How to Choose the correct tires for your RC car.

Unsure about the tire to choose for your off road RC car? Here you can get all your questions answered and end up spending your money on the correct item.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Money
• RC Car
• List of conditions you run on

1. First find what conditions you plan to race/cruse on. If you are more of an "all terain," looking for a good time person, then the correct tire choice is more cost than performance related. If on the other hand you like to race your car, then having the correct tire can mean the difference between making the podium and being left in the dust.

2. Conditions to consider:
   Loamy: This refers to a soft soil, generally what you see in newly plowed up fields, it is dry or wet, generally likes to clump and sticks to alot of stuff. For this condition you would want to choose a tire with a larger lug for better bite in the soft stuff. Chevron or "V" shaped treads can also provide grip in the softer stuff without sinking in to deep. Examples: Pro-line Step Pins, Mulchers, Mashers, Badlands...
   Hard packed refers to a condition that is generally hard and has a slight layer sometimes of fine dust from running. This condition requires more of a mid to smaller pin tire to prevent massive mud buildup in the tires thus robbing you of traction. Examples: Pro-line Bowties, Crimefighters, Lugnuts, Bowties, Gladiators...
   Blue Groove refers to a condition that is very hard packed and has a "line" of tire rubber on it caused by the abrasive running surface. Generally you run a very small pin tire to prevent 'traction rolling' on this surface. Some people prefer to run a larger lug tire because it lasts alot longer than a smaller pin tire. Examples, AKA City Blocks, Pro-line Crimefighters, Bowties, Holeshots, Inside job.

3. Compound: The softer the compound of your tire (generally) the shorter it lasts and the more grip it has. On a wet/extremely dusty track, you will want to run a softer tire to help it conform more to the surface. If you are running a dryer condition, you will want a harder compound tire so it keeps its shape and doesn't rob you of traction.

Tips & Warnings

• Go to the local track and ask the people there what they recomend for running and see what the fast guys run. If your not into racing talk to the guys at the local hobby shop or get an idea of what "bashers" in your area run.
• Don't be scared to try a tire that isn't designed for your track on it as it may just work better than you think.
• Running in short (slightly damp) grass helps to remove the mud from your tires. If warming up your car off the ground, be carefull because muddy tires will throw bits of mud everywhere even at low speeds.
• Do not go spending big bucks on a set of "racing" tires just to try and get an extra 2 MPH out of your ride at the cost of loosing a $30+ set of tires.
• Do not run your tires, unless made for on-roading, on the road much as asphalt likes to "eat" tires.
• Do not let your tires sit for a long time with copius amounts of mud on them. This can cause the rubber to break down faster and yields less grip. Plus its a big mess to clean up at the end of the day.
• Do not run a super soft tire compound on a super dry track. I can say from experence, having a softer compound tire works better on a wetter track compared to that on a dry. When the track is wet, the tire can "grip" more and give me faster speeds than if I ran the car on the track when dry.