Cannondale1974

iTrader: (33)

Tire question: Exactly “how much” will upgrading tires help me for racing purposes? I’m running an 8ight Pro version, P5X engine and stock Losi tires which I’ve been told are terrible. I’ve got years of RC experience but am a novice when it comes to actual racing. During practice last week I was one of the slowest on the track and definitely need some stick time. Fast laps were around 28 seconds/lap. I’m guessing I was turning maybe 5-10 seconds slower/lap than the fastest guys.

So, given how green/slow I am, would it be worth spending the $65 on good Panther tires or whatever the good ones are? Or keep the stock Losi’s and work on my driving first?

Thanks!

wallnutz684

iTrader: (5)

yes...it would be a real good idea to get a new set of tires that are good for your track. if u don't know which tires are good, look around, see what everyone else runs.
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CarCrazy

The tires are the only thing between your buggy/truggy and the ground. The right set of new tires will help you perform better than any other hop up you can think of. .



Also the largest portion of your racing budget should be spent on tires. You will spend more money on tires in one year of racing, than you will on anything else... including your car.

slaytanic

iTrader: (20)

The right tires will be like nite and day!

+1 look at what the fast guys are running and get them. If you don't know the track, crimefighters will usually get you at least in the ball park.

MadRussian

iTrader: (3)

The new GRP grips and cubics are awesome!!

KThatcher

iTrader: (64)

Jconepts Double Dees are the shizniz

slaytanic

iTrader: (20)

It's funny how everyone reccomends tires without even know what type of surface he's running on LOL!

wes95_z28

iTrader: (3)

I thought that was kinda funny myself.

petevette

iTrader: (13)

Tires will make a big difference, but only if you get the right ones. You need to get the right pattern and compound. Talk to the local fast guys and see what they are running. Then go out and invest in those same tires and you should see a big difference. The stock tires are only good for bashing.

Good luck!

cherokee180c

Tires do make a big difference, but I am not sure they make a 5-10 second per lap difference! I drive the 8T and won the A-main on the stock XTT Losi tires turning lap times as within tenths of a second of the fastest times last year at our track. I just purchased my first set of new tires now as I need more cornering speed. Unless your car was real loose, or tight, most likely your driving line and throttle control were more likely to blame. Even if the car was either tight or loose, there are a ton of changes to the setup to adjust for that condition with the stock tires. As everyone else said, find what tires the fast guys are running and get a set to get in the ball park. Just don't expect 10 seconds to fall off your times. Racing is not the same as bashing and what you need to realize is that slow is sometimes fast. I suggest reading up on driving theory, which is basically the same in full scale or rc cars. I am not saying this to underestimate your skills, just realize that knowing how to set up for complex turns, S-turns, etc. is not as straight forward as you would think unless you know what you are trying to achieve.

jsmax

iTrader: (54)

Wanted to add a short note here, having the "Best" tires for a track is probably not the best ones for you to get. For example, at my local track M3 crime fighters or Bow ties work very well and is what most people run. But, and this is a big but, they might not last you very long. Gernally, newer racers use way to much throttle (and since you are a newer racer and running a top-end kind of motor it leads to that assumption) and spin the tires a lot, and that is gonna wear either of those tires out failry quickly, costing a lot of money to keep up with.

I think it is important to ask what tires work well but also last. In practice, you don't actually need the ideal tire, as learning/practicing to drive a looser car will help you gain better throttle control and rolling in/out of the throttle which helps you a lot in the long run. Again, for example, at my track I like to practice with M2 Knuckles. They last forever and help me work on my throttle finger, I have even raced with them a couple days.

Cannondale1974

iTrader: (33)

Thanks for all the replys, looks like I'll be shopping for some new tires then.

I don't expect to shave 5-10 seconds with them but at least if I have equal equipment when I get beat I can blame it on my driving instead of the car.

Oh, I'd say the track conditions were, um, dusty. Not sure how else to describe it

DirtyDezPirate

iTrader: (14)

so track is dusty.. you meant it has loose dirt? is there any hard packing? what type of dirt.. is it smooth or bumpy? if its hard packed, no loose dirt.. then i suggest run smaller tread tires.. like proline holeshot... if its got some hard pack, and some loose on outside.. and the track is soft.. i would use tires like proline bowties or crime fighters.. though i say you gotta buy a couple different tires try see which one fits your driving habit. Most of all it also could be the suspnesion setup.. such as chambering while suspension plays up n down.. sway bars, shocks, height ride, and toe in n out.

Cannondale1974

iTrader: (33)

Yes, I'd say it's loose dirt on the edges combined with hard packing down the middle or where the raceline is. Overall it was very smooth also, no major ruts. If I got off towards the edge of the track it would stir up a huge dust cloud so that portion was very loose.

Hope that's a bit more descriptive than my last answer, thanks!

Furadi

Cannondale, yes tires are a great help but... I would recommend you drive your stock losi tires into the ground. Learning how to drive with not so good tires can only make you faster in the end, and that way your not ruining a good set of tires while you learn a smooth line.

For example, I practice with pretty much bald tires because I can't afford $50 a weekend. Tonight I was dicing with a race buddy and while he was faster than me on his crimefighters, He didn't outright leave me behind. I really had to focus on throttle control to keep the buggy in line.

After a while we switched cars, (we both have 8ights) He has the slower of the our 2 engines, and I easily pulled half a lap on him driving his car, while he just spun cookies in every corner with my car.

I even had to race my first expert race with the losi XTBs with 25% tread and somehow managed to come in 4th

Oh and one more thing, I noticed that 8ights dont like crimefighters as much as other buggys because of the side bite. This depends on track obviously, But I couldn't keep my Losi on 4 wheels with crimefighters.