Why lifted?

[BuggieNoob]

I've just started browsing these forums, starting with the Icon forum - as that was a cart that recently caught my eye. I see so many people talking about buying i40L's or i60L's. Why? I don't understand the appeal of a lifted cart. What is the reason why people are buying lifted golf carts - especially lifted ICONs.

[ATrain]

I think it's personal preference.

One pure difference for the I40L vs I40 is the lifted can hold 8 batteries if the dealer mounts the onboard charger beneath the cart. The non-lifted does not have enough clearance for 8 batteries so you're stuck with 6.

I was going to get a non-lifted one but I really wanted 8 batteries. Lifted has fender flares too and a little more aggressive looking tires. You can also slide under it without needing a car jack.

For the non-lifted though, it felt more like I could maneuver into tighter parking spots and it felt a little more low-profile on the road so I wouldn't grab so much attention. I live near the beach in SD and at times there can be tons and tons of people and they want to talk to you, or drunk college kids try to jump on, or skateboard kids grab the back of it and slingshot, or girls asking for rides, etc. Sometimes the lower profile means you can kinda just do your own thing without making a scene.

Here's the big benefit, I think, for non-lifted. At high speeds I would expect it to feel more stable and when loaded full of people, I'd also expect it to be FAR more stable. So if you plan on often having 4 adults and turning the speed up, the non-lifted probably would give a better ride.

Before adding the wheel spacers on the I40L, if it was full of people at high speed, it literally gets speed wobbles and slight movements made it feel like a boat on the water. The wheel spacers definitely helped that a lot, but non-lifted still would be better.

[CartsRFun]

My I40 is the result of a trade. My previous cart had 8 six volt Crown
agm 260ah batteries that I wanted transferred to my new cart.

In order to accomplish this, the onboard charger on my I40 had to go.
Plus that it did not have the correct profile to charge my Crown agms.

So my dealer rigged the charge port to take dc instead of ac. The local
distributor who handles Crown also handles Dual Pro chargers. I wound up
getting an Eagle Pro charger. However the distributor, Lee Fisher; had
a specific to Crown agms profile installed on my new charger...and doing
a very fine job of keeping my Crown agms topped off.

Atrain is correct about the I40 not being able to take 8 6 volt batteries.
Yet I felt that an alternative to an onboard charger...an outboard charger
with a modification to the charge port is plausible.

Lifted ICONS are super sharp looking...but would not clear my shed
door for storage...so I had to go with I40...

Best wishes friend
Happy cartin'

[ATrain]

Oh ya clearance is a thing. My lifted carts barely clear my garage door.

[Theorangeman]

I was considering a lifted cart, but after driving one and seeing other lifted carts on the golf course, I'm electing to purchase a non-lifted one. I like being lower to the ground - the lifted just feels bigger, particularly if you also have the larger/nobby tires. Also, because it sits up higher, it's not as easy to get golf clubs out of your bag, especially if you're only 5'7" like myself. The last reason I'm going with a non-lifted cart is that I think it's easier to handle. That's important as I have two younger kids who will eventually want to drive it.

[jeffahfah]

i do a fair amount of popping curbs and there are gravel paths around that have massive pot holes. I can hear the bottom hitting with a lifted so non lifted would be a no go. Can I make due with non lifted? Yeah, barely a cost difference and makes up for it in convenience.

Lifted carts don't drive as nice as the non lifted (partly due to the tires) but the trade off is "go anywhere" if you have the grounds for that.

[Theorangeman]

Originally Posted by jeffahfah

i do a fair amount of popping curbs and there are gravel paths around that have massive pot holes. I can hear the bottom hitting with a lifted so non lifted would be a no go. Can I make due with non lifted? Yeah, barely a cost difference and makes up for it in convenience.

Lifted carts don't drive as nice as the non lifted (partly due to the tires) but the trade off is "go anywhere" if you have the grounds for that.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. If my driving conditions were like yours, I would definitely go with a lifted one. 80% of my use will be on the golf course and the other 20% on nicely paved streets. The lifted carts definitely make sense for off road driving or like what you described. Some guys on my golf course have lifted ones more because of the look.

[thelandposse]

I bought mine for two main reasons, looks and programmability. Not a fan of the tires though. Can't wait until the nubs get down a little more so I can get those street tires that were posted in another thread.

If you don't like lifted then don't buy lifted. Seems pretty simple to me.

[Wheelers]

Definitely test drive both lifted and non lifted before you buy. I went in thinking "lifted...duh". But after driving them both, 4 seater vs 6, etc. the CLEAR winner for my street use was a non lifted i40.

My only beef would be wanting for a little taller street tire with more sidewall. The 12" wheels and 35 series tires are little harsh, especially when riding solo.

[jmyork]

I went with the lifted mostly due to the more aggressive look. It barely clears into my garage though which might be an issue for some.