A golf car is probably one of the most versatile vehicles out there––you can drive one on a golf course, on a backwoods trail, or casually around the neighborhood. Due to their versatility, it can be difficult to find the right tires for your golf car when it comes time for a replacement. It seems like something as simple as tires shouldn’t present a huge challenge to golf car owners, but it can be surprisingly tricky. Don’t worry, here’s an in-depth guide to buying the right tires for your golf car.
How Do You Use Your Golf Car?
The first step in choosing appropriate tires for your golf car is to think about what you use it for. Here are a few guidelines:
Golf Course
The best tires for a golf course are soft tires with a shallow tread, so they won’t tear up the golf course.
Street
If you use your golf car mostly for driving on pavement, you should opt for a radial tire. Radial tires have cord piles that are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel.
Offroad
For the adventurous, offroad lovers, it’s best to choose tires with thicker tread to be able to handle the roughness of gravel and dirt trails.
What Size Tire Should You Choose?
Tire Size | Height | Width |
205/50-10 | / 18” Tall | / 8” Wide |
205/65-10 | / 20.5” Tall | / 8” Wide |
205/30-12 | / 17” Tall | / 8” Wide |
215/30-12 | / 17.1” Tall | / 8.5” Wide |
215/35-12 | / 17.9” Tall | / 8.5” Wide |
215/40-12 | / 18.5” Tall | / 8.5” Wide |
215/50-12 | / 20.5” Tall | / 8.5” Wide |
205/30-14 | / 19” Tall | / 8” Wide |
Staring at car tire size numbers can feel daunting, but we promise these numbers make sense. Here’s the formula for an off road tire:
22 x 10-12––The first number is always the diameter of the tire. The second number is the tire width, and the third number is the wheel size. So, in this example, the tire is 22’’ tall and the width is 10’’ wide.
For street or turf tires, the sizing will appear very similarly to vehicle tire sizing.
215/50-12––The first number you see is the width of the tire in millimeters. The second number is the ratio of the sidewall to the width. So, divide the first number by the second number to determine the tire ratio.
Generally, stock E-Z-GO golf cars can accommodate up to 20’’ tires without rubbing, but stock Club Cars and G Series Yamaas will rub at 19’’. Newer Yamaha DRIVE model golf cars can fit 20” tires. If your golf car tires have worn out suspension, we recommend opting for smaller tires and installing a lift kit.
Tire Buying: Words to Know
Here are a few terms we recommend you brush up on before you buy a new set of tires:
Low Profile––Low profile tires generally accommodate bigger wheels and have skinnier sidewalls.
All Terrain––All terrain tires are similar to offroad tires. They have a deeper, more rugged tread.
Ply–A tire’s ply or load rating speaks to the thickness of the rubber or the load that can be carried.
Radial––Radial tires have cord plies that run perpendicular to the direction of travel. Many street tires are radial.
Tread Depth––The vertical measurement between the top of the tread rubber to the bottom of the deepest groove is the tread depth.
When buying new tires for your golf car, it’s important that you know before you go. Golf car tires aren’t too hard to understand, but with so many to choose from, it can be overwhelming if you don’t know much about them. That’s where we come in. If you need help choosing a replacement pair of tires for your golf car––let the experts at Diamond Golf Cars help. Contact us today!