Alexv2024

iTrader: (2)

Production slicks (octogons are almost that) are usually thicker overall and will work great for most drivers. I have some AKA slicks that I use on some practice days to just turn laps, but ultimately typo front/ xlink rear ground to slicks are faster laptime wise and wear wise.

Last time I was at a mega high grip track (New reds in ocala,FL) I tried octagons. They were good, but I went faster on typo/xlink akas.

Oh I know I raced 2000-2006 and got back into it recently. On so many tracks theres very little time difference between 17.5 and mod now. It takes a lot of skill to drive a 17.5 to its limit and even more to go fast in mod. Really its time for stock to slow down to like a 21.5 so more of the sponsored drivers get out of stock.

buggybug

Sorry to interrupt your off-topic conversation fellas. Nobody is doubting your mad tire skillz. Lets save that for another topic shall we?

Dan

iTrader: (75)

I just hope they don't do a video like they did with Horizon/Pro-Line praising each other and giving each other the circle jerk.

TurnNBurn

On the topic of TLR drivers, I think it’s important to note that there was a pretty significant contract shuffle when silly season came around, not to mention that their #1 is currently signed to JConcepts. I guess we’ll see what happens when that comes up for renewal, but I can’t really say that it will bode well for anyone currently under contract with AKA. If that option goes away, it will likely leave Pro drivers with only JConcepts, RAWSpeed, and maybe Hot Race, if they increase their presence here in the US… and I’m sure Jason can only sign so many drivers.

Milkdudd

iTrader: (13)

You're not just whistling Dixie. Probably a bad idea to do that anyway these days. I agree on the astronomical cost of tooling for any injection molding. Consider the mold to make a knobby off-road tire. The outside of the mold would need several hundred perfectly square holes to a perfect depth. As far as I know only EDM machining can do that. Costly and time consuming. Unless some new technology is used to make the molds. That's why I love the TV show, How It's made. Never watched an episode yet without learning something

dcerven94

iTrader: (1)

3d printing opens the door to all kinds of things, and i would think its cheaper than edm. Obviously with the new technology comes new machines and new cost

1/8 IC Fan

iTrader: (102)

This is just bad news... when they took on Team Orion the support took a crap... Futaba and OS distribution wwnt to Horizon too... then PL and Protoform now AKA. Not looking good for racers.

Juglenaut

iTrader: (19)

I have mixed feeling about this, thou am not an avid every day racer it concerns me because I do work for a few local drivers and the aka quality was up and down with uneven tire carcasses and flatten foams new in package.

I did switch to aka but now I am thinking else.

skife

I'd guess tooling alone is going to run into the 6 digits range.

skife

You're going to 3D print an injection mold?

​​​​​​

Steve B in Vega

We own a number of molds for our company's products and worked with the mold maker to design and perfect these molds. We did the computer modeling and prototyping from alloy, and then worked with the mold maker to translate into injection molding technology. These molds are far more complex and precise than any rc tire on the market, and the most expensive of our molds were mid 5 digit number investments. These are steel alloy molds upwards of 10 pieces and are exceptionally well made. Also, these are all made in the USA with USA labor and machine work.

I've never developed a tire mold, but they're really not that complex, and with the mold most likely being made in China, I would be shocked if a very good tire mold ran north of $20,000

Just food for thought.

TurnNBurn

Yeah - I’d agree with that. Not in the industry myself, but one of my racing buddies back in the day was friends with the owner of Minitech. The molds for the 1/10th pan car wheels they used to produce cost just North of $10G back in 1990 (tooled here). Given that a tire mold is likely 3 pieces, inflation, tech advancements, etc. - lower/mid 10’s would probably sound right. I would also guess that after 40 years in business, Pro-Line probably tools their own molds by now, so I suppose it depends on how many molds they make before finalizing a design from prototypes.

Sir 51D3WAYS

Just a minor point of note, this may not be strictly true. Mold making is a specialist process involving highly skilled expertise/labor/tools. Lego, for instance, outsource their brick molds to a specialist German company, and have done so for decades, despite being Danish themselves and making a lot of their stuff in Denmark.

My understanding as well is that even a simple mold costs well into the 5 figures....

dcerven94

iTrader: (1)

i think its something that could be possible in the near future. Its not an injection mold but check it out:

performula

iTrader: (4)

All I know is I can’t find any Truggy tires around. Had to settle on DTX Posse. It seems like everything I want is out of stock (not just tires).