What size tire fits a golf cart with a 4 inch lift?

A 4 inch lift will generally clear a 22 inch tall tire. Wheel offset, tire width and the body brand all affect the real answer, so check your specific combination before buying.

How do I read a golf cart tire size?

A size like 20x10-10 means 20 inches tall, 10 inches wide, on a 10 inch wheel. A size like 215/35-12 is the automotive style: 215mm section width, a sidewall that is 35 percent of that width, on a 12 inch wheel, which works out to about 17.9 inches tall overall.

Do bigger tires make a golf cart faster?

Yes, but not for free. A golf cart has fixed gearing, so a larger tire diameter raises top speed by the same percentage it raises rolling diameter, while reducing torque at the wheel by that same percentage. The cart will be slower off the line and work harder on hills.

Can I put bigger tires on without a lift?

Only up to about 20 inches. Stock carts run an 18 inch tire and there is very little clearance. Anything taller than roughly 20 inches will rub without a lift kit.

Free tool

Lift and tire calculator

Tell it what lift you have and what tire you are looking at, and it will tell you whether that combination clears, plus what the change does to your speed.

Your cart

Tire size you are looking at

Speed change settings

Your current tire size

Current top speed: 19 mph

22x11-10 on 4 inch lift

That should fit

A 22 inch tire is right at the top of what a 4 inch lift will clear. It fits, but there is not much room for a wider wheel or an aggressive offset.

Overall diameter

22in

Taken straight from the size

Tread width

11in

Wheel

10in

Going from 18x8.5-8 to 22x11-10

Speed change

+22.2%

New top speed

23.2mph

Was 19 mph

That is a big jump. Expect noticeably slower launch, more strain on the motor and controller, and real trouble on steep hills. On an electric cart this is when people start talking about regearing or a bigger motor.

If your cart has a speedometer it will now read about 22.2 percent low, because it was calibrated for the stock tire.

These are starting points, not promises

The most popular size in the valley. Clears a 22 inch tire, which is the sweet spot for gravel driveways and pasture without making the cart tippy. Wheel offset, tire width, the brand of body and whether you have a rear flip seat all move the real number. Before you spend money on wheels and tires, call and describe your exact cart.

Check my cart: 406.270.9346 Lift kit installs

What a tire size is telling you

Width is measured straight across the tread, which is why it needs the second view. You cannot see it from the side at all. Both views are drawn to the same scale, so a 20x10-10 really is twice as tall as it is wide.

20x10-10

Overall diameter: 20 inches tall, measured right across the outside of the tire. This is the number that decides whether it clears your lift. (down the side view)
Tread width: 10 inches straight across the tread. A wider tire can rub even when the height is fine. (the front view)
Wheel diameter: A 10 inch wheel. This is the rim itself, not the tire, so it has to match the wheel you are buying. (across the middle of the side view)

A low profile size like 215/35-12 works differently: 215mm wide, a sidewall 35 percent of that, on a 12 inch wheel. That comes out around 17.9 inches tall, so despite the bigger numbers it is shorter than a stock tire. The calculator above does that conversion for you.

More lift, more tire

Lift and tire size go up together. Every inch of lift buys clearance for a taller tire, and the taller the tire the more the cart behaves like a different vehicle.

Four golf carts side by side, each sitting higher on larger tires than the last

Left to right: stock, then progressively more lift and more tire. The exact ceiling for each lift height is in the calculator above, because it depends on your wheel offset and body as much as the lift itself.

Common questions

What size tire fits a golf cart with a 4 inch lift?: A 4 inch lift will generally clear a 22 inch tall tire. Wheel offset, tire width and the body brand all affect the real answer, so check your specific combination before buying.
How do I read a golf cart tire size?: A size like 20x10-10 means 20 inches tall, 10 inches wide, on a 10 inch wheel. A size like 215/35-12 is the automotive style: 215mm section width, a sidewall that is 35 percent of that width, on a 12 inch wheel, which works out to about 17.9 inches tall overall.
Do bigger tires make a golf cart faster?: Yes, but not for free. A golf cart has fixed gearing, so a larger tire diameter raises top speed by the same percentage it raises rolling diameter, while reducing torque at the wheel by that same percentage. The cart will be slower off the line and work harder on hills.
Can I put bigger tires on without a lift?: Only up to about 20 inches. Stock carts run an 18 inch tire and there is very little clearance. Anything taller than roughly 20 inches will rub without a lift kit.