Top 9 Off-Road Golf Cart Tires
August 15, 2023
Author: Christian Attlesey
Read Time: 3 minutes
While not the traditional choice for golf carts, off-road tires remain popular for many golf cart owners.
Whether you use your golf cart for chores on your property or for taking the kids on a ride through the neighborhood, off-road tires are a versatile and well-rounded option.
While these tires are popular, you may not know your available options or what off-road tire would work best for your driving application.
That's what we are here for! This article breaks down the nine best off-road golf cart tires. Let's dig in!
Here is a preview of the tires we cover:
- Arisun® X-Trail
- Excel® Sahara Classic
- Kenda® Terra Trac
- GTW® Nomad
- Wanda® All-Terrain
- Excel® Sierra Rover
- Duro® Desert
- Wanda® Gator
- MJFX® Raptor
Arisun® X-Trail
Starting our list is the tried-and-true Arisun X-trail, one of the most popular golf cart tires for 10 ", 12 ", or 14 " wheels. This tire boasts a popular zig-zag center tread pattern with wrap-around side lugs for enhanced grip and traction. Compatible with off-road and street driving, thousands of X-trail tires are on golf carts across the US.
- Ply-rating: 6-ply
- Tire construction: Bias-ply
- Available Wheel Sizes: 10", 12", and 14"
- DOT Certification: DOT approved
- Max Load:
- 20x10-10: 1,050 lbs. at 30 psi
- 22x11-10: 1,050 lbs. at 30 psi
- 23x10.5-12: 1760 lbs. at 36 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, pavement
Excel® Sahara Classic
Another of our best-selling off-road tires, the Sahara Classic, has a directional and slightly more aggressive tread pattern when compared to standard off-road golf cart tires. The tread lugs are thinner, providing plenty of edges to dig into the dirt or grip the pavement, while alternating extended side lugs ensure plenty of grip on sharp turns. Additionally, the Excel Sahara Classic tire has the broadest range of size options for off-road golf cart tires.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire construction: Bias-ply
- Available Wheel Sizes: 8", 10", 12", 14"
- DOT Certification: DOT approved
- Max Load:
- 18x9.5-8: 520 lbs. at 20 psi
- 18x9.5-10: 780 lbs. at 22 psi
- 20x10-10: 520 lbs. at 20 psi
- 22x11-10: 660 lbs. at 20 psi
- 22x11-12: 640 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10-12: 640 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10-14: 610 lbs. at 20 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, sand
Kenda® Terra Trac
Kenda has been making exceptional tires for over 60 years, and with that sort of pedigree, you know the Terra Trac lives up to the hype. With a unique tread pattern and massive load ratings, the Terra-Trac provides maximum traction and stability, even for carts carrying a large amount of additional weight from additional passengers or cargo. In addition, the Terra Trac is available with a 25" overall diameter, the largest of any golf cart tire.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire construction: Bias-ply
- Available wheel sizes: 10" and 12"
- DOT Certification: Not DOT certified
- Max Load:
- 18x8.5-10: 795 lbs. at 22 psi
- 23x10.5-12: 1320 lbs. at 20 psi
- 25x10-12: 1675 lbs. at 24 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, mud, sand, pavement
GTW® Nomad
This steel-belted radial tire is one of the most formidable golf cart tires on the market. Not only is the tire steel-belted (rare for golf cart tires), but the asymmetric tread is reminiscent of a tread pattern you would find on an ATV or UTV. In addition, the tire has integrated sipes throughout the tread, providing enhanced traction in wet conditions and a smoother ride. To learn more about siping, check out this article from Les Schwab.
- Ply-Rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Steel-belted radial
- Available Wheel Sizes: 12", 14", and 15"
- DOT Certification: DOT approved
- Max Load:
- 20x10R-12: 505 lbs. at 20 psi
- 22x11R-12: 640 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10R-14: 760 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10R-15: 760 lbs. at 20 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, rocks, pavement
Wanda® All-Terrain
Similar in pattern to the Arisun X-trail, the Wanda® all-terrain is an excellent budget tire for those looking to add an aggressive look while keeping some money in their pocket. With the common zig-zag center tread and triangular side lugs, this tire gives you everything you want in an off-road tire.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Bias-ply
- Available wheel sizes: 10", 12", and 14"
- DOT Certification: DOT approved
- Max Load:
- 20x10-10: 500 lbs. at 20 psi
- 20x10-12: 800 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10-14: 965 lbs. at 30 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, pavement
Excel® Sierra Rover
Another steel-belted radial option, the Sierra Rover, has massive siped tread blocks that provide plenty of traction on dirt or pavement. Reminiscent of a light-duty truck tire, the large flat surfaces of the tread lugs provide consistent ground contact keeping the drive quiet on concrete while the extra siping and outer tread lugs grip dirt, rocks, and mud with ease. Due to the steel-belted construction, this tire has premium wear and tear protection and enhanced tire flotation capabilities.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Steel-belted radial
- Available Wheel Sizes: 12" and 14"
- DOT Certification: DOT approved
- Max Load:
- 20x10R-12: 505 lbs at 20 psi
- 23x10R-14: 615 lbs at 20 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, rocks, pavement
Duro® Desert
The Duro® Desert is unique among golf cart tires in that it has a directional, pocketed tread design for extreme amounts of grip and traction. In addition, to the tread design, this tire is manufactured with a durable rubber compound for enhanced drive comfort. Lastly, what sets this tire apart is that it is available for 8" golf cart wheels, a rarity among off-road tires.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Bias-ply
- Available Wheel Sizes: 8", 10", 12", and 14"
- DOT Certification: Not DOT certified
- Max Load:
- 20x10-8: 265 lbs. at 5 psi
- 22x11-8: 340 lbs. at 5 psi
- 20x10-10: 825 lbs. at 20 psi
- 22x11-10: 330 lbs. at 5 psi
- 22x11-12: 815 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10.5-12: 1340 lbs. at 20 psi
- 23x10-14: 1130 lbs. at 20 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, mud, sand, pavement
Wanda® Gator
Born straight out of the bayou, the Wanda® Gator has one of the coolest-looking treads you can find on a golf cart tire. Combining large, squared tread blocks with a unique sipe design gives you a tire that looks great and provides the bite you've been looking for. One of the benefits of this tire is that by keeping the tread blocks flat and grouped closely together, you can drive this on the pavement with less of the "hum" of traditional off-road tires.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Bias-ply
- Available wheel sizes: 12", and 14"
- DOT Certification: Not DOT certified
- Max Load:
- 215/40-12: 760 lbs. at 35 psi
- 22x10.5-14: 910 lbs. at 20 psi
- Terrain: Hard pack, loose gravel, snow, rocks, pavement
MJFX® Raptor
The last tire on our list, the MJFX® Raptor, is designed for carts that are less like traditional golf carts and more like genuine off-road buggies. With a widely spaced, directional tire tread designed around popular ATV mud tires, this tire can handle everything. Due to the wide tread spacing, this tire maintains exceptional grip in mud, sand, snow, and hard-pack dirt, so you can confidently drive this tire anywhere and everywhere.
- Ply-rating: 4-ply
- Tire Construction: Bias-ply
- Available wheel sizes: 12", and 14"
- DOT Certification: Not DOT certified
- Max Load:
- 23x10-12: 977 lbs. at 12 psi
- 23x10-14: 909 lbs. at 12 psi
- Terrain: Loose pack, mud, sand, snow
Well, there you have it, folks!
While this is our list of some of the top performers of off-road golf cart tires, it is by no means exhaustive.
Plenty of other off-road tires are available for sale with their own set of unique tread patterns and driving benefits.
To see our whole range of off-road tires, click the link below!
As always, if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below or contact us directly; we would be glad to help!
...You probably know him as the humorous & relatable host of our YouTube channel!
Prior to taking on marketing, however, Christian honed his industry knowledge as our Customer Service Manager. Fast-forward to present day: it’s his mission to deliver the best and most current products, resources, and overall expertise to Golf Cart owners everywhere.