Radio Controlled Models
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RC Model Tires

Tires for Radio Controlled Models

RC Wheel and Tire Set

Introduction

    Tire choice can be the difference between winning a race and ending up half way down the pack.

    All outdoor dirt tracks are different, so for off-road racers, my article "Tires for Buggys, Trucks and Truggys" will help you make that choice.

    On-road racers should also check out my two articles "Tires for Carpet Racing and Drifting" and "Tires for On-Road Tarmac Racing".

    For beginners in the sport, the article below is designed to give some basic information concerning preparation of your tires and some advice on how to safely mount your tires onto wheel rims.



















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Tires for RC Models

   Rubber Tires ALWAYS should have either soft sponge or rubber inserts. They will not function as they should without them. And if you are totally serious about your racing they should be glued to the rims.

Tire Temperature and Grip Chart    You should also have at least three different compounds (Soft, Medium and Hard) for varying track temperatures in On Road tarmac racing Touring cars and varying pin sizes for carpet and Off Road racing Buggys and Trucks.

How to Mount Rubber Tires onto Wheels/Rims

   Before mounting your Tires, I would recommend talking to the more experienced racers at your local club, concerning what inserts they use. Even the top level racers rely on a bit of local knowledge on tracks they have never raced before.

Blue Foam Inserts for Indoor Racing    Once you have decided what inserts to use, position them inside the Tires ready to go onto the rims.

   You will need strong fingers to pull and maneuver the Tires over the rims, so you may need the help of an adult. Do NOT use metal Tire levers or a spoon, as they can not only damage the fragile plastic rims, but can also put small tears in the rubber, that could cause problems later.

   The technique I recommend, is to first of all hook the Tire on one side of the rim, then using the thumb and forefinger, grip the Tire and pull it upwards and over into position around the middle of the wheel, then over to its final position on the far side so that the beading is seated in the spigot. Next, position the near side beading in the opposite spigot, making sure the sponge (or rubber) insert is not trapped and positioned centrally.

How to Glue Rubber Tires onto Wheels/Rims

   You have the option of either gluing or not gluing your tires in position. If the track you race at is not too grippy you can sometimes get away with it, but on high grip tracks, there is always the possibility the tire might pull away from the rim and ruin your race .... My recommendation is to glue them.

   Superglue is the thing to use. To do this, carefully pull the beading out of its seating, put on a spot of glue, then quickly push it back down. repeat this at least 6 times around each side of the wheel.

   Superglue can be dangerous, so this is best done by an adult.







Tire Compounds

   Way back in the early 1990s when I first got into RC, most of the off-road models available came with chunky hard compound block tires that gave little or no grip on grass or dirt tracks. On-road didn't have this problem as they were still using sponge tires, with a coating of wintergreen based tire additive applied just before each race to improve grip. There was even one guy who swore he dipped his wheels in a glass of light ale.

Early Rubber Tire and Compound Development

   Then things started to change. By the mid 1990s tire manufacturers such as Losi and Schumacher began developing smaller pin tires, in softer compounds. These mini pin versions were a revelation for grass racers, but were only a small improvement on dust tracks.

Micro Pin Off-Road Tires

Micro Pin Tires    As new compounds were released, grip slowly improved. Then, with the release of the micro pin, super soft compound tires, off road was a completely different sport. Grip roll was now one of the problems drivers had to learn to contend with. This was something unheard of only a few short years before.

New 1:10 On-Road Narrow Scale Tires

   Rubber Tires for On-road RC models had been around for a while in the early 1990s, but because sponge was so widely used, rubber never really caught on.

Foam Tires    Then, Tamiya released its new narrow scale 1:10 on-road models, based on the off-road Manta Ray chassis with shortened wishbones. Their success soon saw other manufacturers begin producing their own 1:10 on-road cars. Schumacher released the SST 98, using the same gearbox and differentials as their Cat 2000 to reduce tooling costs.

Schumacher Mini Pins    Tires were now being produced for this new scale in rubber. Pit Shimizu and Take-off were two of the leading RC on-road tire developers at the time, each releasing three different compounds, with recommended track temperature use. From that point on, on-road RC racing never looked back, and the days of sponge and light ale came to a shuddering end.







More Hints and Tips

   For more Radio Controlled Model Hints, Tips and Information, check out the list on the RCScrapyard Homepage. ▶ ▶














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