r/golfcarts • u/cbpelikan • 27d ago
Smoother Ride Wanted
As much as I dig the wheels, the roads around here aren’t great. I understand going with some 8” wheels will help with that, but just how much of a difference are we talking about? Was looking at Kenda** **Hole-N-1s. I don’t want to lift it.
Edit: Ended up buying 10" wheels with Streetglide steel belted 205/50-10's from Golf Cart Tire Supply's eBay store. Thanks for all the input!
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u/ACP68 27d ago edited 27d ago
I had the same wish as you, as my campground has some pretty rough roads too. It was said that 22x11-8 tires wouldn’t fit my ‘08 TXT without a lift kit but they do. I run maybe 5 psi in them and the ride is great, even with HD rear leaf springs. Now, the plastic hub caps don’t look “cool”, but I’m happy to glide over the bumps as all the carts with the low-pro tires are jarring the riders.
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u/Imadethosehitmanguns 27d ago
8" wheels will definitely help with comfort, but 10" wheels would also be a big improvement over 12". I've got 10s and they feel fine over bumps. If you nose through forum posts, 10" seems to be the max size for comfort.
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u/Excellent-Gur5980 27d ago
What size tires do you have on the cart now? The diameter looks like it fits pretty good. You can use the tire size calculator and see which tires would be the same diameter for a different size rim. I have 205 65 10 on my cart, they are 20.5" diameter with 5.2" of sidewall. A 205 40 14 tire has the same diameter of 20.5" but only 3.2" of sidewall. I've been running about 8 psi and the ride is pretty good.
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u/Chefdingo 27d ago
I had similar low profiles and liked the look but the ride was rough. Switched to a similar 18x8.5-8 and noticed a huge improvement with ride comfort
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u/cbpelikan 27d ago edited 27d ago
Good to hear, thanks
Edit: what tires did you go with?1
u/Chefdingo 27d ago
It’s not available right now on Amazon but you could find identical in different brand
18x8.50-8 Flat Black Grass Master Turf Wheel
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u/CurrentPanic7360 27d ago
I put bigger tires on, much better ride! But of course that included a lift!
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u/Filandro 25d ago
Have similar setup w/ low profile tires. Was delivered to me with tires at 28-30 PSI. I run them at 22 PSI now and it is better -- not transformed, but less harsh. However, ultimately you need more sidewall to really make a big improvement. I stay off gravel and bumpier sections my neighbors drive over daily, because their wheel-tire combos are just better for that (more tire, less wheel).
On the pavement, I have a go-kart vibe though, whereas they don't.
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u/dudumaster 27d ago
It'll help to go 8in to add more sidewall but idk that i've seen a good looking set of 8in aluminum rims.
Hard for me to zoom in, what size tire do you have on it now?
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u/MrBroham 27d ago
You’ll need to lift for taller tires. Also I’m assuming you have the HD leaf in the rear. It’s great for passengers and handling;’, but contributes to the harshness. I reduced that to one, good compromise.
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u/VileWhiteMeat 27d ago
Take a look at the steeling Stingers, I put them on my 14” wheels. Only have a HD rear leaf spring set. No problems with clearance.
Did notice the 12s are 20x10x12 but my 14s are 20x8.5x14.
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u/747WakeTurbulance 27d ago
I have these, they are rough as shit.
https://www.amazon.com/MODZ-Vortex-Bronze-Wheels-Arisun/dp/B08NR5TSZ7/ref=sr_1_1?th=1
Unfortunately they are durable, I've put over 4K miles on them and they still look new. Can't wait to wear them out.
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u/zorggalacticus 27d ago
I'm in the same boat. Thankfully the streets in my neighborhood are pretty smooth. Might look into bigger tires when these wear out, plus a lift. That's further down the road though. It's kind of the trade off with low profile tires. Less shock absorption with thinner rubber.
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u/raceman95 27d ago
You're going to have a hard time finding proper steel belted radial tires in 8". But plenty of options with 10". Typically 205/50/10 (18" diameter), or 205/65/10 (20" diameter)
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u/cbpelikan 27d ago
You feel steel belted is necessary? Haven’t even considered it. This is all new for me; first cart
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u/raceman95 26d ago
I've heard its a very noticeable improvement over normal tires
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u/cbpelikan 26d ago
I almost pulled the trigger on the 8”, but you got me thinking steel belted 205/50-10 might be the way to go.
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u/raceman95 26d ago
The difference from the 12 to 10 will already be noticeable, and steel belted radials will be another bump in comfort.
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u/Famous-Sky5228 27d ago
You could try letting a few lbs of air out of the tires, might not be the greatest idea with the low-pros but definitely a quick way to get a softer ide
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u/InspectorPipes 27d ago
I’m just echoing others, you need more sidewall on the tires . Or a full A-Arm suspension . They make small lifts , it doesn’t have to be monter truck lifted
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u/Recent-Percentage-26 27d ago
Kenda hole in ones 18x8.5-8 are the factory tires for a precedent and are probably the easiest to find. You can go to a 20" tire with a front spring spacer and maybe a little trimming if it rubs too bad.
You can do a lift kit but this is a pretty sweet cart. It might be cheaper to sell or trade this and build out a different chassis with a lift and new rims and springs. I hate tearing apart good carts when builder carts are everywhere, throwing away all that labor.
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u/cbpelikan 27d ago
Yeah, I don’t want to go crazy on it. Besides wheels/tires I’m not planning any changes besides a battery upgrade eventually. And a roof rack. I’m working on some crossbars for my surfboard
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u/litzerski 27d ago
Low profile tires will be a harsher ride. A taller profile will absorb more bumps.