What Makes a Tire a GOOD Tire And Why Should You Care?

What makes one golf cart tire better than another? What makes one tire more expensive than another? Is it the quality of the rubber? Is it the quality of the manufacturing? It is the magical elements of the molding process? Yes, yes and yes. Without getting too technical, let us walk you through the benefits of buying high quality rubber to reduce the headaches in your life. Because you don't have time to worry about replacing your tires every two years.

What is a golf cart tire made of (what are the components)?

A golf cart tire is made much like a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The first layer of the sandwich is the rubber (the bread). The middle layer is a steel bead (the peanut butter and jelly). And the final layer is another piece of rubber (the other side of the bread).

One of these bread / filling / bread layers = 1 ply. Golf cart tires are made up of several layers (plys) totaling either a standard 4-ply or meatier 6-ply depending on the thickness of the tire. What does all this sandwich talk mean? It simply means that if you want to drive your cart off the beaten path (gravel, dirt trail, etc.) you should spend a little more up front and buy a 6-ply tire so you don't end up with a flat tire the first time you leave the golf course. That being said, 4-ply tires are industry standard and can handle curbs, dirt bumps, the golf course and most all street surfaces.

There are also different levels of rubber thickness represented by the numbering of your tires. The larger the second number in your tire size, the thicker the sidewall is. For example...a 205/50-10 sized golf cart tire is quite a bit less thick than a 215/65-10 golf cart tire, though both are for a 10 inch wheel. The "65" tire will be able to handle a bit more agressive terrain, but also costs more for this reason. The taller and softer the sidewall, the more the tire will absorb bumps. The shorter and more ridgid the sidewall, the better the cornering ability and steering response will be.

Again, without getting to technical...here is how tire sizes should be read:

Example - 205/50-10

205: This is the width of the golf cart tire (across) in millimeters
50: The ratio of the sidewall to the width (divide the first number, 205 by this number to get the ratio...the bigger the ratio, the meatire the tire)
10: The tire size in inches

See, it's easy!

The Quality of the Rubber

The quality of the rubber used in manufacturing is an integral factor in how much use and enjoyment you will get out of a purchased set of tires. A manufacturer who uses high quality rubber and durable steel belts in each tire layer (each ply) is the manufacturer you want to purchase tires from.

Purchasing low quality tires means you are asking for early-onset cracks and swelling spots in your tire. These cracks and air bumps lead to slow leaks and require you to replace the tires on your cart earlier than you would need to if you had bought better tires the first time.

How do tires work?

Golf cart tires are just compressed air jammed into a rubber (flexible) container. The job of this container is to keep your golf cart glued to the ground (provide traction) while creating a cushion between you and the terrain you are riding on.

So what are the best quality tires? How can I be sure I am buying good golf cart tires?

Lucky for you, the Golf Cart Tire Supply hand picks its stock to provide you with the high quality tires we use on our own carts. Order any of our golf cart tires with confidence and piece of mind.

Happy Riding,

Alex Sturwold