Golf Cart Tires Balancing
 

Can golf cart tires be balanced? I ourchased new tires fior the front of my golf cart. They bounce like crazy. The person who serviced my cart told me they are not designed to be ran on streets and I would not notice when on the golf course. This is my wife's cart and will be used mainily on the streets and trails. I've tried taking out a couple of pounds of air which helped a bit. Would it be less noticiable if on the rear? Better yet, can the tires be balanced!?!?

Make a few phone calls to different tire stores. And ask around for advice from your neighbors and maybe even the courses. However,we don't recommend any service by Tire Choice. Went there to have a nail removed from a cart tire and they tried to convince us we needed new rods...at a cost of over $600.00

I'd complain to the person you sold you the tires again.
They obviously have a problem. Our cart as well as the ones my friends own all go 19.5 MPH on the cart paths and do not have this issue.
Don't give up!!
If they tell you there's nothing that can be done, please post their company's name so we'll know to steer clear of their business.

Out of round is a concern, but balance at golf cart speed is not a worry. Always remember that if a guy has his name on his shirt, or sales in his job description, he/ she has her/ his eye on your wallet, and not your better interest.

Wheel Balance
 

I have a Model T Ford and i saw this in a catalog. https://www.modeltford.com/item/CA-6.aspx

3 years ago I bought new tires for my cart and had the same problem. I lived with it and after a long time the tires evened out and the bouncing stopped. I have not tried the beads but it is worth a shot. For the small cart tires one bag should be enough.

Those beads will help with out of round tires, but not balance. Balancing golf tires is an unnecessary exspence. Don't do it.

Mleeja: Yes and Yes. When I moved ere in 2006 the area was inundated with faulty tires that created the bumping you describe. Tires . at least for club car can be out of cast and caber balance and as such they will wear down quickly. Mine wore down from the middle outward

When a tire is out of balance, it can vibrate or wobble side to sie. Very unlikely for golf cart speed. When a tire is out of round, it will bounce even golf cart low speed.

If you have a jack, jack up the golf cart front, and spin the tires by hand. If you can see any variation in the outside (tread), you probably have bad tires. You can move the back tires to the front and repeat. It MIGHT be possible the tires were not seated correctly on the rims, resulting in the unbalanced or out of round condition. I hope this helps, if you want to discuss further, send a PM.

I would also check the front end bushings and tie rods ends for play. Might tell us what type, size, and brand tires you brought.

Is this on an EZGO cart? Dad's EZGO has that problem. We had new tires and rims changed by the dealer and it still has a bounce. My Yamaha has the same tires and they are fine. :shrug:

most don't have a torque wrench, but i have found if i torque the lug nuts to make sure each is at the same tightness, it has helped.

What type and brand of tires did you buy? Big difference between stock 8" turf tires and 10" DOT approved tires.

Thank you to all that have posted on my question. You are making a new guy fell welcome. I think after reading the posts, that my tires are probably out of round rather than out of balance. I have a Club Car DS. I know the "mechanical" parts are in good shape becasue I had the cart "rehabed" after I purchased. It looks like I may just have some bad tires, which is kind of what the service people told me. They are standard 8 inch turf tires. Which brings up my next question.... I think I read another posting, but can I install 10 inch tires on a club car DS without a lift kit?


Again, thanks to all that have replied. I am new and trying to learn as much as I can.

Mike

The nice thing about the 10" wheels and tires is that they are a much better tire. They are of higher quality and generally ride much better than 8" turf tires.

Don't know about needing a lift for a DS. Generally speaking, the 205x50x10 tires are about the same height as the stock 8" tires.

I can assure you that no matter what size tires you put on, they can still bounce. I had four sets on my new EZGO before it was acceptable. It was still not right but after 1000 miles it is ok, although there is still some bounce at times. My friend had 10 inch on his EZGO, mine are 12, and his still is terrible. It all comes down to whether the tires are out of round. The only true way to see is to jack the car up and spin them. You will see if they run true. EZGO told me that they spun 42 tires for the forth set they put on. I don't believe much that they say so that might or might not be true. So, before you purchase new 10 inch wheels and tires, jack your cart up and spin the wheels. You might only need one new tire to make it work.

No one goes to Tire Choice twice

My golf cart tires are balanced. I have two on the front and two on the back. It rides much better that way!

Ha Ha Ha Ha....... :-)

Excuse the question please, but where did you get them balanced?

Imbalance would never show up on a tire and wheel assembly at the speeds that golf cars are used.
Most tires on golf carts are made of nylon and this time of the year in cold weather
Flat spots a present from cart sitting. If the ride does not smooth out in one mile the tire has established a memory flat spot.
The better tires do handle the cold weather better and do give a round smooth ride.

Thank you Frank. I always look for your posts when someone asks a golf cart question. After much speculation we finally get an expert answer. I appreciate your generously sharing your knowledge.