Replacing a flat or damaged tire on your golf cart can be quite costly. Fortunately, you can easily do it yourself and save hundreds of dollars. It’s a straightforward process. You only need to jack up your golf cart to replace a tire or perform any other installation task. But how do you jack up a golf cart?
Here are the steps to jack up your golf cart:
- Gather your materials, including a jack, jack stands, and chocks
- Find the jacking point on your cart and place the jack under it.
- Then, pump the jack to lift the cart and replace it with the jack stand.
- You can work on your cart, and once you’re done, you can lower it by using the jack once more.
Ideally, you should place your cart on sturdy ground like a concrete driveway. You must also turn off the cart’s power, engage the brakes, and chock the wheels.
In this article, I will show you exactly how to do this. I’ve covered all the steps involved in jacking up a golf cart and shared some tips and tricks to make the process easier and safer, so read to the end to make sure you don’t miss out!
5 Safety Tips for Jacking Up Your Cart
Although jacking up your cart is relatively easy and safe, it has a few risks. So you must follow all the safety precautions to avoid serious injuries.
Before getting into the details of how to jack up your golf cart, you should be aware of the following precautions that will keep you safe while working.
- Jack up your cart on stable ground instead of lawns or inclined surfaces.
- Avoid working on your cart alone; have someone nearby if you need help.
- Use chocks to prevent the cart from rolling.
- Slowly lift and lower your cart to prevent it from toppling over.
- Always check the weight limitations of your jack and jack stand to ensure that they can withstand the weight of your cart.
Read More: Best Golf Carts
How to Jack Up a Golf Cart? Step-By-Step Guide
Once you’re familiar with all the safety precautions, you can put on your gloves and begin working.
1. Gather Your Materials
Before jacking up your golf cart, you must gather all the required tools. These tools will allow you to carry out the task safely and efficiently.
Here is a list of all the tools you need to jack up your golf cart.
- Jack: Used for lifting the cart.
- Jack stands: These stabilize the cart once it’s jacked up. Jacks are only used for lifting and are not stable enough to hold your cart while working.
- Chocks: Chocks block the cart’s tires and prevent them from rolling.
- Cinderblocks: Although these aren’t our ideal recommendation, you can use them if you don’t have a jack stand for holding your cart. However, these are less safe and provide less stability than jack stands.
- Compact ground: Golf carts are heavy, and you must jack them up on solid compact surfaces like on a concrete driveway or garage. Opting for loose sand or lawn locations can make the process unstable and unsafe.
A. Tips for Choosing the Right Jack
I’ve been jacking up my golf carts and changing my tires for years. During this time, I’ve tried out several jacks, and my favorite ones have to be floor jacks.
Although they cost a little more, they provide excellent stability and can lift heavy golf carts easily.
You may think golf carts are lightweight as they can fit into truck beds, but some of them can be heavy. So you’ll need a tough jack that can handle your cart’s weight.
The Pro-Lift F-767 floor jack, in particular, is a top-notch, budget-friendly jack with a 4,000 lb lifting capacity.
Its 3.5 inches min-height makes it easier to fit it under your cart. So if you need a versatile floor jack that is easy to use and can lift heavy carts, then the Pro-Lift F-767 Floor Jack may be right.
B. Tips for Choosing the Right Jack Stand
You must pair your jack with the right jack stand to make the process seamless and safe. This will increase the stability of the cart and keep it propped up.
Not using a stand can make your cart unstable and topple, causing severe injuries. So, it is essential to use good-quality jack stands that can bear the weight of your golf cart.
My personal favorite is the Pro-Lift T-6903D double-pin jack stand. It’s a budget-friendly stand with sturdy steel construction that can easily withstand the weight of golf carts.
2. Preparing Your Golf Cart
Once you have all the tools and materials for jacking up your golf cart, you can begin the process.
A. Turn Off the Golf Cart, Engage the Brakes, and Chock the Wheels
You must turn off your cart before you jack it up. This includes turning off the power and removing the key. You can also remove the cart’s battery for extra safety.
Next, you must engage the brake and chock the tires.
Using golf cart wheel chocks will prevent the cart from rolling away, especially on lawns and inclined surfaces.
You must only chock the wheels you do not need to work on. For example, if you want to jack up the front wheels to work on the front part of the cart, you must chock the rear wheels and vice versa.
Chocking the wheels is extremely important to prevent your cart from getting damaged. Moreover, it also makes the process safe, eliminating the risk of the cart rolling and injuring someone.
B. Locate the Jack Points
You must locate the jack points to know where to put a jack. They are usually located underneath the cart. You will find them under the frame rail, in the cart’s rear or front end.
You can refer to your user manual to locate the jack points if you need help finding them.
C. Clean Around the Jacking Points
Grass, lawn debris, mud, and grit can collect around the jacking points, making it harder to jack up your cart.
So, make sure you properly clean the jacking points and the area around them to remove all debris and mud.
3. Jacking Up Your Golf Cart
Now that you’ve chocked the wheels and located the jack points, it’s time to jack up your cart.
A. Position the Jack Under the Chosen Jacking Point and Pump it Up
Take your golf cart jack and fit it under your chosen jack point. You can do this by sliding it under the cart’s frame.
Now, pump up the jack to lift your cart off the ground. Do this very slowly and ensure the cart is stable and doesn’t move.
B. Fit the Jack Stands
The jack will only lift the cart and won’t hold it in place securely! So you must use golf cart jack stands to hold your cart in place while performing maintenance work.
Once you’ve jacked up the golf cart high enough, you can easily slide in the stands under the cart’s frame.
C. Lower the Jack
Once the golf cart jack stands are in place, slowly lower the jack to below the level of the jack stands. This will force them to bear the weight of your cart. You can then put the jack to one side for later.
Try shaking the cart a little to ensure the stand sufficiently supports it and won’t topple over once you start working on it.
4. Maintenance Time
Jacking up your cart allows you to perform maintenance tasks at a fraction of the cost of professional repairs.
Whether you use a golf cart to move around the course or a street-legal model to explore your neighborhood, it will need a few repairs every now and then. And you’ll need to jack up your cart to perform these repairs safely.
Here’s a list of common maintenance tasks requiring jacking up your cart.
- Replacing a damaged or flat tire
- Draining the engine oil
- Cleaning your jack points and the underside of your cart
- Performing installation work
You should use your golf cart carefully and vigilantly to avoid needing frequent repairs. For example, you shouldn’t leave it plugged in for days or drive it recklessly.
Tips For Safely Working on Your Jacked-Up Golf Cart
Jacked up golf carts aren’t very stable and may injure you. Always exercise the utmost caution and follow these steps to keep yourself safe.
- Stop kids and pets from playing close to the cart after it’s jacked up.
- Place the jack and jack stand on a sturdy part of the cart, like the frame, which can handle a lot of pressure. A weaker part may be unable to bear the stress and get damaged.
- If the cart becomes wobbly while changing the tires, you may need to stabilize it more. However, there should be no trouble if it’s not slipping off the stand/jack.
- Lift the golf cart to the minimum height required for completing the job. Raising it to a higher height decreases stability and increases the chances of injuries.
5) Lowering Your Golf Cart
Lowering the golf cart requires the same steps as raising it. You should slide the jack under the golf cart’s frame and pump it to raise the car until its weight rests on the jack rather than the stand. Once this is done, you can remove the stand.
Now lower the jack until the cart rests on the ground.
Safely remove the jack from under your cart, and you can begin using your perfectly functioning, well-repaired golf cart again.
Read More: Best Golf Cart Accessories
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Difference Between Jacking Up a Golf Cart And Lifting It?
Lifting a golf cart and jacking it up are two different actions. Lifting your cart refers to raising your cart’s height using a special lift kit and tires to provide better clearance.
On the other hand, jacking up a golf cart refers to raising it slightly above the ground using a jack and jack stand.
Will Jacking Up the Golf Cart Cause Any Damage to the Vehicle?
Jacking up your cart will not damage it if you follow the proper procedure and lift and lower it carefully. However, leaving your cart jacked up for days is not advisable as it may become unstable which is a health hazard to anyone nearby.
What Type of Jack Is Best to Lift My Golf Cart?
Floor jacks are the best for lifting golf carts. They provide maximum stability and can lift heavy golf carts easily as they have long handles that require less force for pumping. My favorite pick is the Pro-Lift F-767 floor jack. It is a high-quality budget-friendly jack with a 4,000 lb lifting capacity.
Where Do You Jack Up the Back of a Golf Cart?
You need to locate the jacking point under the frame rail at the rear end of the golf cart to jack up the back. Once you find it, slide the jack underneath and pump it up to jack up the rear end.
How to Change a Golf Cart Tire?
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel and jack the golf cart up, next remove the wheel and valve stem. You should then break the bead by pushing down on the tire as close to the rim as you can while it is on flat ground. Following this, remove the old tire from the rim. To fit your new tire, simply reverse these steps.
Final Thoughts
If you love golf carts as much as John Daly, you should keep yours in good nick. You can save a lot of money by doing repairs yourself, you just need to be able to jack up your golf cart, and the process is very straightforward
It’s as simple as fitting the jack under your desired jack point, pumping it up, sliding in the jack stands, and then lowering the jack so that the stands bear the weight.
Jacking up your cart and replacing a tire or conducting maintenance work shouldn’t take long. You can return your cart to a workable condition in under 30 minutes without help from a professional.
Remember to take all the necessary precautions and work slowly and carefully to prevent injuries. A golf cart jacked up may topple over if it isn’t well supported, so make sure to use a jack and jack stand that can support its weight.
Well, what are you waiting for? Grab your tools and lift your cart!
Abdul Moiz is a skilled golfer and professional writer. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad and has played golf for over 5 years. He has a handicap index of 18.5, uses TaylorMade Sim driver, and loves his 60-degree wedge. He's tested and reviewed over 50 products and specializes in reviewing budget-friendly golf club sets. You can connect with Abdul at X, LinkedIn, or Work.AbdulMoiz@gmail.com.
- Best score: 82
- Favorite club: 60-degree wedge
- Favorite ball: Titleist ProV1
- Dream golf vacation: Scotland