what is the best size and tire for a Lt500 I have been told that a 20/10-10 10 paddle extreme hauler would work best? I have 14-40 gearing. I just had my motor totally redone top and bottom.

 

You guys must be on crack....8 paddle haulers or extreams on a stock 400ex?!? I have the sand stars on my YFZ and 250R and they have just enough power to spin them right, haulers grip even more. A 400 is going to be so bogged down with that aggressive of a paddle, in the sand you want to be able to spin the tire. Your going to make your 400 even slower if you put those on...

 

Trinity is completly right, the 400 is not going to move the haulers fast, unless it's a 416 or 440 etc.
i would pesonally have to go with ITP's Sand Star paddles.

 

Just go with fewer paddles on the haulers, 6 probably.

 

For Oregon sand that's the paddle to get. Period. Nuff said. Trust me.

 

I already got an 8 paddle and they work great!!!!!!! What did u mean for oregon sand that would work great?

 

Yep.... that's what I meant. Glad to hear they're working good for you.

 

7 paddle is the way to go on the 400ex

 

I'm starting to wonder if the people recommending these paddles have actually used them for any length of time. I've had Glider/Haulers, Haulers, Sand Skate II's, and am now running GBC Sand Devils on my Raptor. I have recently ridden with people running the new ITP's, Gecko's and Haulers on Raptors, and 400ex's. IMO the Haulers are too much paddle for a 400ex. If the paddle grabs a lot of sand, then it also needs lots of hp to throw it. For the money, you can't beat the GBC Sand Devils for a straight paddle. They are fairly light and very durable. They also grip more than enough for a quad with less than 50 hp. My Raptor is slightly modded and it's hard to keep the front end down in 2nd and 3rd on the sand. Yet, it rips on the hills because it isn't "over paddled".

Newbies need to understand that the job of the paddle is to only grip as much as the quad needs. Too little paddle (like a glider on a Banshee) and you're sliding around a lot, but some people like that. Too much paddle and the quad will be slower on the hills, and won't slide enough.

If I were buying for a 400ex that is stock or piped, I would think of the GBC Sand Devils first, ITP's second and Haulers or better yet a 4 Hauler/4 Glider custom last. Gecko's are OK, but the GBC's are better. Paddle Masters would be a bad thing for sand only. Skat Traks are great sand tires, but I've ripped a few paddles off because the paddles are vulcanized on to the tire. The other brands are moulded tires that can't lose paddles. If you ride anywhere that has something other than sand (rock, hardpack, roots), then a moulded tire will hold up much better. For those that can spend a lot more and have a higher performance quad and only ride in pure sand, then Skat Traks are great.

Also, an 8 inch rim is going to ride softer than a 10. It also hooks up better. The 10 inch rims look cool and turn a bit better because of the stiffer/shorter sidewall. I switched to 8's and am very happy with the results.

Lastly, if you can afford to, get some Razorbacks or Dune Runner ridged front tires for sand in 22", not 21's. They float on top of the sand and still turn very well. More floatation = more speed. Stock tires tend to dig in too much, but you can use them. Also, run about 4 - 5 psi. That's all you want or need for the sand.

That's just MHO of course.

 

GBC makes a molded tire, they are heavy. A 20" 7 paddle Hauler piped,filtered EX will work very good.