Quick Answer: Match the part to your brand first, since none of these are interchangeable. Dolphin robotic cleaners use a combined wheel tube assembly (3295-131) at $48.99, per INYOPools’ own listing, covering most current models from the DX-series through the Nautilus CC Plus. Polaris pressure-side/suction cleaners (180/280/360/380) split wheel and tire into two separate parts — the C6 wheel at $44.49 and the C11 Black Max tire at $24.99, both verified direct from INYOPools. Hayward’s TigerShark robotic line uses its own wheel tube assembly (RCX26003/3276-054) at $123.99, roughly 2.5x Dolphin’s equivalent. Newer cordless robots (Aiper, WYBOT, Beatbot) don’t have individually-numbered aftermarket wheel parts yet — a worn track on those is typically a warranty claim, not a DIY swap.
A pool cleaner that suddenly pulls to one side, spins its wheels without gripping, or keeps stalling in the same corner isn’t necessarily broken — it’s often just riding on a worn wheel or tire. These are sacrificial contact parts by design, constantly grinding against pool plaster, gunite, tile or vinyl, and they wear out long before the motor or electronics do. The trick is knowing which part your specific cleaner actually uses, since “wheel” and “tire” mean genuinely different things depending on the brand.
Pool cleaner wheels & tires at a glance
| Part | Type | Fits | Verified price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin Wheel Tube Assembly (3295-131) | Combined wheel + tire assembly | DX3-5, Nautilus CC Plus, Premier, Endeavor, Apollo, Orion & most current Dolphin robots | $48.99 |
| Polaris 280 Wheel (C6) | Wheel/hub only | Polaris 180 / 280 pressure-side cleaners | $44.49 |
| Polaris Black Max Tire (C11) | Tire/tread only | Polaris 180 / 280 / 360 / 380 | $24.99 |
| Hayward TigerShark Wheel Tube Assembly (RCX26003/3276-054) | Combined wheel + tire assembly | TigerShark RC9950 / RC9955 / RC9990 / RC9956 | $123.99 |
Best pool cleaner replacement wheels & tires of 2026
1. Dolphin Wheel Tube Assembly (3295-131) — best for most Dolphin robots
Maytronics Dolphin Wheel Tube Assembly
- Sold as a complete assembly with bearings already included — per INYOPools' own listing, individual internal components aren't sold separately for this part.
- Fits a wide range of current and recent Dolphin robotic models: DX3, DX4, DX5, Apollo, Orion, Nautilus, Nautilus CC Plus, Premier, Endeavor, Triton, Atlantis, Edge, Quest, Wave 65 and C3, per the manufacturer's compatibility list.
- Combines wheel and tire into one drop-in unit — there's no separate "tire-only" option for Dolphin the way there is for Polaris.
- A straightforward swap since it replaces the whole tube-and-wheel unit rather than requiring you to disassemble and re-press a worn tire onto an old hub.
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This is the default pick for most Dolphin owners because Maytronics bundles the wheel and tire into a single sealed unit rather than making you diagnose which half actually failed. If your Dolphin is pulling to one side or losing traction on turns, this is almost always the part to check first — see our Dolphin parts guide if you’re also shopping filters or brushes at the same time.
2. Polaris 280 Wheel (C6) — best when the hub itself is cracked or worn
Polaris C6 Large Replacement Wheel
- A CMP-manufactured replacement hub for the Polaris 180 and 280 pressure-side cleaners, per INYOPools' own product listing.
- This is the wheel itself, not the rubber tread — if your tire is simply worn smooth but the hub underneath is intact, you want the C11 tire below instead, not this part.
- Polaris splits wheel and tire into separate SKUs on its pressure-side lineup, unlike Dolphin's combined-assembly approach — check which half of your drivetrain actually failed before ordering.
Order this when the plastic hub itself is cracked, warped or won’t spin freely on its axle — not just when the rubber tread looks worn, since that’s a different, cheaper part (below). For the full current Polaris lineup and pricing, see our best Polaris pool cleaner guide.
3. Polaris Black Max Tire (C11) — best for worn tread, cheapest fix
Polaris C11 Black Max All-Purpose Tire
- Fits the Polaris 180, 280, 360 and 380 pressure-side cleaners, per INYOPools' own compatibility listing — a broader fit range than the C6 wheel above, which is scoped to just the 180/280.
- This is the rubber tread only, not the wheel hub underneath it — the far more common failure point, since tread wears down with every cleaning cycle while the hub itself rarely cracks.
- The cheapest wheel-system fix on this list at $24.99 — worth checking first if your cleaner is slipping or spinning without traction, before assuming you need the full $44.49 wheel.
Tread wear is the far more common failure mode than a cracked hub, so this is usually the right first purchase if your Polaris is losing traction — try this before the pricier C6 wheel above. Replace all tires on the unit together rather than just the worst one, since uneven tread depth across wheels can throw off the cleaner’s tracking pattern even when each tire still technically rolls.
4. Hayward TigerShark Wheel Tube Assembly (RCX26003/3276-054) — best for TigerShark robots
Hayward/AquaVac TigerShark Wheel Tube Assembly
- Fits the TigerShark RC9950, RC9955, RC9990 and RC9956 robotic models, per INYOPools' own parts listing.
- A sealed combined assembly, similar in concept to Dolphin's approach — no separate tire-only option for this line.
- Roughly 2.5x the price of Dolphin's equivalent assembly ($48.99); the related idler, guide and drive bearing components are sold separately at $49.99-$56.99 each if only one bearing (not the whole drive tube) has failed.
- A real retailer price spread exists on this part — Leslie's has listed the same assembly closer to $114.99, so it's worth checking more than one source before buying.
At $123.99, this is the priciest part on this list by a wide margin — before ordering the full assembly, check whether just one of the individually-sold bearing components has failed, which can be a cheaper fix. See our Hayward parts guide or the Hayward Navigator Pro review if you’re weighing repair against replacement.
How to pick the right wheel or tire
- Know whether your cleaner uses a combined assembly or separate parts. Dolphin and Hayward’s TigerShark bundle wheel and tire into one sealed unit; Polaris’s pressure-side lineup splits them into two separate SKUs (C6 wheel, C11 tire). Ordering the wrong half wastes money and doesn’t fix the problem.
- Tread wear is far more common than a cracked hub. If your cleaner is slipping or losing traction rather than physically wobbling on its axle, the tire (not the wheel) is the more likely culprit — and on Polaris, the cheaper $24.99 fix rather than the $44.49 one.
- Replace in matched sets, not one at a time. Uneven tread depth or hub condition across a cleaner’s wheels can throw off its tracking pattern, the same logic that applies to brushes on these machines.
- Expect a real retailer price spread, especially on pricier assemblies. The Hayward TigerShark assembly alone ranged from $114.99 to $123.99 between two retailers for the identical part — check at least two sources before buying.
- Newer cordless robots aren’t the same aftermarket-parts game yet. Aiper, WYBOT and Beatbot’s sealed track-and-wheel drive modules don’t have the mature individually-numbered parts catalog that Dolphin, Polaris and Hayward have built up over decades — factor that into your total cost of ownership if you’re weighing a newer cordless model against an established brand.
The bottom line
Most Dolphin owners should go straight to the $48.99 wheel tube assembly, since Maytronics doesn’t sell a cheaper tire-only option. Polaris owners get a real choice: check tread first and reach for the $24.99 C11 tire before assuming you need the pricier $44.49 C6 wheel. Hayward TigerShark owners face the steepest bill at $123.99 for the full assembly, though the individually-sold bearings are worth checking first if only one component failed. Whichever brand you own, replace wheels and tires in matched sets rather than one at a time, and expect a genuine retailer price spread worth shopping around on.
Still building out your cleaner’s accessory kit? See our best pool cleaner brush guide for the other major wear part, or the best pool cleaner battery guide if your cordless model’s runtime is also starting to slip.