Changing Tire Size
 

I'm thinking of changing all 4 of my (2014 club car) 8 inch tires to 10 inch tires and would like to hear from people who have done this as to what problems or issues if any, they actually encountered.

Most likely the tires will rub against the frame. It all depends upon the the weight of the passengers, the current clearance and type of terrain when driving. When I had a Club Car, I used it for golfing, which was two passengers and lots of turns and bumpy conditions. I knew I would rub, so I installed heavy duty leaf springs in the back and a 1" spacer in the front. It's not a difficult job if you are mechanically inclined.

I did that on our 2015 club car. The front tires will rub in the wheel wells when you make a sharp turn or hit a bump. I fixed the problem by installing a modest lift kit to add a couple inches of clearance. The lift kit gives the cart a nice look and I still have adequate height clearance in the tunnels north of 466. On the downside, the lift kit stiffens up the ride a little bit. Good luck.

If you opt for "low profile" you will experience a harsher ride

Apart from looks, do you envisage any benefits from changing?

I was told that the ride would be smoother.

Changing Tire Size
 

The husband put two rear seats on the golf cart and at that time he also installed heavy duty leave springs so that's not a problem, thanks for the idea about the one inch spacers, I will supervise their installation too:read:.

IMO 500 dollars or so plus just to change wheel/tire size not worth on old club car. I would just drive it as is. But, that’s me.

Generally speaking, the "ride would be smoother" with bigger tires as opposed to bigger wheels with low profile tires.

OK, perfect. Now all you need is something like this:

Amazon.com

Installing this type of block is easy, so I would definitely change to 10" tires. It will provide better ride quality, a better overall look to the cart and 2 more miles per hour.

Performance wise, likely slower off the line but a higher maximum speed.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful replies. We have purchased 10" tires.

I have 8" tires and they do give a bumpy ride. Like another person said, just don't get "low profile" tires or you might get just as harsh a ride.

"smoother".. That concept is related to the overall diameter of the tire; and to the width of the sidewall.

A larger diameter tire normally would have a slightly larger contact patch with the road. It might not be as likely to react to uneven pavement to the same degree as a smaller tire. That is very minor though.
If the 8" diameter rim has a tire with wide sidewalls, but the 10" rim has a tire with a short sidewall then the diameter could be the same. Think of low rider cars, and the huge rims with very thin tires. Those are a terrible ride.

A wider sidewall will have better ability to flex. That is a smoother ride. A larger rim diameter might also trigger a smaller sidewall, and thus give a worse ride.

Lower air pressure will make the ride smoother. But then there are driveability concerns then come into play. Lowering pressure makes more of the tire sit on the road, and could make the tire less grippy because the load weight per square inch of rubber is lower.

Thank you for taking the time to share all that info:)

A smoother ride is not based on rim size, but on the amount of sidewall you have in a tire. (It's also based on shocks, springs, seats... but assuming those don't change we're only talking about tire differences).

If you go to a larger rim and keep the same circumference you currently have, you will have less sidewall on the tire, and a much harsher ride.

Consider the following scenario:

Original tire size: 215/60r8
Diameter: 18.2"
Sidewall: 5.1"

New tire size: 205/50r10
Diameter: 18.1"
Sidewall: 4.0"

The new tire is nearly the same diameter, but the sidewall is 21% shorter. This will translate directly to much rougher ride. You'll feel every bump and crack you drive over much more than with the old tire.