TOPCAD Rock Crawler tire & wheel sets ARE NOT for high speed trucks.
03-05-2009, 03:36 AM
#1
TOPCAD Rock Crawler tire & wheel sets ARE NOT for high speed trucks.
Here's another really bad experience with being recommended the wrong product. I feel I should mention here before anyone makes the same mistake.
I went to the RC shop asking for pro-line or any 2.2 truck tires for my Firestorm Flux and was recommended these beautiful wheel & tire set...
http://www.topcad.com.hk/v4/Descript...re/wt22010.php
They look really good but I told the sales staff that they look like rock crawler tires and since the wheels were alloy, was rather heavy as well, and I was concerned if these can be used on my Firestorm Flux.
The sales person told me not to worry and that these big tires will be great on trucks and it is very popular amongst trucks of many kind. Moreover the wheels can be re-used again on other tires since no tire cement is needed to secure wheels to tires. 6 little hex screws are used to tighten a carbon fibre plate clamping the tire to the alloy wheel.
I decided to try them out and paid a premium for a set of four. Before running the first time I check to see that all hex screws are in place and firmly secured. After the first run on my stock Firestorm Flux... just ONE run... and the following happened...
1. The back tires flew out of it's place because the wheels just can't hold them.
2. Two hex screw heads broke clean off, leaving a part of the screws in two of the alloy wheel's thread.
3. The back tire foam inserts flew clean out.
I am left with one unusable alloy wheel with broken screws inside, 3 more useless tire & wheel set, a hole in the pocket and one truly black face.
Consumers really have to pay to learn yah? I mean this is what retail stores love. They love to just make consumers pay to learn. I hate this so much it makes me mad. Of course the internet is available for research, but sometimes you walk into a store just to see what's new and get sold by a recommendation and what a BIG mistake this can be.
So be careful. I guess I am telling myself that!
What am I to do with the 3 tire and wheels? AARRRGGHHHHhhh!!!!!!!
I went to the RC shop asking for pro-line or any 2.2 truck tires for my Firestorm Flux and was recommended these beautiful wheel & tire set...
http://www.topcad.com.hk/v4/Descript...re/wt22010.php
They look really good but I told the sales staff that they look like rock crawler tires and since the wheels were alloy, was rather heavy as well, and I was concerned if these can be used on my Firestorm Flux.
The sales person told me not to worry and that these big tires will be great on trucks and it is very popular amongst trucks of many kind. Moreover the wheels can be re-used again on other tires since no tire cement is needed to secure wheels to tires. 6 little hex screws are used to tighten a carbon fibre plate clamping the tire to the alloy wheel.
I decided to try them out and paid a premium for a set of four. Before running the first time I check to see that all hex screws are in place and firmly secured. After the first run on my stock Firestorm Flux... just ONE run... and the following happened...
1. The back tires flew out of it's place because the wheels just can't hold them.
2. Two hex screw heads broke clean off, leaving a part of the screws in two of the alloy wheel's thread.
3. The back tire foam inserts flew clean out.
I am left with one unusable alloy wheel with broken screws inside, 3 more useless tire & wheel set, a hole in the pocket and one truly black face.
Consumers really have to pay to learn yah? I mean this is what retail stores love. They love to just make consumers pay to learn. I hate this so much it makes me mad. Of course the internet is available for research, but sometimes you walk into a store just to see what's new and get sold by a recommendation and what a BIG mistake this can be.
So be careful. I guess I am telling myself that!
What am I to do with the 3 tire and wheels? AARRRGGHHHHhhh!!!!!!!
03-05-2009, 03:49 AM
#2
sorry to hear your plight... I think i know where u got those tires... i have them too.
THey are for rock crawler and i guess they are not meant to be fitted on fast trucks...
Here is wat u can do... forget abt the tires... dun think they are worth much, but u can still try to sell them as a package.
But for the rims, i think u can try selling them to some of the rock crawler bros here...
For the broken beadlocks, with patience u should be able to get them out... I had two that broke on me before too... I had to use 2 needles to try to rotate the broken screws out enough for me to grab them with my pliers... Once they are out, you can easily buy the spare beadlocks (screws) at hardware stores...
THen u should be able to sell them off...
cheers.
THey are for rock crawler and i guess they are not meant to be fitted on fast trucks...
Here is wat u can do... forget abt the tires... dun think they are worth much, but u can still try to sell them as a package.
But for the rims, i think u can try selling them to some of the rock crawler bros here...
For the broken beadlocks, with patience u should be able to get them out... I had two that broke on me before too... I had to use 2 needles to try to rotate the broken screws out enough for me to grab them with my pliers... Once they are out, you can easily buy the spare beadlocks (screws) at hardware stores...
THen u should be able to sell them off...
cheers.
03-05-2009, 05:45 AM
#4
studio2403,
Based on my rock crawling experience, once properly secured, metal beadlock rings on metal rims will not slip.
One needs to properly seat the beads of the tyres on the rims, and secure them with the beadlock ring, using criss cross pattern, to make the beadlock seat evenly.
After reading what happened, if u're tyre and inserts flew off on the first run, could mean failure to secure them properly.
Beadlocks are water tight too, so if u get them soaked in water, no seepage will occur.
All is not lost. Do wat dabiddo recommend, and u'll be ok.
As a side note, in rockcrawling, beadlock rings and rims are part of a tuning variable and is by no means a weak point once securely seated.The tyres will usually tear before the beadlock gives way..
hope dis will clear ur doubts on beadlocks
regards
Evil Ernie
Based on my rock crawling experience, once properly secured, metal beadlock rings on metal rims will not slip.
One needs to properly seat the beads of the tyres on the rims, and secure them with the beadlock ring, using criss cross pattern, to make the beadlock seat evenly.
After reading what happened, if u're tyre and inserts flew off on the first run, could mean failure to secure them properly.
Beadlocks are water tight too, so if u get them soaked in water, no seepage will occur.
All is not lost. Do wat dabiddo recommend, and u'll be ok.
As a side note, in rockcrawling, beadlock rings and rims are part of a tuning variable and is by no means a weak point once securely seated.The tyres will usually tear before the beadlock gives way..
hope dis will clear ur doubts on beadlocks
regards
Evil Ernie
03-05-2009, 08:49 AM
#5
Feel sorry for you to have encounter another bad experience. 
Like what the guys mentioned, it's not all lost as far as the wheels are concern. They can be saved and either be sold, or used with new proper stadium truck tires.
Also, I have to agree w EE that beadlock wheels should not spit out tires so easily if installed properly. The torque stress on them are much higher on crawlers, so on slick offroad conditions they should hold well enough. Furthermore, those Topcad tires really don't grip much on dirt, which should also help with keeping them on the rims.
I will be running beadlock rims on my truck soon, and already has plan to replace those small hex screws with countersunk ones. Yes, need to countersunk the beadlock rings. Reason being, those square hex heads will get a beating when we run them on our offroad trucks. It's like putting our heads out of the car window when on the expressway.
My stock HPI rims got hammered real bad on the sidewall, so I know those screws won't stay on long if I don't use countersunk.
Lastly, it is possible to run crawler tires on our trucks. But with them on, the truck suddenly become a basher. It understeer big time, go over stuffs like nothing, bounce around with lots of ground clearance. Tried them before and it was pretty fun.
But the heavier tires do cause much stress to the arms, hinges pins, ball ends and links, resulting in more rapid wear.
Plus, we need to re-gear the truck to accommodate the extra large/heavy tires and wheels.
Like what the guys mentioned, it's not all lost as far as the wheels are concern. They can be saved and either be sold, or used with new proper stadium truck tires.
Also, I have to agree w EE that beadlock wheels should not spit out tires so easily if installed properly. The torque stress on them are much higher on crawlers, so on slick offroad conditions they should hold well enough. Furthermore, those Topcad tires really don't grip much on dirt, which should also help with keeping them on the rims.
I will be running beadlock rims on my truck soon, and already has plan to replace those small hex screws with countersunk ones. Yes, need to countersunk the beadlock rings. Reason being, those square hex heads will get a beating when we run them on our offroad trucks. It's like putting our heads out of the car window when on the expressway.
My stock HPI rims got hammered real bad on the sidewall, so I know those screws won't stay on long if I don't use countersunk.
Lastly, it is possible to run crawler tires on our trucks. But with them on, the truck suddenly become a basher. It understeer big time, go over stuffs like nothing, bounce around with lots of ground clearance. Tried them before and it was pretty fun.
But the heavier tires do cause much stress to the arms, hinges pins, ball ends and links, resulting in more rapid wear.
Plus, we need to re-gear the truck to accommodate the extra large/heavy tires and wheels.
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
