Rear paddles put power into the sand. Front sand tires help shape the way the machine steers and, with a front paddle design, how it pulls in AWD. Bring those choices together with the right wheels and you can build around the dune riding you enjoy, with the spoke design and finish you want.
Packard offers ribbed steers, front-traction tires and several rear paddle configurations, alongside billet-center, flow-forged wheels. The useful question is which combination suits your machine, load and riding priorities. Here is where to start.
This guide walks through that process using Packard sand tires and Packard Performance wheels available through R1 Industries. The linked tires and wheels are separate components. Check each product's selected configuration and quantity when building your setup.
Find the guide for your machine
For machine-specific tire choices and wheel checks, start with the matching guide:
- Can-Am Maverick X3 paddle tires and dune setup
- Polaris RZR Pro R paddle tires and wheels
- Can-Am Maverick R paddle tires and wheels
- RZR Pro XP, XP 1000, Turbo R and Turbo S identification
Choose exact Packard wheels for your parts list
Start with your machine's year, model and trim, then confirm the tire's approved rim width, wheel offset, hub and brake clearance. The choices below let you open a specific wheel configuration. Confirm the fitment for your machine and tires before ordering.
The Impact and Apollo links select a Silver / Black beadlock wheel with a Contrast Machined V.1 ring and no spinner cap. Open the product page for that selection's current price and availability. Changing a size, ring or cap changes the selected configuration.
- Impact, listed for Maverick R, 6x139.7: 15x7 wheel or 15x11 wheel.
- Apollo, 4x136: 15x7 wheel or 15x11 wheel.
- Apollo, 4x156: 15x7 wheel or 15x11 wheel.
Compare Cyclone and Element in a different finish: the options below are Midnight / Satin Black with a Satin Black V.1 beadlock ring. Confirm the exact wheel and tire fitment before choosing an alternative.
- Cyclone Midnight / Satin Black, 4x136: 15x7 wheel or 15x11 wheel.
- Element Midnight / Satin Black, 4x136: 15x7 wheel or 15x11 wheel.
Price and quantity: these are individual, wheel-only selections. The displayed product price is for one selected wheel; tires are separate. For a confirmed four-identical-wheel setup, select quantity 4 of that exact configuration. For a confirmed front/rear combination, select quantity 2 of each. Do not assign a wheel to the front or rear by width alone.
Need the combination checked? Call 801-899-2520 or text 435-500-9755 with your year, model, trim, modifications, exact tire models and sizes, wheel links, quantities and delivery ZIP code. Ask R1 to confirm fitment, required hardware, delivered cost, timing and the return/cancellation terms that apply to your order. Matching wheel diameter or bolt pattern alone does not confirm tire or vehicle compatibility.
1. Choose your starting point
- Dune cruising and flowing turns: start with your front-tire preference and normal passenger-and-gear load. Compare ribbed steers with front-traction options, then choose rear paddles suited to your power and riding style.
- Power-focused climbs or drag runs: start with the rear paddle configuration and your actual engine, tune, clutching or gearing information. Bring those details into the tire selection before choosing a wheel design.
- Keeping your existing sand tires: start with their exact model, size and approved rim width. That gives you a practical way to narrow the wheel choices.
Have your UTV's year, model, trim and seating configuration ready. Include passengers, fuel and carried gear when discussing loaded weight and load requirements. Mention any hub, suspension, brake or spacer changes, and describe the terrain you cross, including rocky or hard-packed access sections.
2. Choose the front and rear tires as a pair
Rear paddles: compare the whole tire
Rear paddle selection involves size, paddle shape, height and count, as well as carcass construction and weight. Compare the manufacturer's guidance for the exact version you are considering. A higher paddle count or an HO label alone does not establish that a tire suits your build.
At R1, Packard Sand Light rear paddles include a standard 1 1/16-inch paddle and a taller 1 5/16-inch HO paddle. That is a specific design difference to consider alongside your power and riding priorities. The Big Foot rear paddle range offers different size and paddle configurations. Start by comparing the options that meet your clearance and power requirements, then discuss the tradeoffs for your riding style.
Keep horsepower recommendations in context. Engine horsepower and wheel horsepower are different measurements; do not compare them as if they were interchangeable. Bring your actual tune and drivetrain information to the conversation, especially if you are choosing a more aggressive paddle.
Front tires: decide how you want the front end to work
A ribbed steer tire and a front paddle tire serve different priorities. Big Foot front steers provide a ribbed front-sand option. Packard Stitch front tires use angled paddles intended to contribute front traction in an AWD sand setup.
Look at the tread's job before comparing size labels:
- Ribbed steer: Sand Light front steers and Big Foot steers use a 1 x 1/2-inch steer rib. These are the options to compare when you want a dedicated steering-rib design.
- Front paddle: Packard specifies 3/4-inch angle-cut paddles on Stitch. Consider this design when traction from the front tires in four-wheel-drive sand use is part of your goal, and discuss how it will work with your rear paddles and AWD system.
- Rough Buff: Sand Light Rough Buff fronts are rough-buffed bead to bead and still have a steer rib. The preparation name does not turn them into a Stitch-style front paddle.
For the underlying designs, compare Packard's Big Foot steer specifications and Stitch specifications.
Choose the front design alongside the rear tires, with your drivetrain's requirements in mind. Have the front and rear rolling circumferences checked as a combination. Matching the printed height on the sidewalls is only a starting point.
3. Match the tire to the wheel, then the assembly to the UTV
Work through these checks in order:
- Verify the exact model and bolt pattern. Confirm the wheel configuration for your vehicle's year and trim. A collection organized by machine helps narrow the choices, but each selected wheel still needs a fitment check.
- Match wheel diameter. In a tire size such as 33x15-15, the final 15 identifies the required wheel diameter. The middle number describes nominal tire width. It is not an instruction to buy a 15-inch-wide wheel.
- Confirm the tire's approved rim width. Get the recommended wheel width for that exact tire, including its front or rear application. Do not infer it from a photograph or another tire with a similar size label.
- Confirm offset or backspacing. Read the measurement and convention used on the selected wheel. Check it together with wheel width and tire size rather than choosing by the amount of visible dish.
- Check the hub, hardware and clearance. Confirm center-bore clearance, lug-seat compatibility, correct lug hardware and brake clearance. Have tire clearance checked at full steering lock and through suspension travel.
For the fitment fundamentals, see our UTV wheel and tire size, bolt pattern and fitment guide.
Actual dimensions deserve special attention with sand tires. Packard's tire sizing guidance says Sand Light carcasses measure approximately an inch below their printed height, while Big Foot and Stitch carcass measurements exclude tread height. Ask for the dimensions of your chosen tire on the intended wheel, and allow for the paddles when checking clearance.
Choosing X3 paddle tires and wheels
For a Can-Am Maverick X3, use your exact year, trim, seating configuration and modifications to build the front-and-rear parts list. Our Packard wheel collection for the Can-Am X3 is a useful place to compare designs once you know your tire requirements. Apply the same diameter, rim-width, offset, hub and clearance checks above to the selected wheel configuration.
RZR Pro XP, XP 1000, Pro R, Turbo R or Turbo S?
Read the full model name before choosing wheels. In the 2023 System 3 application catalog, RZR Pro XP 2020–2023, XP 1000 2014–2023 and Turbo S 2018–2021 are four-lug 4x156 examples. Pro R and Turbo R 2022–2023 are five-lug 5x4.5-inch examples, equivalent to 5x114.3 mm. Pro XP and Pro R need separate checks, as do Turbo S and Turbo R.
These patterns apply to the listed model years; they do not approve a specific Packard wheel. Check other model years, modified hubs and the selected wheel separately. Our UTV wheel bolt-pattern guide explains how to verify the application and the fitment details beyond the bolt circle.
4. Choose beadlock or standard-lip wheels
A beadlock uses a clamping ring to mechanically secure a tire bead. That makes bead retention part of the wheel-selection conversation for a dune setup. A standard-lip wheel has no external beadlock clamp. Choose between them using the tire, intended operating pressure and application, along with the wheel manufacturer's guidance.
Compare R1's Packard beadlock wheels and Packard non-beadlock wheels in the dimensions your tires require. With beadlocks, include the ring hardware, installation procedure and inspection schedule in your decision.
A beadlock does not make every pressure appropriate. Use operating-pressure guidance specific to your tire, wheel, vehicle and load. Have a qualified installer follow the exact mounting and torque instructions, consistent with ITP's tire-mounting safety guidance.
What to compare in a premium wheel
Look beyond spoke style. Packard describes its FF wheels as a two-piece design with a machined 6061 billet center, a flow-forged barrel and stainless hardware. Compare the exact model's construction, size, finish, beadlock configuration and available replacement parts.
If weight is a priority, ask for the weight of the selected wheel configuration, including its ring and hardware where applicable. Compare complete tire-and-wheel assemblies on the same basis. A shipping weight or a figure from another width is not a reliable substitute.
5. Treat comp-cut tires as a separate decision
Competition cutting removes material to reduce tire weight. Packard cautions that its third-party comp-cut tires are more susceptible to punctures and small air leaks, and identifies them for sand-only use. Its comp-cut product guidance also warns of exposed threads and states that altered tires have no warranty, exchanges or refunds.
Read the comp-cut details on our Sand Light product page and verify the terms that apply to your exact R1 order before purchasing. Confirm the preparation, expected finished weight and lead time. If your route includes rocks or other rough access terrain, discuss that before selecting a cut tire. Avoid treating a lighter listed weight as a complete recommendation.
For a closer look at weight reduction, durability and the questions to ask before ordering, read our comp-cut paddle tire guide.
6. Check the complete order before your dune trip
Build a line-by-line list for the front and rear of the machine:
- Tires: product, size, front or rear position, paddle or steer configuration, cut preparation and quantity.
- Wheels: design, finish, diameter, width, bolt pattern, offset and beadlock or standard-lip configuration.
- Hardware: confirm which rings, bolts, caps, valve stems and lug nuts are included or required separately.
- Fitment: verify the tire-to-wheel match, rolling circumferences, load requirements, hub fit and clearances.
- Services and timing: confirm mounting arrangements, selected-option availability, preparation time and delivery timing.
If you are comparing UTV sand tire and wheel packages, ask for the same detail. Confirm every included component, service and total price. The products linked in this guide are sold as separate tires and wheels; mounting or an assembled package should only be assumed when it is explicitly included in your order.
Ready to narrow it down? Call R1 Industries at 801-899-2520 or text your setup to 435-500-9755. Send your year, model, trim, modifications, current sizes and the tire and wheel options you are considering. Those details give the shop a useful starting point for checking your combination.