One of the most common issues that comes up is The ballooning of Tires when running in  Extreme Speed conditions as well as  holding tires on to Bead Lock wheels . These conditions are the result of using Extreme high capacity Batteries  and Brushless Motor resulting in extreme speeds of your RC vehicle.

Today I’m going to go over with you some techniques / tips to help eliminate both of these conditions.

 First you need to gather up some supplies.  In this case, I’m using the 1159-01 Trencher SC tires and mounting them to our Renegade 2731-03 SC Bead Lock wheels. You’ll also want some Gorilla Tape (Duct Tape) a tube of Permatex (I’m using Ultra Gray in this application), and some Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning the tires.

 First thing we are going to do is remove the Blue Foam insert and then turn the tire inside out.  Next and most importantly, you want to use the Isopropyl Alcohol to clean off the tire surface we will be applying the tape to as this will prep and provide a clean surface for the tape adhesive to bond to.  Once the tire is clean, then we are ready for the tape.

For SC tires, I like to use 1/2:” wide strips, and wrap the tape around the center line of the tire.  Simply lay it in place about Center line and press it onto the inside tire surface so it properly bonds (Do not stretch or pull the tape). Over Lap the tape joint by about ½” where the ends meet.

Tire taping can be applied to many different tires. For non Bead lock Tires like 2.8 30 series I Use 1″ Wide Strips and for 3.8 40 seris 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ stips depending on the width of the tire. Remember not to Over Tape as this can cause lumps in your tires as well as cause it to become severely unbalanaced.

The tire taping method can be applied to most all bead lock and glue type wheels when planning to run your vehicle in extreme speed condtions.

Bead Lock Mounting

Next we are going to prep the wheel / tire for mounting.  Take the blue foam and install it on the wheel drum. Next, apply a bead of Permatex around the flange lip of the wheel drum face.

 

Next, support the Drum from the back side with a soup can and press the tire into the outer bead flange so the Permatex engages the ribbed area of the front tire.

 Now while holding the outer bead in place with one hand (apply downward pressure towards the can), slowly turn the tire right side out.

Next firmly press the outer bead into the tire until you see the Permatex pushing through the round holes of the wheel drums inside outer face.

 

 Next, pull the rear bead slightly up and apply a bead of Permatex around the edge where the foam meets the wheel drum lip.

 Next, assemble the bead lock as normal and then work you fingers around the front and back side wall to smooth out any lumps and let the Permatex dry over night (24 Hours minimal preferably)

 This works great for other SC tires and you can purchase additional outer tire drums (P/N #2709-51) from the bead lock wheels. These cost $3.30 each and can be purchased by calling our sales department at 800-899-7223. With extra drums, and the silicone technique, you can create modular / semi mounted sets of tires that are ready to go and be changed simply by unscrewing the 6 bolts, popping out the wheel centers and re-assembling into your other tires.

For those of you on a budget, the original tire drums can be re-used simply by cleaning off the silicone after removing the old tire and re-mounting new / fresh tires and foams.

 We hope this article was helpfull for you and please feel free to email me at customerservice@prolineracing.com with any questions.