Best golf cart lift kits: spindle, A-arm and long-travel compared
A lift kit is three to six inches of height, a wider stance and room for 22 or 23 inch tires. These are the kits that fit cleanly on the common carts, from the cheap spindle lift that most owners should buy to the long-travel kit for a cart that sees trails.
We pick from published specs, maker instructions and what owners report. We may earn a commission from links on this page; it never changes what we recommend. How we choose
Key takeaways
- For pavement and 20 to 22 inch tires, a 3 inch spindle lift for about $250 is enough.
- An A-arm kit costs two to three times as much but clears 23 inch tires and rides better.
- Kits are sold per model: Precedent kits miss the DS, TXT kits miss the RXV, and 2014-up TXTs differ.
- Bigger tires gear the cart taller, so expect two or three mph more on the flat and slower hills.
Our picks at a glance
Prices are estimates as of Oct 17, 2026
- 1Best overallJake's 3 inch spindle lift kitClub Car Precedent 2004 and later, Club Car DS 1982 to 2013 and EZGO TXT 1994 to 2013 as separate kits; check the year rangeabout$180–$350
- 2Best value A-armGTW 4 inch A-arm lift kit, Club Car PrecedentClub Car Precedent, Onward and Tempo 2004 and later (electric and gas)about$400–$600
- 3For EZGO TXTMadJax 6 inch A-arm lift kit, EZGO TXTEZGO TXT 2001.5 to 2013 and 2014 and later as separate kits; also Medalist and TXT-based Expressabout$500–$800
- 4For EZGO RXVJake's 6 inch A-arm lift kit, EZGO RXVEZGO RXV 2008 to 2015 and 2016 and later as separate kitsabout$600–$900
- 5For YamahaGTW 6 inch A-arm lift kit, Yamaha Drive and Drive2Yamaha Drive (G29) 2007 to 2016 and Drive2 2017 and later; G14 to G22 need a G-series kitabout$500–$800
- 6For trails and rough groundJake's Long Travel 6 inch lift kitClub Car Precedent 2004 and later, EZGO TXT 2001.5 and later and Yamaha Drive 2007 and later as separate kitsabout$900–$1,500
The picks in detail
1.Jake's 3 inch spindle lift kit
3 inch lift, replacement spindles and rear lift blocks, about 2 inches wider track
Fits: Club Car Precedent 2004 and later, Club Car DS 1982 to 2013 and EZGO TXT 1994 to 2013 as separate kits; check the year range
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- Cheapest lift on this list
- Keeps the stock ride
- Clears 22x11-10 tires on Club Cars
Cons
- Wider track can push wheels past the fenders
- 22 inch tires are tight on a TXT
Why we picked it
Jake's has made the drop spindle for long enough that most shops default to it. Three inches is enough for 20 inch all-terrains on any of these carts and 22x11-10 on the Club Cars, and because the kit swaps spindles and adds rear blocks without touching the suspension arms, the ride stays close to stock. It is the cheapest lift on this list and the one most owners should buy first.
Before you buy: Adds about an inch per side of track width; a 3:4 offset wheel can poke past a stock fender flare.
2.GTW 4 inch A-arm lift kit, Club Car Precedent
4 inch lift, new upper and lower A-arms, spindles, rear lift blocks
Fits: Club Car Precedent, Onward and Tempo 2004 and later (electric and gas)
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- Clears 22 inch tires with room to spare
- Corrected geometry rides better than a spindle lift
- Powder-coated steel with grease fittings
Cons
- Does not fit the leaf-spring DS
- Two to three times a spindle lift
Why we picked it
The Precedent already has independent front suspension, so an A-arm kit replaces the arms rather than converting anything, and a four inch kit clears 22 inch tires with room to spare. GTW is the house brand of a large distributor and the kits are powder-coated steel with grease fittings. A step up in ride over a spindle lift because the geometry is corrected rather than just raised.
Before you buy: Precedent kits do not fit the DS. The DS is a leaf-spring cart and needs a DS kit.
3.MadJax 6 inch A-arm lift kit, EZGO TXT
6 inch lift, A-arm conversion, heavy-duty spindles, rear lift blocks and hardware
Fits: EZGO TXT 2001.5 to 2013 and 2014 and later as separate kits; also Medalist and TXT-based Express
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- Clears 23 inch tires
- Rides better than a stock TXT
- Ships with every bracket and bolt
Cons
- Pre-2014 and 2014-up kits do not swap
- Steering linkage and brake cables need adjusting
Why we picked it
The TXT front body is tight, so it is the cart that most needs a lift before running big tires, and a six inch A-arm kit replaces the stock leaf-spring front with independent A-arms. That clears 23 inch tires and makes the cart ride better than it did stock. MadJax kits ship with every bracket and bolt, which matters on a TXT where the steering linkage and brake cables both need adjusting afterward.
Before you buy: The 2014 restyle changed the front end; the pre-2014 kit will not line up on a 2014 or later TXT.
4.Jake's 6 inch A-arm lift kit, EZGO RXV
6 inch lift, RXV-specific A-arms, spindles and rear lift kit
Fits: EZGO RXV 2008 to 2015 and 2016 and later as separate kits
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- Built for the RXV front end
- Clears 23 inch tires
- Instructions cover park brake and harness routing
Cons
- Costs more than a TXT kit of equal height
- 2008 to 2015 and 2016-up kits differ
Why we picked it
The RXV shares nothing under the front body with the TXT, so it needs a kit built for it, and Jake's has had RXV kits the longest. Six inches clears 23 inch tires. The RXV has an electric park brake and a sensitive AC controller harness, and the Jake's instructions account for routing around both.
Before you buy: An RXV lift costs more than a TXT lift for the same height. Budget for it rather than trying to adapt a TXT kit.
5.GTW 6 inch A-arm lift kit, Yamaha Drive and Drive2
6 inch lift, A-arms, spindles, rear lift blocks
Fits: Yamaha Drive (G29) 2007 to 2016 and Drive2 2017 and later; G14 to G22 need a G-series kit
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- One kit covers Drive and Drive2
- Lifts cleanly to 23 inch tires
- Usually the cheapest of the Drive kits
Cons
- Does not fit G14 to G22 carts
- Wheel combos may ship with the wrong lug nuts
Why we picked it
Drive and Drive2 share a chassis, so one kit covers a decade of Yamahas and the fitment is simple. Six inches is the common height for the Drive because it lifts cleanly to 23 inch tires without the steering shaft running out of adjustment. Jake's and MadJax make equivalent Drive kits; GTW is usually the least expensive of the three.
Before you buy: Yamaha wheels take 12mm x 1.25 lug nuts, not the 1/2-20 that ships with many combos.
6.Jake's Long Travel 6 inch lift kit
6 inch lift, long-travel A-arms, coil-over shocks, about 5 inches of wheel travel
Fits: Club Car Precedent 2004 and later, EZGO TXT 2001.5 and later and Yamaha Drive 2007 and later as separate kits
At Buggies Unlimited. We may earn a commission.
Pros
- About 5 inches of wheel travel
- Coil-over shocks soak up gravel and holes
- Owners say it changes the off-pavement ride
Cons
- Money you will not feel on pavement
- Heavier front end and more steering effort
Why we picked it
A normal lift adds height but keeps the stock two or three inches of suspension travel, so a lifted cart on a rough path still crashes through holes. Long travel adds real shocks and longer arms, and owners who run gravel roads, beach access tracks or hunting leases say it is the only lift that changed how the cart rides. On pavement in a neighborhood it is money you will not feel.
Before you buy: The shocks and arms add weight at the front; pair it with a wider tire and expect a little more steering effort.
If you want a lifted golf cart on 22 inch tires and you drive on pavement, buy a 3 inch spindle lift and stop reading. It is about $250, it bolts on in an afternoon, and it clears the tires on a Club Car and most EZGOs. The rest of this page is for the cases where that is not enough: a TXT that needs more front clearance, 23 inch tires, an RXV or a Yamaha that needs its own kit, or a cart that leaves the pavement.
All of this sits under the wheels and tires hub, where the hub page explains tire sizes; read it if “22x11-10” does not mean anything yet. The golf cart wheels guide is the next page after this one, because the lift decides the tire and the tire decides the wheel.
Spindle, A-arm or drop axle
Three ways to lift a cart, and your cart’s front suspension decides which are open to you.
A spindle lift replaces the stock spindles (the upright that the wheel hub bolts to) with taller ones, so the wheel sits lower relative to the body. Nothing else at the front changes. It is cheap, it keeps the stock ride and it gives three inches. It also widens the track by about an inch a side, which is why lifted carts look planted.
An A-arm lift replaces the suspension arms, or on a leaf-spring cart replaces the whole leaf-spring front end with A-arms and a new axle, plus taller spindles. It costs two to three times as much and takes longer to fit, but the geometry is designed for the new height rather than just raised, and the ride is better. Four inch kits clear 22 inch tires; six inch kits clear 23.
A drop axle only exists for leaf-spring carts, which means the Club Car DS and the EZGO TXT and Marathon. It replaces the straight front axle beam with one that dips in the middle, so the springs sit higher relative to the wheels. Cheap, simple, three to six inches, but the leaf springs stay and so does the ride. Red Hawk and the other Nivel brands sell them; they are a fair choice on an older DS that is never going to be a smooth ride anyway.
Every kit on this page also lifts the rear with blocks between the axle and the leaf springs, so the cart stays level.
What each lift clears
| Lift | Tire height | Typical sizes | Carts |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | up to 20 in | 205/50-10, 215/40-12, 215/35-14, 20x10-10 | Precedent, Drive, DS (TXT stops at 18.8) |
| 3 in spindle | 20 to 22 in | 20x10-10, 22x11-10, 22x9.5-12 | All three makes; 22 in is tight on a TXT |
| 4 in A-arm | 22 in | 22x11-10, 22x10-12, 22x10-14 | Precedent, TXT, Drive |
| 6 in A-arm | 23 in, sometimes 25 | 23x10.5-12, 23x10-14 | Precedent, DS, TXT, RXV, Drive |
| 6 in long travel | 23 in | 23x10-14 all-terrain | Precedent, TXT, Drive |
Tire height is the overall diameter. The hub page shows how to work it out from a 215/40-12 style size. Where the table says a size is tight, it means owners report rubbing at full steering lock with the cart loaded; it is worth confirming the specific combo against your cart on the fitment finder or with the seller before you order tires.
What changes when you lift
Ride height is the obvious one, and with it the step up into the seat. A six inch lift on 23 inch tires puts the floor about eight and a half inches higher than stock. Older passengers notice.
Speed and torque both shift. A 23 inch tire turns about 20 percent fewer times per mile than an 18, so the motor is effectively geared taller. On flat ground the top speed climbs two or three mph; on hills the cart is slower and the motor and controller work harder. On a tired set of lead-acid batteries that is the difference between making the hill and not. If you want the speed without the hill penalty, the faster cart guide covers controller and motor changes.
Steering gets heavier with wider tires and the toe setting needs resetting after any lift. The spindle lift keeps the stock geometry, so the change is small; A-arm kits come with their own tie rod ends and need an alignment. Both will wear the inside edge off a new set of tires in a season if you skip it.
Center of gravity goes up and the cart leans more in corners. The wider track from the kit and a 3:4 offset wheel pull some of that back, which is why the two are sold together.
Headlights, if you have them, will now point at the trees. Re-aim them. If the cart has a rear seat kit or is getting one, buy the version sold for lifted carts; the footrest and step are shaped for the height.
Which one for your cart
| Cart | Front suspension | Pick | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club Car Precedent, Onward, Tempo (2004 on) | Independent | Jake’s 3 in spindle or GTW 4 in A-arm | Easiest cart to lift; both kits bolt straight on |
| Club Car DS (1982 to 2013) | Leaf spring | Jake’s 3 in spindle, or a DS 6 in A-arm kit | Drop axle is the budget route; DS kits are not Precedent kits |
| EZGO TXT (1996 to 2013) | Leaf spring | MadJax 6 in A-arm | 3 in spindle works for 20 in tires; 22 and 23 want the A-arm |
| EZGO TXT (2014 on) | Leaf spring | MadJax 6 in A-arm, 2014-up kit | Different front end from the earlier TXT |
| EZGO RXV (2008 on) | Independent, RXV-specific | Jake’s 6 in RXV kit | 2008 to 2015 and 2016-up kits differ; nothing from a TXT fits |
| Yamaha Drive, Drive2 (2007 on) | Independent | GTW 6 in A-arm | One kit covers Drive and Drive2 |
| Yamaha G14 to G22 (1995 to 2007) | Independent | Jake’s or GTW G-series kit | Separate from Drive kits; confirm the G number |
If you are not sure which family your cart is, the fitment pages for Club Car, EZGO and Yamaha explain how to read the serial plate. The split that catches most people is TXT versus RXV: they are both EZGOs of the same years and they share almost no suspension parts. The RXV upgrades page lists what is RXV-only.
Install: two to five hours
A spindle lift is about two hours with hand tools, a jack and stands. Pull the front wheels, unbolt the hub from the spindle, swap the spindle, refit, then do the rear blocks with the axle supported on a jack. The kit instructions have the torque figures; use them, because a loose spindle nut is the one thing on a cart that will hurt you.
An A-arm kit is four to five hours the first time. On a leaf-spring cart the old axle and springs come off completely and the new arms bolt to brackets on the frame; on a Precedent or Drive the old arms unbolt and the new ones go in their place. Expect to adjust the brake cables (the rear blocks pull them tight), reset the toe with a tape measure, and recheck every bolt after the first ten miles.
Long-travel kits add shock mounting and can take most of a day. If you are not comfortable setting toe and torquing suspension bolts, this is the kit to have a shop fit; the kit cost plus $300 to $600 in labor is normal.
One more thing: check the cables and the battery hold-downs before you drive it. Lifting the rear puts the batteries higher and a loose hold-down will let a battery shift in the first hard corner.
Lift or no lift
If the honest reason is looks and 12 inch wheels, you do not need a lift. A 215/40-12 street tire on a 12 inch aluminum wheel changes the look of a cart more than anything else you can do for $600, and it fits every common cart stock. Go to the wheels guide and skip this page.
If the reason is tires over 20 inches, a rough driveway, a beach path, or a cart that gets loaded with four adults on sand, lift it. Spindle for pavement, A-arm for everything else.
Questions owners ask
How much does a golf cart lift kit cost installed?
The kit is about $180 to $350 for a spindle lift and $400 to $900 for an A-arm kit. Shops charge roughly $200 to $400 for a spindle install and $300 to $600 for an A-arm kit, plus an alignment. So a lifted cart on new 22 inch tires and 12 inch wheels is usually $1,200 to $2,200 all in, before any body work.
Can I lift a cart without buying new tires?
Yes, but it looks odd and the stock 18 inch tires sit in a gap. The point of a lift is to clear 20 to 23 inch tires. If you only want height for ground clearance on a rough drive, a 3 inch spindle lift with the stock tires does that.
Does a lift kit void the warranty on a new cart?
On a cart still under the maker's warranty, a lift can give the dealer grounds to deny a suspension or steering claim. Club Car and EZGO both sell factory-lifted models for that reason. On anything more than a few years old it is not a concern.
Will a lifted cart tip over?
A lifted cart is less stable than a stock one, and a six inch lift on 23 inch tires raises the seat by the best part of a foot. Take corners slower, especially on side slopes, and do not put a rear seat with two adults on a lifted cart and drive it like it is stock. The wider track that most kits add helps, which is one reason a 3:4 offset wheel is standard on lifted combos.
Is a spindle lift or an A-arm lift better?
For a cart on pavement that wants 20 to 22 inch tires, the spindle lift at a third of the price. For 23 inch tires, a better ride or any off-pavement use, the A-arm kit. The drop-axle kits sold for leaf-spring DS and TXT carts sit between the two in price and height but keep the leaf springs, so the ride does not improve.
Not sure it fits your cart?
Pick your make, model and year. We'll tell you the voltage and which parts fit.
Keep reading
All wheels & tires guides
Best golf cart wheels: 10, 12 and 14 inch sets that fit without a lift
Every golf cart wheel from the big three makes shares the same 4x4 bolt pattern, so the question is never whether a wheel fits the hub. It is whether the tire on it clears the body. These are the wheel and combo sizes that do, with and without a lift.
Best picks · 6 picksUpdated Nov 5, 2026
Club Car Precedent upgrades: the ten most popular, in order
The Club Car Precedent has been built since 2004, is 48V on every electric version, and has had three electrical generations that matter for parts: IQ to mid-2008, Excel from mid-2008, and Excel with ERIC charging from about 2014, plus gas versions. Almost every aftermarket part is sold in a Precedent version that fits 2004 and later in one run; the exceptions are light kits, which split around 2008 when the bumper changed, and anything that plugs into the controller, which depends on the generation on your serial plate.
Parts by cartUpdated Nov 5, 2026
EZGO RXV upgrades: what fits, what it costs, what to do first
The EZGO RXV has been built since 2008 with a 48V AC-drive electric system, independent front suspension and an electric park brake, plus gas versions and the ELiTE lithium versions from about 2017. Its lift kits, rear seats, windshields, light kits and battery trays are all RXV-specific; TXT parts do not fit. Most RXV body parts fit 2008 to present, with light kits often split around 2016 when the nose was restyled.
Parts by cartUpdated Nov 5, 2026
