cart Tire Size
Below, we’ve created a table for you to reference in order to make sure that you choose the right size lift kit for the tires you’ve already purchased, or plan to purchase for your custom golf cart. Each table is setup via golf cart manufacturer so you can be sure that the lift kit you purchase will work for your cart. Take a closer look below!
Club Car
Club Car tends to have very little space on their stock setup for tires bigger than 19″. If you’re in the market for something meatier, then you’ll definitely need a lift kit.
EZ-GO
Believe it or not, EZ-GO has the most space for those looking to upgrade to bigger tires. Because they have more space in their wheel wells, they often are able to handle larger tires (up to 20″) without a lift kit.
Yamaha
Yamaha is another golf cart brand that has very little space for upgraded tires on stock models. The only exception would be their G29 (DRIVE), which can handle 20″ tires without installing a lift kit.
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The Best Brands for Golf Cart Lift Kits
Below we have a short list of our favorite brands when it comes to lifts for your golf cart. All of these manufacturers make lift kits for the most popular brands in the industry including Yamaha, EZ-GO, Club Car, MOKE America, and Star. If you are looking for a high quality lift kit then we recommend checking out the following companies.
MadJax
MadJax is one of the most popular brands when it comes to lift kits. They offer a variety of styles and sizes for all golf cart manufacturers, and their prices are pretty reasonable. You can learn more about MadJax by checking out our full review below.
Double Take
Double Take is another well known company in the golf cart industry, leading the way for aftermarket parts for your custom cart. They offer lift kits, body kits, wheels, and tires. They also have a color matching system so you can design your custom cart to stand out from the rest. To learn more about Double Take, check out our full review below.
All Sports
All Sports is another reputable company for golf cart aftermarket parts. They offer lift kits for all of the main golf cart manufacturers, including MOKE America. They have a great selection of lift types and sizes, making sure that you get exactly what you want for your custom golf cart. If you want to learn more about All Sports, you check out our full review below.
In Conclusion
As you can see, lifted golf carts are becoming the norm in custom golf cart building. They add ground clearance for off-roading, allow larger tires and wheels, and can even make for a smoother ride.
In this article we touched on a variety of aspects you should consider before purchasing a lift kit for your golf cart. We explain to you the different styles of lifts you can buy, and the advantages that each offer.
We also touch on the lift sizes, and give you some insight on what size lift to buy for the tires and wheels you plan on installing. If you are unsure about lift and tire sizes you can always reference our table listed under each cart manufacturer above.
If you have any questions regarding lift kits, or have any information to add, please leave us a comment below. We hope that this article has given you the right amount of knowledge to go out and get your golf cart lifted. Thanks for reading!
