Choosing the Right Off-Road RC Tires and Wheels

You would think that your new remote-controlled vehicle would come with tires and wheels. It's challenging to get by without them, and nobody in the full-scale world makes sure their new Chevy will come with wheels. However, RC is a little different, as is frequently the case. While many competition and high-performance models lack wheels and tires, most RC vehicles and truck kits do. Why not? Because buyers of these vehicles would rather select their rubber than shell out more money for tires that might not suit their track or terrain. This page is for you if you're unsure of what your model requires or if you currently have tires and wheels but want something more appropriate for your driving style and the terrain. Everything you need to know about selecting the best off-road RC tires and wheels will be covered.

How Tire and Wheel Size is Measured

Wheel and tire sizes are expressed in inches, including the interior and exterior diameter. For instance, the outside diameter of a 2.2" wheel is 2.2 inches, and the inside diameter of a 2.2" tire is 2.2 inches. We are sure the tire and wheel will fit because these measurements are identical. Additionally, we know that a 2.8" tire would be too large for a 2.2" wheel, and a 1.55" tire would be too small.

The wheel's outside diameter and the tire's interior diameter are referred to as tire and wheel sizes.

Remember that the outside diameter of tires in the same size category might differ significantly. For instance, even though one tire in this image has a larger diameter and taller sidewalls, both are 2.2". If you need to know the tire's outside diameter, check the specifications here at V8engineforsale or on the manufacturer's website.

What Fits?

First and foremost, you should get off-road RC wheels that are the right size and kind for your model and tires that are compatible with those wheels. Checking your kit's manual is the foolproof method to do this correctly. It will tell you what kind of wheel you need and mention the item numbers for wheels the manufacturer sells for your model. The manufacturer's website for your model should also list what is required to finish the kit. A Needed to Complete listing at V8engineforsale lists all the necessary components to transform your kit into a fully functional vehicle prepared for the track or trail. You can also look up your model here.

Although almost all sport trucks utilize larger 2.8" wheels, as seen here with a Traxxas Bandit and Rustler, sport and competition buggies typically use 2.2" wheels.

Here at V8engineforsale, you can also determine whether your vehicle needs wheels and tires and the type by looking at the "Needed to Complete" section for your model—Team Associated RC10T6.2, for example.

Hex-hub size is another factor that affects wheel fit. 1/8-scale models have 17mm hexes (as illustrated), while nearly all 1/10-scale models utilize 12mm hexes. Monster trucks and large-scale models may use a 24 mm hex; measure the hex or see your handbook. The hex size is calculated from the flat side to the flat side.

Since the front wheels of 2WD buggies are unpowered, the front tire design is intended for steering traction rather than power transmission, as demonstrated by this Traxxas Bandit. Designs with ribs are typical.

Similar front and rear treads are installed on a 1/10 scale 4WD buggy such as this Team Associated RC10B74.1; however, the front wheels and tires are thinner, though not as narrow as those on a 2WD buggy. Therefore, specify whether the wheels and tires are "2WD front" or "4WD front" when purchasing 1/10 scale front buggy wheels and tires.

This Arrma Typhon and other 1/8 scale buggies have the same front and rear tires and wheels. The typical wheel size is 3.3" with a hex of 17mm. Pro-Line Badlands tires mounted on Velocity wheels are displayed.

While 1/8-size monster trucks and struggles like the Traxxas Maxx and Arrma Kraton have 3.8" wheels and tires with 17mm hexes, 1/10-scale monster trucks typically have 2.8" wheels with 12 or 14mm hexes.

Most 1/10 trail trucks have 1.9" wheels and tires, but rock racer models like the Axial Bomber typically have 2.2". Some trail trucks, like the Element Enduro Knightrunner shown above, employ 1.55" wheels for more realistic dimensions. Depending on the type, you can install bigger tires and wheels on your truck. For instance, Traxxas provides a lift kit for the TRX-4 series trucks, enabling them to accommodate 2.2" tires and wheels without experiencing any hindrance.

The model scale, type, and size in inches are the most common ways to characterize the wheel sizes of cars and trucks. "1/10 2WD buggy 2.2 inch," for instance.

Choosing a Tread Design

You can go crazy with whatever you think looks nice (and fits) for fun-running. But aside from style, there are a few factors to consider if you want to maximize handling and traction.

In loose, soft conditions like sand or churned-up soil, a tire design with broader, more widely-spaced tread components, like the RC4WD Wrangler MT, will provide superior grip and be less likely to clog in mud or snow. Similarly, the Mud-Terrain T/A replica's finer tread over rocks and harder-packed soils should provide superior traction and last longer.

Although knobbies are great, slick or road-tread tires will provide more traction, better handling, and a longer lifespan if your off-road vehicle is mainly used on the street. For instance, the Pro-Line Prime is a true hard-surface tire, while the JConcepts G-Locs and Pro-Line Street Fighters have pretty deep treads that allow them to maintain grip on hard-packed ground.

Paddle tires are best for mud, snow, and soft sand conditions—the Dumont design from Pro-Line comes in 2.8", 3.8", and SCT sizes.

Going Big? You'll Need to Re-Gear

You don't need to bother about re-gearing to make up for a larger or smaller tire if your new tires are roughly the same diameter as those that came with your model. However, you will undoubtedly need to install a pinion gear that is two or three teeth smaller if your new tires represent a significant diameter jump, such as the one-inch difference between the stock Talon EXT tire on a Traxxas Rustler 4X4 and the optional Sledgehammer tread. This is the reason:

As you can see, the diameter of the optional Sledgehammer tire is significantly more than that of the Talon EXT stock tire. The Sledgehammer will roll farther with each revolution than the Talon because of its bigger diameter, resulting in a larger circumference. The Talon rolls 13.5 inches with each tire rotation, whereas the Sledgehammer rolls 16.6 inches, a little over three inches more.

This diagram demonstrates how far the Rustler 4X4 with a sledgehammer can roll after only six tire revolutions. The additional distance quickly compounds and significantly strains the power supply when the motor rotates at tens of thousands of RPM. In addition to lowering performance, it causes overheating and shortens motor life. The powertrain will remain satisfied if a smaller pinion is installed to compensate for the larger tire's increased rollout.

Pre-mounted and Unmounted Tires

Although pre-mounted versions are available for some of the most popular designs, competition tires are often unmounted, allowing racers to use their rims and install any foam inserts they wish. Furthermore, mounted and unmounted multi-terrain and "basher" tires are frequently offered. The factory-built wheel and tire combinations are the best option unless your favourite combination isn't available as a pre-mount. You may avoid making a mess by not bonding the tires yourself, and a factory glue job is the best option for strength and neatness. You might also save some money.

A set of four installed Pro-Line Buckshot 1/8 scale buggy tires costs $82, equivalent to $41 for a pair.

You may also purchase unmounted Buckshots and Velocity wheels for $28 per pair and $23 for four wheels. If you add a bottle of ProTek RC tire glue, you'll need to spend $89 and spend some time on the bench to glue them up.

Beadlock wheels, which physically secure the tires to the wheels, allow trail truckers to forego gluing. Unlike glue-mount rims, you may reuse the wheels repeatedly, which look fantastic. You can even remove the tires whenever you want. Why don't all trucks and vehicles use them, then? Weight is the answer. The added weight is beneficial since trail truck performance relies heavily on low RPM driving. High-speed, high-RPM variants, however, would be difficult to handle and put additional strain on the drivetrain and suspension due to their enormous weight.

Choosing Race Tires

Any racer will tell you that selecting the right tires is essential to winning races or simply staying competitive. Without the proper rubber, you won't be able to maintain your lead lap, no matter how perfectly your car is set up or how skilled you are behind the wheel. Fortunately, tire manufacturers provide compounds for particular surfaces and treads tailored to various terrain types. Therefore, looking at what works for the winning drivers is the simplest way to select competitive tires for a particular track. Although they may disagree on the optimum tire, they recommend two or three effective treads. You may find out which tires are best for the fast guys by calling the track shop if you cannot visit the track to look at tire options in the pits.

Since clay and AstroTurf tracks are what we usually race on in the United States, American producers Pro-Line and JConcepts concentrate on low-profile tread patterns for these types of tracks in the competition-buggy tire category. Nevertheless, Schumacher, a company located in the UK, also covers those bases and provides spikey treads for racing on natural grass, which is typical in Europe.

Dirt oval racers may opt for either oval-specific treads or the same tires that buggy racers use.

V8engineforsale makes tire shopping simple. Use the product filter on the left of the category page to refine your selection of off-road RC tires and wheels by brand, size, compound, and other factors.