danleb

iTrader: (2)

We run spec tires for our indoor races. Recently getting the Jaco blue tires has been difficult as they seem out of stock - EVERYWHERE. From talking to them they are supposed to get their stock next week...

Hopefully that will happen. But, as a contingency, what are the alternatives? What other brands would you recommend that people have used as a spec tire?

MikeXray

iTrader: (73)

Almost every other track in the US is using either Sweep QTS 32 "true blue" or the Solaris Medium.

syndr0me

iTrader: (32)

Jaco has been "coming next week" for over a year now. It's time to move on.

seaball

iTrader: (9)

true.

i have this conversation a lot since the mws series allows for both tires. as fairtrace just proved at the halloween race, they are the same speed. however, most clubbers want the forgiveness of the sweep tire because they can tolerate sloppier inputs w/o unsettling the car (sidewall flex/squirm).

personally, i am much bigger fan of the solaris tire as a spec tire due to how it performs. it has a thicker carcass/sidewall making the tire more consistent over the run, and over multiple runs. it is also more durable in terms of tearing along the inner sidewall.

again, if everyone's on the same tire it's just a matter of what you prefer. but the solaris tires are closer what what you were getting out of jaco blues.

LMRacing

iTrader: (27)

IMHO I dont understand why nobody runs muchmores as a spec tire, they are only marginaly more expensive than Jacos and are good for a lot longer than Jaco tires.

Warning:
[soapbox]

I'm not a big fan of spec tire primarily because I'm cheap and I buy a lot of used tires. Muchmores always seem to get better with age for me right until I wear them down to the belts. Jaco's only seem to be good for one or two days worth of racing before they lose all there grip (what little they had to begin with anyway) I understand that that way everybody is fighting for traction and suposedly it keeps it cheaper, but theres always someone willing to put on a new set of tires for the mains every week to win. I'd rather run open tire and be able to lose but have fun driving the car than run spec tire and just get frustraited because I cant find any grip with my old worn out jacos

[/soapbox]

Edit: Was on the phone with one of my distributors (I manage a local hobby shop) and there order of Jaco Blues was due 3 weeks ago and they still havn't recieved it or heard from Jaco about it.

Buckaroo

iTrader: (3)

This. If not the 32, then SOMETHING Sweep or Solaris. Cheaper, readily available for the forseeable future, durable rubber, tough as nails rims, and predictible traction.

...and this.

All of which begs the question Is Jaco effectively dead (or dying a slow death) as a rubber tire supplier?

I have some 'blues' from SnowBirds from last year on the Yokomo rims, and they're certainly not the blues of old! The tires on the Prism rims had more sidewall flex and airgap than the ones on the Yokomo rims, and there was a rubber change (or at least a very publically noted performance change in something) between early prism rim blues and late prism rim blues.

Then there was that whole "What's up with Jaco blues" thread where tires were crapping out in less than one race day pretty much wholesale. Never really saw a definitive answer on that one. I was just getting back into rubber tire racing when that happened and got 2 sets that died. Emails, threads, PMs, even sent them a paper letter with a real stamp on it.....no response, so I chalked it up to "Lessons learned" and moved on. Happened to a few of the guys at my track, too, and not just newbies with "....probably messed up toe/camber settings".

Several of the guys at my local track have some greens, and they run those like they're made of gold, as the supply of those died out even before the blues dried up.

Heck, their WGT spec tires haven't been available for over a year now, either! Many online retailers have even pulled them from their catalog instead of constantly moving the expected restock date. I wonder if they know something we don't? 12th scale foams still seem to be available, but I wonder for how long? Last year midway through the winter season you couldn't have paid $100 for a new set of Jaco 12th foams from just about anywhere and gotten anything useable for indoor carpet. I wonder if this year will be the same? Thank goodness CRCs are readily available, but that's a whole other debate.

For my money for rubber TC tires/wheels, the Sweep nylon EXP rims and their rubber tires in general are pretty good de facto form/fit/function replacements for anything Jaco on a touring car.

Oh, as to Muchmore tires....good rubber for asphalt, not so much for carpet....and their rims are about as durable as eggshells under an elephant stampede.

danleb

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the feedback guys!

haywood

iTrader: (49)

I heard rumors they have a large contract with the USPS providing some rubber parts for some mail sorting equipment! Time to go to Sweeps or Solaris for the IIC and Snowbirds!

performula

iTrader: (4)

Really? That one contract probably covered at least half their total sales from inception, I'd be surprised if they don't phase out of RC...

I know, old thread.

DesertRat

iTrader: (2)

My big problem with jacos has always been they are NEVER round, the rim wobbles and is always egg-shaped.

malkiy

iTrader: (10)

Team powers makes a tire very similar in performance to the sweep QTS32. They also last much longer before there is a drop off in performance.

DIALED

iTrader: (96)

I just think it would be nice to have a 'what tire' discussion with more than option 'A' or option 'B' to consider. RC Specialties has original TakeOff 27s/32s in stock and a bunch of others. Plus, Pit Shimizu pre-mounts are on the way...