Lift Kit for 96 Club Car

[bb98]

I have a 96 gas club car. It is just an off the course cart with no modifications. I want to do some upgrades for my son. I wanted to see what the best and easiest lift kit is to go with and what all besides the kit I need to purchase. I will be changing out the body, adding a seat in the rear, adding larger tires and want to add a radio. I found some of the kits come with the hd rear springs and some do not. I am trying to save some money and do the work myself so any suggestions would be great. Thanks

[dougmcp]

Simple small lift kits can almost be built by yourself to save money, how high do you want to lift the cart 4", 6", 8"?
What will the carts intended use be and what kind of terrain will it be used on?

[bb98]

I was thinking 6" and it will be used by my 10 year old son. Basic neighborhood but a little off road cause we live in a rural area. I am doing the work myself because of the amount of work I want to do to the cart.

[dougmcp]

For a 6" lift you will need to decide whether you want a spindle lift or an A arm lift, my preference is with the A arm.
Quality lifts are made by Jakes Lifts and AllSports and I would not recommend any others. They are usually in the $350 range.
I know that with a 10 year old, safety is probably a consideration and the A arm lift is more stable. I hope you understand that lifting a cart also changes the center of gravity and they have more tendency to roll over than a stock height cart.

Personal note: My intention is not to chastise but I would have some serious reservations about a 10 yo riding unsupervised.

[Stoney]

Personal note: My intention is not to chastise but I would have some serious reservations about a 10 yo riding unsupervised.

I agree. A golf cart probably falls under the ATV rules which require the operator to be 16 years of age or older.

[bb98]

He has been riding ATVs and dirt bikes since he was 5 and is a very capable driver. We had a lifted cart before this one and only sold it because it was battery and not gas and he also drives my lifted mule. He does not ride unsupervised. I appreciate the recommendation on the style because that was where I was not sure which one was the best.

[dougmcp]

He has been riding ATVs and dirt bikes since he was 5 and is a very capable driver. We had a lifted cart before this one and only sold it because it was battery and not gas and he also drives my lifted mule. He does not ride unsupervised. I appreciate the recommendation on the style because that was where I was not sure which one was the best.

No sweat bb98, I was not trying to pass judgment and didn't know if you were familiar. There's lots of people who don't have the common sense or have given the training that you have and just let the kids play.

Back to the original theme of the thread, the best ride and handling would come from the A arm lift, here are a couple of companies to look at:
Allsports: http://www.allsportsliftkits.com/?page=liftkit-ds
Jakes: http://www.jakesliftkits.com/jakes-clubcar-oem.asp

[Michael Eddie]

bb98, on the lift subject and custom fabricating your own.... See if you can get a detailed picture of a current lift kit on the market and custom fabricate the parts yourself from the pictures.

You could also consider purchasing a lift kit from a supplier, taking pictures of the parts and measurements, then return the kit for a refund and fabricate your own parts from scratch if you have the means. But this of course would be the A-Hole way

[bb98]

I plan to purchase the kit. Just wondering if I need to update the leaf springs since I plan to add a rear seat.

[dougmcp]

I would wait until after you add the seat to see if you need the extra spring support.
If you get tire rub you have a few choices:
1) Install HD springs or new OEM springs.
2) Install an "add-a-leaf" helper spring.
3) Build a longer shackle for the rear spring hanger.

[gokemon]

@dougmcp
Those were awesome ideas and thoughts about the custom work.

[ak47fan]

I have a 96 gas club car. It is just an off the course cart with no modifications. I want to do some upgrades for my son. I wanted to see what the best and easiest lift kit is to go with and what all besides the kit I need to purchase. I will be changing out the body, adding a seat in the rear, adding larger tires and want to add a radio. I found some of the kits come with the hd rear springs and some do not. I am trying to save some money and do the work myself so any suggestions would be great. Thanks

For a Club Car, the Z-lift is best IMO. You can make one yourself and the steering stays the same. A lot of guys will shy away from Z-lifts due to cutting the frame but my thinking is once its lifted it stays lifted. In all honesty besides the grossly overpriced longtravels, I dont like the other styles for Club Car. Plus you can make your own rear lift if your mechanically inclined.