Rubber and Sponge Tire Inserts
for Radio Control Model Tires

    All forms of On-Road and Off-Road models need Inserts in their Tires - without them they cant perform as they should - Fact.

    My article below gives you some early history of Inserts and how they have now developed into a crucial part of competitive RC racing.

The importance of RC Model Tire Inserts

   Once upon a time, all RC model tires were equal - they were all trash. None of the old tires had any kind of internal support, because the hard compound they were made of didn't need it. But that was before the newer soft compounds were developed. These new tires were so soft that if some kind of insert was not used they would just lay flat under the weight of the car. Thus, the new science of tire inserts was born.

Inserts for Off-Road Tires

   The basic soft foam inserts that come with many off-road rubber tires can be in one of two types. They can be basic rings of sponge, or the cheap and nasty strips of sponge. Many of the latest foam inserts now come pre-shaped, but more than often, they will need some work done to them before they are inserted into the tires.

   To insure the tires works efficiently, the foam inserts must be carefully trimmed around the edges, where they make contact with the inside of the tires. The idea is to reduce the effect of any hard edge when the tire hits the ground, and vastly improves grip when cornering.

Inserts for Tarmac On-Road Tires

   On-road cars on the other hand have the luxury of only having to make the choice between hard, medium and soft, molded sponge or rubber inserts that fit snugly inside the wheels and I can testify, the effect of these inserts can make a big difference on the track.

   When you get to the race track, the first thing you check is the track temperature. This gives you an insight into which tire to try first. In my hay day, I would use three compounds, soft medium and hard, each prepared, glued to the wheels with soft, medium and hard inserts, so a total of nine sets of wheels with tires and inserts.

How to find the best Inserts for any track

   Depending on the track temperature, my first practice session would be with the medium insert, then depending on the grip I got from those, I would either stick with them or for more grip try the softer insert. If the car had too much grip and a tendency to over-steer I would move on to the harder insert. Once the right tire and insert combination is found, only then I would try other settings to improve the cars handling. Remember, one change at a time.