Owning a golf cart is a luxury not enjoyed by every golfer, and if you are one of the fortunate few, it is important to take good care of your golf cart to ensure it has a longer lifespan.
Tires are one of the most crucial elements of every golf cart as they are the only vehicle parts that have contact with the ground and will most likely wear out the quickest over time. Here is all you need to know about golf cart tires.
How Long Do Golf Cart Tires Last?
Golf cart tires have a general lifespan of between 2-3 years. This is further influenced by the type of terrain you drive them on – pavement-regular tires last longer than off-road tires. Tire pressure also affects golf cart tires lifespan – underinflation means they wear faster while overinflation means they wear unevenly.
Keep reading to get an in-depth understanding of all things golf cart tires, including when to rotate them, what size to get, how much it costs to replace them, and more!
How Often Should You Rotate Golf Cart Tires?
Your golf cart tires will need to be rotated at least once a year, particularly if you drive on the pavement a lot.
Golf cart tire rotation allows the tires to wear uniformly over time, thus, increasing their durability.
It is important to switch your front and back tires every year to stop the tread from wearing out in only one area.
Directional tires should only be kept on the same side of the cart in case you swap from to the rear.
Directional tires usually have arrows that show which way they should be installed and include specially-designed treads which direct water displacement away from the vehicle.
Prior to rotating your golf cart tires from front to rear, double-check that they are directional.
This will be an indication as to whether they should be kept on a similar side or be swapped diagonally which is crucial in improving durability and ensuring the tires erode uniformly.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Golf Cart Tire?
A whole set of four golf cart tires costs between $200 and $500. The average price of a good tire should be approximately $70.00.
If you want to buy a tire without the rim, it will cost you approximately $30 to $50, while the rim by itself will cost you about $25 to $35.
Purchasing a golf cart tire and rim takes a great deal of research and forethought because golf carts have three different kinds of tires: turf or street tire, knobby or off-road tire, and all-terrain.
All these tires serve different purposes depending on the terrain they’re intended to be used on.
What Size Tires Can I Put On My Golf Cart?
Most golf cart tires are standardized since most of these vehicles are of similar size and require tire widths and heights that are also the same.
A typical golf cart requires an 18-inch-tall tire with an 8-inch width. Normal golf cart tire dimensions are usually 18 inches tall by 8 to 8.5 inches wide.
However, depending on the lift of the cart, certain golf carts will require somewhat different sizes.
For instance, some people prefer golf carts that are raised higher off the ground, and a larger tire would be needed in this case. These are available in sizes ranging from 18.5 to 20.5 inches.
If you want a golf cart that rides closer to the ground, you might opt for a shorter tire that’s between 17 and 17.9 inches in diameter.
What Do The Numbers On A Golf Cart Tire Mean?
After deciding the size of tire you should get, you then need to learn to read the measurements on the tires themselves.
A typical 18-inch by 8-inch golf cart tire, for example, is designated as a 205/50-10 tire: the 205 refers to the golf cart tire’s width in millimeters (which is equal to 8 inches).
The ratio of the sidewall to the width of the tire is 50, which is derived by dividing the tire’s width by the sidewall’s length.
The diameter of the wheel in inches is 10.
This might be confusing for a first-time golf cart tire buyer. As a result, it’s advisable to use a golf cart tire size chart.
How Much Faster Are Golf Carts With Bigger Tires?
You can increase the speed of your golf cart by increasing tire sizes and upgrading your tires, and it’s considered one of the most cost-effective and simple strategies for doing this.
It is an ideal solution for both gas and electric golf carts when used in the same way. The ultimate effect of installing a bigger diameter tire on your golf cart is a greater peak speed.
With no additional modifications such as a new motor, speed controller, or other changes, bigger golf cart tires (between 20 to 24 inches) offer an extra 2 to 4 mph (3 to 6 km/h) of speed depending on the tire size.
What PSI Should Golf Cart Tires Be?
Golf cart tires recommend anywhere between 15 and 25 pounds per square inch (PSI), with a 20 to 22 PSI average.
It’s usual to under-inflate tires on golf carts that are driven off-road or on rougher terrain to get more grip, but they would wear out quickly.
If you deliberately drive your golf cart with low tire pressure, inspect the treads and sidewalls for uneven wear on a regular basis.
Tires that are over-inflated have too much pressure and can cause an uncomfortable ride because when not enough tread makes contact with the ground, the center wears faster, and the cart loses grip.
To know more, you can also see our posts on how much do tractor tires weigh, if you can replace run-flat tires with regular tires, and which tires wear faster.
Conclusion
Golf cart tires last between 2 and 3 years depending on how they’re used, and they should be rotated regularly to ensure even wear.
A set of four golf cart tires costs between $200 and $500, and it’s important to know how to read a golf cart tire and wheel size chart before buying them to make sure they fit.
Standard golf cart tires measure 18 inches tall by 8 inches wide, but you can get different sizes depending on the ground clearance you want.
Installing larger tires on your golf cart could increase its speed by a relatively small but noticeable amount.