Need Help With Deciding On Tires

[GunnerBAC]

Hi! I'm new to rc crawling and wanted to get people's opinions on some different tires and which one may be the best. I'm going to be rock crawling and going through mud and dirt mostly. In the winter, I will be doing the same but with ice and snow. Also I'm either going with 1.9's or 2.2's.

The tires I'm trying to decide between are:

- Interco IROK Super Swamper

- Pit Bull Rock Beast

- Maxxis Trepador

- JConcepts Landmines

- BFGoodrich Krawler T/A KX

- BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3

- Axial Ripsaw

I'm not interested in the Hyrax tires because I'm going for realism. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[mewalsh100]

First post to the forum and you're gonna create this debacle ehh! Just kidding.:lmao: Welcome to the forum BTW! A lot of great info and people on here.

Anyway, you'll find that tires and "what's best" often creates a maelstrom of opinions around here. It really comes down to a number of factors including those you mentioned like conditions you're using the rig in/on. There really isn't a "magic bullet". A lot of it will come down to your driving style / preferences, how you tune the tire (foams), the weight of your rig, your rigs overall set up, etc, etc, etc.

I just threw some JConcepts Landmines on my Capra. Not even scrubbed in yet, but I can tell I'm going to love them on that rig. But, I may not like how they feel / perform as much on something like my TRX-4.

Based on your geography / region, and what you've stated about the conditions you'll be running in, the Swampers seem to be a good go-to for a lot of guys with similar parameters.

 

[GunnerBAC]

First post to the forum and you're gonna create this debacle ehh! Just kidding.:lmao: Welcome to the forum BTW! A lot of great info and people on here.

Anyway, you'll find that tires and "what's best" often creates a maelstrom of opinions around here. It really comes down to a number of factors including those you mentioned like conditions you're using the rig in/on. There really isn't a "magic bullet". A lot of it will come down to your driving style / preferences, how you tune the tire (foams), the weight of your rig, your rigs overall set up, etc, etc, etc.

I just threw some JConcepts Landmines on my Capra. Not even scrubbed in yet, but I can tell I'm going to love them on that rig. But, I may not like how they feel / perform as much on something like my TRX-4.

Based on your geography / region, and what you've stated about the conditions you'll be running in, the Swampers seem to be a good go-to for a lot of guys with similar parameters.

Thanks for the warm welcome! I know this is an endless debate but I'm just looking for people's opinions and not really a definitive answer. I appreciate your feedback on the Swampers.

I'm probably going to be buying the Element Enduro Sendero tomorrow and I'm trying to find the best tires for what I want to do with it. I'm also thinking of upgrading from the 1.9" tires to the 2.2" tires. I want to be able to go over square curbs and I'm not sure if the 1.9" will do it..

You seem pretty knowledgeable so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple more questions:

1. Do you happen to have any input on the Axial Ripsaw tires?

2. If I upgrade to 2.2" tires, is there a way to raise the body so it doesn't rub?

 

[Natedog]

I've had 1.9 and 2.2 Axial Ripsaws, great tires imo, also love the Swampers and the Krawlers for all around great tires with scale appearance! I soak most of my new tires in gallon of hot water mixed with about a cup of Simple Green for couple days, scrub, dry and mount with some good foams such as ProLine or CI single stage, be sure to vent your tires with a leather punch in 3 places around the outside tread diameter, and welcome to RCC!!!

Raise body and/or trim wheelwells but raising the COG is not good.

 

[Flamnpede1]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I know this is an endless debate but I'm just looking for people's opinions and not really a definitive answer. I appreciate your feedback on the Swampers.

I'm probably going to be buying the Element Enduro Sendero tomorrow and I'm trying to find the best tires for what I want to do with it. I'm also thinking of upgrading from the 1.9" tires to the 2.2" tires. I want to be able to go over square curbs and I'm not sure if the 1.9" will do it..

You seem pretty knowledgeable so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple more questions:

1. Do you happen to have any input on the Axial Ripsaw tires?

2. If I upgrade to 2.2" tires, is there a way to raise the body so it doesn't rub?

I think with the 1.9's it has a lot to do with approach angle and not all 1.9's have the same outside diameter so that needs to be taken into consideration as well.

I haven't had a chance to go outside and run yet, but I have a 60 degree angle 9 inches tall inside and don't have much issue getting over it with my gen 8 using Traxxas Canyon Trail 1.9's. I do have to give it a quick jab of the throttle to pop it over the top though.

Also, if your truck has a slight weight bias to the front it should help the front drop once over a sharp angle like a curb and etc.

 

[GunnerBAC]

I've had 1.9 and 2.2 Axial Ripsaws, great tires imo, also love the Swampers and the Krawlers for all around great tires with scale appearance! I soak most of my new tires in gallon of hot water mixed with about a cup of Simple Green for couple days, scrub, dry and mount with some good foams such as ProLine or CI single stage, be sure to vent your tires with a leather punch in 3 places around the outside tread diameter, and welcome to RCC!!!

Raise body and/or trim wheelwells but raising the COG is not good.

Thanks for the tips! I will definitely keep them in mind when deciding what to do.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Proline Super Swampers (Not the ones from RC4WD) and Pitbull Rock Beasts are my two favorite tires and the conditions here sound similar to yours.

 

[GunnerBAC]

I think with the 1.9's it has a lot to do with approach angle and not all 1.9's have the same outside diameter so that needs to be taken into consideration as well.

I haven't had a chance to go outside and run yet, but I have a 60 degree angle 9 inches tall inside and don't have much issue getting over it with my gen 8 using Traxxas Canyon Trail 1.9's. I do have to give it a quick jab of the throttle to pop it over the top though.

Also, if your truck has a slight weight bias to the front it should help the front drop once over a sharp angle like a curb and etc.

Thanks for the input. The Element Enduro Sendero comes with the option of having the front end overdrive by 11.83% so hopefully that will help out..

 

[GunnerBAC]

Proline Super Swampers (Not the ones from RC4WD) and Pitbull Rock Beasts are my two favorite tires and the conditions here sound similar to yours.

Thanks man. I appreciate it.

 

[mewalsh100]

I'm probably going to be buying the Element Enduro Sendero tomorrow and I'm trying to find the best tires for what I want to do with it. I'm also thinking of upgrading from the 1.9" tires to the 2.2" tires. I want to be able to go over square curbs and I'm not sure if the 1.9" will do it..

You seem pretty knowledgeable so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple more questions:

1. Do you happen to have any input on the Axial Ripsaw tires?

2. If I upgrade to 2.2" tires, is there a way to raise the body so it doesn't rub?

I have never run the Axial Ripsaw's, so I can't really provide you a first hand review. As with anything tire related, you'll find guys that swear by them, and other folks that would sooner take a dump on the mold that churns them out.

Personally, I wouldn't run a 2.2 tire on a rig designed for 1.9's. generally speaking, it just looks goofy. Plus, you can get a tallish 1.9 at 4.75" and it's going to look fairly proper, and perform pretty darn well. Also, keep in mind that raising your body to clear the 2.2's is going to raise the COG on your rig and make it more tip / roll-over prone. If you're dead set on running the 2.2's, I'd be more inclined to keep the body low on the posts and trim out the fenders for clearance. But, this can also look goofy and destroy an otherwise decent looking body.

Are you buying the Enduro kit or the RTR? If you're buying the RTR, I'd suggest running the 1.9's it comes with for a bit and see what you think. If you're buying the kit, maybe you can borrow / try on some different wheel / tire combos before committing to buy? Are there any local crawling groups around where you live? Most guys are pretty cool and would probably be happy to let you try some of their different tires at a run. Or, if you're buying the kit from a local Hobby Shop, maybe ask them if they have some "take-offs" available that you could try for a bit. There's a regional section here on the forums that may help you find some local groups and meet ups in your area. You may want to check there as well. "thumbsup"

 

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Never run 2.2's on a 1.9 rig!

(We call them "training wheels" around here..).

As far as scale tires, my go-to is always the proline super swamper. The SX is 4.3" tall and the XL is 4.75" tall, they're available in a couple different compounds but even the hardest (G8 I think it is?) compound is excellent.

 

[GunnerBAC]

I'm probably going to be buying the Element Enduro Sendero tomorrow and I'm trying to find the best tires for what I want to do with it. I'm also thinking of upgrading from the 1.9" tires to the 2.2" tires. I want to be able to go over square curbs and I'm not sure if the 1.9" will do it..

You seem pretty knowledgeable so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple more questions:

1. Do you happen to have any input on the Axial Ripsaw tires?

2. If I upgrade to 2.2" tires, is there a way to raise the body so it doesn't rub?

I have never run the Axial Ripsaw's, so I can't really provide you a first hand review. As with anything tire related, you'll find guys that swear by them, and other folks that would sooner take a dump on the mold that churns them out.

Personally, I wouldn't run a 2.2 tire on a rig designed for 1.9's. generally speaking, it just looks goofy. Plus, you can get a tallish 1.9 at 4.75" and it's going to look fairly proper, and perform pretty darn well. Also, keep in mind that raising your body to clear the 2.2's is going to raise the COG on your rig and make it more tip / roll-over prone. If you're dead set on running the 2.2's, I'd be more inclined to keep the body low on the posts and trim out the fenders for clearance. But, this can also look goofy and destroy an otherwise decent looking body.

Are you buying the Enduro kit or the RTR? If you're buying the RTR, I'd suggest running the 1.9's it comes with for a bit and see what you think. If you're buying the kit, maybe you can borrow / try on some different wheel / tire combos before committing to buy? Are there any local crawling groups around where you live? Most guys are pretty cool and would probably be happy to let you try some of their different tires at a run. Or, if you're buying the kit from a local Hobby Shop, maybe ask them if they have some "take-offs" available that you could try for a bit. There's a regional section here on the forums that may help you find some local groups and meet ups in your area. You may want to check there as well. "thumbsup"

I'm going to be getting the RTR so maybe I should wait and see how the 1.9's are. I'm thinking of going with the Proline Dual Stage Foams as well so they conform better to rocks and such. What do you think of the dual stage foams?

 

[GunnerBAC]

Never run 2.2's on a 1.9 rig!

(We call them "training wheels" around here..).

As far as scale tires, my go-to is always the proline super swamper. The SX is 4.3" tall and the XL is 4.75" tall, they're available in a couple different compounds but even the hardest (G8 I think it is?) compound is excellent.

That's kind of interesting that 2.2's are sort of frowned upon. In real life off roading, everyone likes to go bigger like 35's, 37's, or even 40's. They always say the bigger the better..

 

[mewalsh100]

That's kind of interesting that 2.2's are sort of frowned upon. In real life off roading, everyone likes to go bigger like 35's, 37's, or even 40's. They always say the bigger the better..

It's not that 2.2's are frowned upon, it's just that they don't really look right or function properly on the geometry of a rig that was designed to run 1.9's. It'd be kinda like trying to throw 35's on your wife's JK mall crawler without doing any of the other necessary upgrades. 2.2's on something like an OG Wraith, Bomber - you're good to go. They look appropriate on those rigs because those rigs were designed around 2.2's, whereas an Element, SCX, and many of the other "scale" based rigs were not.

Having said all that, 1.9's are far more prevalent right now. I own a number of 2.2 rigs as well as 1.9 based rigs. I find I run any of my 1.9 rigs far more often. I think for most of us, it comes down to the fact that they can be more challenging and finding terrain that will challenge them is easier. Local parks, Rip/Rap under bridges, our own backyard courses, etc. I'll occasionally roll out my 2.2 rigs, but generally get bored pretty quick on my backyard course and neighborhood terrain. They just tend to be able to eat it all up so there's no real challenge.

 

[GunnerBAC]

It's not that 2.2's are frowned upon, it's just that they don't really look right or function properly on the geometry of a rig that was designed to run 1.9's. It'd be kinda like trying to throw 35's on your wife's JK mall crawler without doing any of the other necessary upgrades. 2.2's on something like an OG Wraith, Bomber - you're good to go. They look appropriate on those rigs because those rigs were designed around 2.2's, whereas an Element, SCX, and many of the other "scale" based rigs were not.

Having said all that, 1.9's are far more prevalent right now. I own a number of 2.2 rigs as well as 1.9 based rigs. I find I run any of my 1.9 rigs far more often. I think for most of us, it comes down to the fact that they can be more challenging and finding terrain that will challenge them is easier. Local parks, Rip/Rap under bridges, our own backyard courses, etc. I'll occasionally roll out my 2.2 rigs, but generally get bored pretty quick on my backyard course and neighborhood terrain. They just tend to be able to eat it all up so there's no real challenge.

I see. Thanks for all the input so far. I gotta talk to my local guys and my hobby shop and see what I'm going to do here.

BTW, did you see my post about the dual stage foams?

 

[JatoTheRipper]

That's kind of interesting that 2.2's are sort of frowned upon. In real life off roading, everyone likes to go bigger like 35's, 37's, or even 40's. They always say the bigger the better..

His opinion is just that. And you know what they say about opinions.

I think most people new to this hobby try larger tires. As you learn you realize massive tires have drawbacks. Also, they make lots of things too easy.

 

[durok]

When moving up from 1.9" to 2.2" on a rig that comes with 1.9"s, it's also the visuals - you've kinda jumped the shark and joined the bro-dozer / mall crawler crowd with over 20" wheels (hah!)...

BTW, I have the Enduro and the tires it comes with are pretty tall for 1.9", and they already rub the fender flares a fair amount when at full axle articulation.

You'll see a lot of Enduros with their fenders trimmed even when running tires just over 4.5" tall.

I'd run it with stock for a while, they are scale-appearing and not bad at all in the dry, maybe not so great in muck...

Make a more informed decision after a while, getting performance foams if need be, and who knows - maybe you'll want to change the body (the RTR body is a little flimsy and won't last that long).

If you change the body, then you may have room for Pro-line 1.9" Super Swamper XL tires which are on the tall side at 4.75", or go nuts with their Boggers at just under 5 and a half inches!

Again, super-tall tires will cause handling issues because of the higher COG (center of gravity) and climbing square curbs isn't really scale rock-crawlin'... "thumbsup"

I find that right around 4.5" is the sweet spot for outright crawling but 4.19" on a truck tuned to run a bit lower provides better handling, makes your vehicle appear very "scale", and makes your favorite spots just a bit more challenging and can be more fun in the long run.

 

[GunnerBAC]

When moving up from 1.9" to 2.2" on a rig that comes with 1.9"s, it's also the visuals - you've kinda jumped the shark and joined the bro-dozer / mall crawler crowd with over 20" wheels (hah!)...

BTW, I have the Enduro and the tires it comes with are pretty tall for 1.9", and they already rub the fender flares a fair amount when at full axle articulation.

You'll see a lot of Enduros with their fenders trimmed even when running tires just over 4.5" tall.

I'd run it with stock for a while, they are scale-appearing and not bad at all in the dry, maybe not so great in muck...

Make a more informed decision after a while, getting performance foams if need be, and who knows - maybe you'll want to change the body (the RTR body is a little flimsy and won't last that long).

If you change the body, then you may have room for Pro-line 1.9" Super Swamper XL tires which are on the tall side at 4.75", or go nuts with their Boggers at just under 5 and a half inches!

Again, super-tall tires will cause handling issues because of the higher COG (center of gravity) and climbing square curbs isn't really scale rock-crawlin'... "thumbsup"

I find that right around 4.5" is the sweet spot for outright crawling but 4.19" on a truck tuned to run a bit lower provides better handling, makes your vehicle appear very "scale", and makes your favorite spots just a bit more challenging and can be more fun in the long run.

That's some great info. BTW, the reason I want it to go over curbs is because I don't want to be looking cool rock crawling and then roll up to a curb and not be able to get over it..lol..That would be pretty embarrassing for me..haha. The curbs around me are around 6-8 inches tall and are square at 90 degree angles.

 

[colbynobo]

I had to vote Krawler on this last as the only tire you've listed that I haven't owned (at least not yet....) is the Landmine. For my personal terrain the Proline Super Swamper is a slightly better choice, but since it wasn't on your list I'm not certain if you deliberately chose to omit it.

 

[GunnerBAC]

I had to vote Krawler on this last as the only tire you've listed that I haven't owned (at least not yet....) is the Landmine. For my personal terrain the Proline Super Swamper is a slightly better choice, but since it wasn't on your list I'm not certain if you deliberately chose to omit it.

Thanks for your input. I did purposely omit the Super Swamper TSL because I have had them before on my real life truck and I wasn't impressed. Just my personal opinion..