14LikesTires, tires, tires!
07-26-2021, 01:45 PM
#1
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
Tires, tires, tires!
Greetings all. Coming off a fun weekend of racing like many of you I’m sure. I’m a rookie with only two races under my belt, but I felt the need to post about the valuable experience I gained at my local track. I’m running an XQ1S with a 21.5 motor and HW Justock ESC. The track is outdoor asphalt.
Saturday practice was pretty good. I spent the whole day doing laps, trying to use better throttle control, adjusting steering curve and learning the braking markers from the veterans. Since I got the car, I’ve been running on used tires graciously given to me by said veterans to practice with (I must have like 10 sets now). They run the gamut of manufactures; Solaris, GQ, Volante, etc. My biggest problem has been losing rear traction in the mid to latter part of the corners. Adjusting the steering curve helped massively, but at the end of the day I still was losing the rear a bit, so I chalked it up to being too aggressive on the throttle. I figured I would use race day practice and qualifying to work on that.
During Sunday qualifying I was way below square one. The car had absolutely no traction in any part of the corners. I had decided to use a brand new set of 36 Shore GQ slicks I bought a few months back that were sitting on the shelf. I thought having fresh rubber would improve traction. Instead, the car was running like there was oil on the track. I was never interested in using traction compound, but I figured I’d give it a try. The only other tires I brought were used and I didn’t know how they would hold up during a race. We tried different compounds, putting them on warmers and baking them in my truck. Still no improvement. After the end my last heat, one of the vets reduced my downs stops to control weight transfer. It helped a little but not enough. Then one the guys let me try a set of his tires he ran some great laps with earlier to see if they would help. I put them on, cleaned them off and hit the track while it was open.
The car was on rails! I shaved 2 seconds of my best time on other used but good tires. After 4 laps I was satisfied. Just in time before the mains started. I took 2nd in novice and couldn’t be happier. I never thought tires could make such a huge difference in on-road R/C racing. Back in the pits I learned the GQ tires I was using had red inserts and were notorious for taking ages to break in. The new 36 Shores have a black insert and are a big improvement.
To sum up, I’ll never underestimate tire choice or prep again and I’ll always be thankful to all the experienced racers at my local for sharing their knowledge and parts to get me where I am now.
Saturday practice was pretty good. I spent the whole day doing laps, trying to use better throttle control, adjusting steering curve and learning the braking markers from the veterans. Since I got the car, I’ve been running on used tires graciously given to me by said veterans to practice with (I must have like 10 sets now). They run the gamut of manufactures; Solaris, GQ, Volante, etc. My biggest problem has been losing rear traction in the mid to latter part of the corners. Adjusting the steering curve helped massively, but at the end of the day I still was losing the rear a bit, so I chalked it up to being too aggressive on the throttle. I figured I would use race day practice and qualifying to work on that.
During Sunday qualifying I was way below square one. The car had absolutely no traction in any part of the corners. I had decided to use a brand new set of 36 Shore GQ slicks I bought a few months back that were sitting on the shelf. I thought having fresh rubber would improve traction. Instead, the car was running like there was oil on the track. I was never interested in using traction compound, but I figured I’d give it a try. The only other tires I brought were used and I didn’t know how they would hold up during a race. We tried different compounds, putting them on warmers and baking them in my truck. Still no improvement. After the end my last heat, one of the vets reduced my downs stops to control weight transfer. It helped a little but not enough. Then one the guys let me try a set of his tires he ran some great laps with earlier to see if they would help. I put them on, cleaned them off and hit the track while it was open.
The car was on rails! I shaved 2 seconds of my best time on other used but good tires. After 4 laps I was satisfied. Just in time before the mains started. I took 2nd in novice and couldn’t be happier. I never thought tires could make such a huge difference in on-road R/C racing. Back in the pits I learned the GQ tires I was using had red inserts and were notorious for taking ages to break in. The new 36 Shores have a black insert and are a big improvement.
To sum up, I’ll never underestimate tire choice or prep again and I’ll always be thankful to all the experienced racers at my local for sharing their knowledge and parts to get me where I am now.
07-26-2021, 01:58 PM
#2
Greetings all. Coming off a fun weekend of racing like many of you I’m sure. I’m a rookie with only two races under my belt, but I felt the need to post about the valuable experience I gained at my local track. I’m running an XQ1S with a 21.5 motor and HW Justock ESC. The track is outdoor asphalt.
Saturday practice was pretty good. I spent the whole day doing laps, trying to use better throttle control, adjusting steering curve and learning the braking markers from the veterans. Since I got the car, I’ve been running on used tires graciously given to me by said veterans to practice with (I must have like 10 sets now). They run the gamut of manufactures; Solaris, GQ, Volante, etc. My biggest problem has been losing rear traction in the mid to latter part of the corners. Adjusting the steering curve helped massively, but at the end of the day I still was losing the rear a bit, so I chalked it up to being too aggressive on the throttle. I figured I would use race day practice and qualifying to work on that.
During Sunday qualifying I was way below square one. The car had absolutely no traction in any part of the corners. I had decided to use a brand new set of 36 Shore GQ slicks I bought a few months back that were sitting on the shelf. I thought having fresh rubber would improve traction. Instead, the car was running like there was oil on the track. I was never interested in using traction compound, but I figured I’d give it a try. The only other tires I brought were used and I didn’t know how they would hold up during a race. We tried different compounds, putting them on warmers and baking them in my truck. Still no improvement. After the end my last heat, one of the vets reduced my downs stops to control weight transfer. It helped a little but not enough. Then one the guys let me try a set of his tires he ran some great laps with earlier to see if they would help. I put them on, cleaned them off and hit the track while it was open.
The car was on rails! I shaved 2 seconds of my best time on other used but good tires. After 4 laps I was satisfied. Just in time before the mains started. I took 2nd in novice and couldn’t be happier. I never thought tires could make such a huge difference in on-road R/C racing. Back in the pits I learned the GQ tires I was using had red inserts and were notorious for taking ages to break in. The new 36 Shores have a black insert and are a big improvement.
To sum up, I’ll never underestimate tire choice or prep again and I’ll always be thankful to all the experienced racers at my local for sharing their knowledge and parts to get me where I am now.
Saturday practice was pretty good. I spent the whole day doing laps, trying to use better throttle control, adjusting steering curve and learning the braking markers from the veterans. Since I got the car, I’ve been running on used tires graciously given to me by said veterans to practice with (I must have like 10 sets now). They run the gamut of manufactures; Solaris, GQ, Volante, etc. My biggest problem has been losing rear traction in the mid to latter part of the corners. Adjusting the steering curve helped massively, but at the end of the day I still was losing the rear a bit, so I chalked it up to being too aggressive on the throttle. I figured I would use race day practice and qualifying to work on that.
During Sunday qualifying I was way below square one. The car had absolutely no traction in any part of the corners. I had decided to use a brand new set of 36 Shore GQ slicks I bought a few months back that were sitting on the shelf. I thought having fresh rubber would improve traction. Instead, the car was running like there was oil on the track. I was never interested in using traction compound, but I figured I’d give it a try. The only other tires I brought were used and I didn’t know how they would hold up during a race. We tried different compounds, putting them on warmers and baking them in my truck. Still no improvement. After the end my last heat, one of the vets reduced my downs stops to control weight transfer. It helped a little but not enough. Then one the guys let me try a set of his tires he ran some great laps with earlier to see if they would help. I put them on, cleaned them off and hit the track while it was open.
The car was on rails! I shaved 2 seconds of my best time on other used but good tires. After 4 laps I was satisfied. Just in time before the mains started. I took 2nd in novice and couldn’t be happier. I never thought tires could make such a huge difference in on-road R/C racing. Back in the pits I learned the GQ tires I was using had red inserts and were notorious for taking ages to break in. The new 36 Shores have a black insert and are a big improvement.
To sum up, I’ll never underestimate tire choice or prep again and I’ll always be thankful to all the experienced racers at my local for sharing their knowledge and parts to get me where I am now.
, Yes the newer batch of GQ's are alot better , mighty griper yellow seems to work very well with them
07-26-2021, 02:25 PM
#3
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
07-26-2021, 02:37 PM
#4
07-26-2021, 08:34 PM
#6
Tech Regular
If you built the xq1s per the kit, the rear diff may be too stiff for some. Makes you slide on power. Also used tc tires fall off after the fast guys are done with them (then you get them free).
07-27-2021, 03:13 AM
#7
Tech Adept
What was your tyre Prep , if out bag slapped on car with bit of additive then could take a few laps to a Run to grip up as the tyre will still have the center bead and release agents on surface
07-27-2021, 06:41 AM
#8
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
07-27-2021, 09:08 AM
#10
I ran a brand new set of tires that shall not be named my last race. Rear stability issues all over the place. Kept wrenching wrenching and wrenching. Tried a different set of tires for the main and boom the car was fine and I was on pace with the top guys. Next time I will definitely try a different set if I am fighting a car that doesn't have anything visibly wrong with it.
07-27-2021, 01:38 PM
#12
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
=*==
07-28-2021, 02:16 PM
#13
^^^THIS
I ran a brand new set of tires that shall not be named my last race. Rear stability issues all over the place. Kept wrenching wrenching and wrenching. Tried a different set of tires for the main and boom the car was fine and I was on pace with the top guys. Next time I will definitely try a different set if I am fighting a car that doesn't have anything visibly wrong with it.
I ran a brand new set of tires that shall not be named my last race. Rear stability issues all over the place. Kept wrenching wrenching and wrenching. Tried a different set of tires for the main and boom the car was fine and I was on pace with the top guys. Next time I will definitely try a different set if I am fighting a car that doesn't have anything visibly wrong with it.
Last edited by garnt; 07-28-2021 at 02:46 PM.
07-28-2021, 03:52 PM
#14
Wow, What a huge pile of secrets in this topic lol
07-28-2021, 09:56 PM
#15