Owning a golf cart is a luxury, not every golfer has, and if you’re fortunate enough to do so then you must take good care of it to ensure it lasts a lifetime.
One of the most important elements of every golf cart is its tires as they are the only part of the vehicle that makes contact with the ground, and are the most likely to wear out the quickest over time.
A simple way to get the most out of your tires, before having to replace them with new ones, is to rotate them from front to back.
But you’re probably asking yourself: Why should you rotate golf tires? And how do you do it?
Rotating your golf tires will help them wear evenly over time, and increase their lifespan. It’s best to diagonally swap your front and rear tires annually to stop the tread from eroding on only one area. If your tires are directional, make sure you keep them on the same side of the cart when swapping from front to rear, or vice versa.
Directional tires typically have arrows indicating which way they should be configured and have specially-designed treads to direct water displacement away from the vehicle, rather than towards it.
Be sure to check whether your golf cart tires are directional or not before rotating them from front to back as it will determine whether they need to be kept on the same side, or can be swapped diagonally (which is best for improving longevity and ensuring the tire wears evenly.)
So, now that you know why golf cart tires should be rotated, you’re probably wondering how to do it. Well, the first step is to jack up your cart so you can begin removing wheels.
Where do you jack up a golf cart?
The best place to jack up a golf cart is on the frame rail as this is the most sturdy, stable part of the vehicle. After applying the parking brake, position the jack underneath the rail and slowly begin pumping of winding it up until the cart it safely elevated above the ground.
While you have the option of leaving the golf cart on the jack, it’s recommended to place a jack stand under another portion of the frame as it is far more sturdy and secure – and then once it’s in place, remove the jack.
Once your golf cart is safely elevated off the ground, and securely positioned on the jack stand, it’s time to remove the wheels.
How do you take wheels off a golf cart?
After elevating your golf cart using your jack, take a flathead screwdriver and remove the wheel cover. Then, take a socket wrench and unwind the wheel lug nuts following a star pattern (top first, bottom second, left third, and right last) as this will avoid warping any structural components. After replacing the wheel, reapply the lug nuts using the same method and replace the cover.