What do you need to know when purchasing replacement Lifetime Basketball Backboards?
The first point to always consider is that you must always match manufacturer with manufacturer. This means if you have a Lifetime Products basketball system, you will need a Lifetime basketball backboard. If you have a Huffy / Spalding basketball systems, you will need a Huffy / Spalding backboard. The reason for this is the mounting brackets that attach the backboard to whatever structure you are wanting are specific to the manufacturer. That means Lifetime mounting brackets are not compatible with Spalding backboards and vice versa.
The second point to consider what size of system you can get. In general, it is almost always safe to replace the same size backboard with the same size backboard. This is true because once again, the mounting brackets should remain the same as long as the manufacturer is the same. This is certainly true of Lifetime Products. Where it gets tricky is with Spalding basketball backboards. With Spalding, backboards smaller than 48" are almost always compatible with each other; but, backboards larger than this may or may not work with the same mounting brackets. To be certain, you should always contact a sales representative or the manufacturer to be certain you are getting the right backboard.
The third point to consider is the age of your current system. Manufacturers typically do not like to change their specifications much because they would be hurting their own sales for replacement parts. However, as time goes on, more and more new and better designs are created, which causes some older parts to become obsolete. You are generally safe with your current system if it is less than 8 years old. However, to be certain you should once again contact someone who has knowledge of your current hardware to be sure you are purchasing the proper models.
The last point to consider is if you have parts that are obsolete, do not despair. In most cases it is very cheap to replace your obsolete parts, such as the mounting bracket. For instance, the Lifetime 9594 mounting bracket typically sells for under . The adjustable 1044 bracket sells for under . Both of these systems can mount to a 3.5" diameter round pole and to wall. The 9594 can also mount to a roof top. Where this does get tricky, again, is with Spalding. Spalding has a series of brackets and poles they sell to mount their basketball backboards. Rather than go into an extended description of the various parts they have available, you need only concern yourself with a couple of things, and then leave the rest to your sales representative. Spalding brackets will only mount to a 3.5" diameter round pole, a 4" square pole, or a wall. They also have 1 bracket that will mount to a roof top. If you have any other setup than these options, you likely will not be able to use any of the available options. If you do not know what pole system you have, do not fret since most every consumer line basketball system features a 3.5" round diameter pole or a 4" square pole.
Have fun shopping!
