Lift Kit for 94 CC DS with eye-bolt type rear shocks

KWA

Hello All!

I've got a 1994 Gas Club Car DS that has the following:

Front - No breaks and silver metal caps on the spindles
Rear - Mechanical breaks and eye-bolt style shocks

I've been doing quite a bit of reading on lift kit specs but always seem to be thwarted by one thing or another.

"This lift kit is only for carts with the black plastic caps on the spindles" or "This is lift kit only works on carts with the post-style shocks in the rear" or "This lift kit is for carts with brakes front and rear" etc. etc. etc.

I would like to run 20x10x10 or 20x11x10 All Terrain Tires so I only need a 3" or 4" lift. I want to preserve torque and add additional clearance more than I want to increase speed or height.

I was also thinking about adding HD springs in the rear when I add the lift.

Can anybody recommend a lift kit that will definitely work with my setup?

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

BGW

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Fairtax4me

Jakes makes a 3" spindle lift kit specifically for the 81-96 Gas DS carts. Try checking with some of our site sponsors for pricing.

If you add HD springs you pretty much don't need the shocks.

There are a few threads here where people have put in longer shocks, but I'm not sure of exact details on those. Hopefully someone with more experience with lifting the older carts will chime in.

The major difference in the lifts for the two different shock types is the mounting plate where the shock attaches to the axle.
The shock mount is built into the engine/axle cradle on yours.
But the newer carts have a different cradle design, and the shock mount is part of the tie-plate for the U-bolts which is separate from the cradle.
The biggest issue you may run into after installing a lift and HD springs is you may end up with belt chatter when starting out due to changing the spacing between the drive and driven clutches. There is also a small brace that attaches from the transmission to the cradle that keeps the transmission/axle from rocking forward which you will need to remove and will probably need to lengthen or make a new brace. I'm not sure if any of the lift kits for the older carts have a new brace in the kit.


The other difference is on 2004ish? and up DS and Precedent carts is they changed the front hub and wheel bearing design, which also use a different size spindle. Newer spindles have a 20mm diameter, 3.5" long spindle shaft and use sealed ball bearings in the hubs. These will have a black plastic cap on the end.
The older spindles have a 3/4'" diameter by 4.5" long spindle shaft, and use tapered roller bearings in the hubs. These have a metal cap on the end. They are serviceable, and do need to be re-packed with grease occasionally, but the older spindle design is much better IMO.
I have several carts in the 92-94 year range still rolling on their original hubs and wheel bearings.
I have an 08 DS cart with the newer style spindle that I've already had to replace both hubs, one because of bad bearings, one because the hub actually cracked. Cracked or broken hubs are quite common with the newer design.

KWA

Thanks for the input! Yeah, it seems to me that my main issue revolves around lifting the rear more than the front. I did see that Jake's and RHOX have a 3" spindle lift but I will need to call them about how the rear is done. It is my understanding that their plate has to be bent at 90 degrees to accommodate the existing shock. This almost sounds like an afterthought on the design. I am hoping they have a kit that already addresses the rear shock issue and has a rear plate fabricated accordingly. It just doesn't sound like "bending a tab" and then mounting my shock to it would be very strong. If I can bend it myself how strong can it be?

I will continue to research and post what I find or what becomes my final resolution if any.

superpro56

I just put a double A-Arm lift from Jakes on my 96CC DS. No issues at all. The instructions did show a post style shock mount, but the kit included hardware (bolts & mounting plate) that accommodates the eye bolt shock.

KWA

That's good news. What is the height of your lift and/or kit number? I'd like to look it up.

Thanks!

Is it this one by any chance?

Jake's 4" Double A-Arm Lift for Club Car DS 82-96 Gas

Double a-arm design
First class quality welds make Jake's the safest lift kits available
Lengthens wheelbase for added stability
No cutting or welding
Made in the U.S.A.
Comes with detailed instructions and all necessary hardware
High gloss powder coat provides you with a long lasting new look
Requires wheels 10" or above
Accepts up to 23x10.5x12 wheels/tires

superpro56

That's the one, Jake's item #7464.

KWA

Thanks!

KWA

I also opened an email conversation the other day asking the same question. This is the reply.

"Based on these specs, I have the following:
Item# 7464
Jake's 4" Double A Arm lift kit. This is designed for gas model Club Car DS from 1982-1996 With eyelet rear shocks.
The rear shock mounting plate is bent at 90 degrees in our fabrication shop in Pennsylvania is guaranteed strong and will serve you well."

So this is definitely one option for the 1994 Gas CC DS

KWA

More email info on this particular 4" lift.

"Although there is a "recommended" size tire and wheel, Jake's engineers assure that even your stock 18" tire on an 8" wheel will even work! Just do not exceed 23" tire on a 12" wheel."

That give you a lot of combinations to chose from!

superpro56

I wish I would have went with 23" tall tires, but I went off from Golf Cart Tire Supply recommendation not to exceed 22" tall tires with a 4" lift and settled on 20x10x12 tires. I didn't like the 22" tall "crawler" tires, so I went down a size. Now that I see them on the cart with the lift, I'm sure 23's would have fit fine.