Golf Cart Lift Kit Types
Drop Spindle Lift Kits:
Probably the most popular of all lift kit types: easy to install, affordable, and utilizes your cart’s standard suspension. Spindle Lift Kits/ “Drop Spindle” Lift Kits replace and increase your cart’s spindle length and size, giving your cart a wider stance and increased stability. The wider stance that Spindle Kits provide also allows you to fit larger “offset wheels” on your golf cart which will open up the possibility of using larger sized (wider and taller) tires on your golf cart as well. Basically, Spindle Lift Kits enable you to add those big custom wheel and tire kits you’ve always wanted on your golf cart.
We sell Spindle Lift Kits in both economy and heavy-duty styles, depending on how hard you plan on riding your golf cart once it is lifted.
A-Arm Lift Kits:
Golf Cart A-Arm lift kits are beefier than Drop Spindle kits and almost entirely replace your golf cart’s front suspension for a smoother and more comfortable ride and the ability to accommodate larger tires than you could on a stock setup. Heavy-Duty style A-Arm lift kits are the most popular kits we sell, and feature circular-tubing construction (stronger than square) to give your cart added rigidity that looks amazing as well.
A-Arm kits are easy to install, and dollar-for-dollar, give you the best performance for the price.
Drop Axle Lift Kits:
Drop Axle lift kits are a great economy lift kit solution, which replaces your stock front axle with a “drop-axle” design. A drop axle lift kit is designed with a longer than stock radius that tapers down to the stock spindles on your golf cart. This lengthens your axle height and allows you to replace your front axle while keeping your stock spindles. Most Axle Lift Kits are less expensive than Spindle Lift Kits, but will not ride as smooth as a Spindle or A-Arm lift kit will.
While they are not hard to install, Drop Axle lift kits do require slightly more time to install than Spindle Lift Kits as well.
Block Lift Kits:
Economy style block lift kits are easy to install and give your cart and instant boost in height. Typically 4” in height, Block Lift Kits add block-shaped steel pieces under your stock suspension to give your cart a skyward boost! This style of lift kit is inexpensive and effective, but only come in 4 inch height and won’t give you as much flexibility as Drop Spindle, Drop Axle or A-Arm lift kits. While effective, they do tend to provide a rougher overall ride quality.
Long Travel Lift Kits:
Long travel lift kits are the most expensive and most capable lift kits you can buy for your golf cart. These kits are not needed for most daily types of golf cart use. What makes long travel kits so capable is their independent front and rear suspension systems (with long bouncy springs). The extended springs found on long travel kits are used as shock absorbers when driving over extremely harsh or rough terrain.
Long travel kits are typically sold in lift sizes of 6", 7", and 8" heights - these kits are often referred to as Extreme Duty Golf Cart Lift Kits. Another kit type in this category is the coil-over lift kit. Coil-over lift kits are similar to Long Travel kits... but tend to only have an independent front suspension with a static/fixed rear suspension setup.
Golf Cart Lift Kit Heights
The most Common Lift Kit Heights:
3” Lift Kits:
3” Lift Kits are popular when adding up to 20” tires to your golf cart and come in many of the same exact styles that 6” lift kits come in (A-Arm, Spindle Lift, and Drop Axle). 3” Kits are the perfect height lift kit when you don’t want your golf cart to be much higher than stock, but would like to have the flexibility of adding a rear seat (extra weight on the back) and taller tires, without rubbing.
4” Lift Kits:
4” Lift Kits are usually Block Style (economy) lift kits that are easy to install and allow all carts to fit up to 20” golf cart tires without rubbing.
6” Lift Kits:
The most popular lift kit size on the market. 6” Lift Kits enable all golf cart models (EZ-GO, Yamaha, Club Car and more) to fit any of the wheels and tires available on our website. These kits can typically accept up to a 23” all terrain style tire, and give you plenty of extra space in your wheel well when riding around with extra passengers on the back of your golf cart.
Other Lift Kit Heights:
5” Lift Kits:
You might be asking yourself, “Why did we list 5” lift kits after 6” lift kits on our list?” --- to which we’d like to say, “Great question!”. 5” lift kits just aren’t as popular as other heights in our industry. We currently don’t list any 5” golf cart lift kits on our website, but these kits can typically accept up to 22” tires on Club Car and Yamaha Golf carts; and up to 23” tires on EZ-GO golf carts.
7” and 8" Lift Kits:
7" and 8" Lift Kits are considered Extreme Duty lift kits. These kits are designed for use in the most extreme environments and will typically be a long-travel or coil-over design (to help absorb the impacts of the big bumps / rocks they are used to drive over).
In Summary
When choosing your kit, you need to think about what is right for you (desired ride height, wider stance, other accessories (rear seats, cargo beds, etc.), the wheel and tire size you like best, etc. etc.). Once you figure those things out, it is as easy as picking the style and price you like best and ordering!
One important thing to note is that wheel size is not important when it comes to deciding “what will fit” on your golf cart with a particular lift kit (or without one, for that matter). The most important thing is tire size . A 20” tire will always be 20 inches tall on your cart (no matter what size wheel it gets mounted on…). A 10” wheel on a 20” tire is the same as a 12” wheel on a 20” tire… the tire thickness just changes.
So use the tire height to decide whether or not a wheel and tire combo will fit on your cart with your chosen lift kit.
Recommended Lift Kit for Your Golf Cart by Tire Height
Below, please find a general table we have made for you (by golf cart type) so that you know which wheels and tires you will be able to fit on the lift kit setup you choose for your golf cart:
EZGO Golf Carts
EZGO golf carts are the most forgiving when it comes to having space for wheels and tires. They can accept larger tires and wheels on a stock setup than most other golf carts (usually up to 20 inches without a lift kit).
18" Tires (common sizes: 205/50-10", 205/30-12", 215/35-12") No Lift Kit Needed
19" Tires (common sizes: 215/40-12", 205/30-14") No Lift Kit Needed
20" Tires No Lift Kit Needed (through 2014)
20.5" Tires (common sizes: 205/65-10", 215/50-12", 205/40-14") 3" Lift Recommended
22" Tires 3-4" Lift Recommended
23" Tires 5-6" Lift (6" recommended)
25" Tires 7-8" Lift Recommended
Club Car Golf Carts
Club Car golf carts are a little tighter on extra space on a stock setup, so using taller tires will definitely require a lift kit.
18" Tires (common sizes: 205/50-10", 205/30-12", 215/35-12") No Lift Kit Needed
19" Tires (common sizes: 215/40-12", 205/30-14") No Lift Kit Needed
20" Tires Will Need a 1” or 3” Lift Kit
20.5" Tires (common sizes: 205/65-10", 215/50-12", 205/40-14") 3" Lift Recommended
22" Tires 4" Lift Recommended
23" Tires 6" Lift Recommended
25" Tires 8" Lift Recommended
Yamaha Golf Carts
Yamaha golf carts are also tighter on space, like Club Car carts. One exception is the Yamaha DRIVE (G29), which can fit up to a 20” tire with no lift kit needed:
18" Tires (common sizes: 205/50-10", 205/30-12", 215/35-12") No Lift Kit Needed
19" Tires (common sizes: 215/40-12", 205/30-14") No Lift Kit Needed
20" Tires Will Need a 1” or 3” Lift Kit
20.5" Tires (common sizes: 205/65-10", 215/50-12", 205/40-14") 3" Lift Recommended
22" Tires 4" Lift Recommended
23" Tires 6" Lift Recommended
25" Tires 8" Lift Recommended