Golf Cart Wheels Offsets – What do they mean?
Here at Jason’s Golf Carts we are often questioned about offset golf cart wheels. Do I need a centered wheel? Will a negative offset wheel work with my lifted golf cart? Will a positive offset golf cart wheel work on my golf cart without a lift kit? Well, let us explain…
Whether you are looking at RHOX, ITP, Madjax, GTW, or any other brand of golf cart wheels, you need to understand what offset means. A stock golf cart generally comes with 8” wheels that are centered. This means that the mounting plate of the wheel is in the very center of the wheel. The mounting plate is the portion of the wheel with the four holes that the lugs go through. On a centered golf cart wheel the distance from the outside lip to the mounting plate is the same as the distance from the inside lip to the mounting plate.
When looking at aftermarket steel or aluminum golf cart wheels you need to consider what offset will work best for you application. Most people choose a negative offset wheel. On a negative offset golf cart wheel the mounting plate is not in the center, but rather is closer to the inside lip of the wheel. As a result, a negative offset wheel sits out from under the cart more than a centered wheel. On a positive offset golf cart wheel the mounting plate is closer to the outside lip of the wheel. As a result, a positive offset wheel is tucked farther under the cart.
The offset for both positive and negative offset wheels for Club Car, E-Z-GO, and Yamaha golf carts may be expressed in inches or in mm. If you see a wheel that says it has a 3:4 offset, it is a negative offset wheel. On this wheel it is 3” from the inside lip to the mounting plate and 4” from the outside lip to the mounting plate. This wheel will stick out from under the cart more than a centered wheel. An example of a negative offset wheel expressed in millimeter (mm) would be a -25mm offset. On this wheel the mounting plate is -25mm closer to the inside lip than a centered wheel. A -25mm wheel is very close to the same offset as a 3:4 offset, just expressed in a different way.
Applications for these different wheels is very important. Stock golf cart wheels are nearly always centered. Aftermarket golf cart wheels are nearly always a negative offset, which is required by almost all lift kits. Negative offset wheels also work on non-lifted golf carts and, in some applications, allow the use of a slightly larger tire without lifting your golf cart. Positive offset wheels are generally reserved for specific applications such as GEM Cars.
At Jason’s Golf Carts we try to make choosing the right wheels for you golf cart as easy as possible. Most of our golf cart wheel tire combos and golf cart wheel tire lift kit combos are design to work on your golf cart without worrying about fitment. To take a look at these combos or to build your own golf cart wheel, tire, lift kit (optional) combo, CLICK HERE.
