# silicone tires



## stirlingmoss (Aug 24, 2012)

whos making good cheap silicone slip-on tires these days?
I have been using weird jack tires not really happy with them as they have a oily feel to them.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

Supertires are the ones that work best for me on the various tracks i have been on,

Early on I was confused because I had some really soft tires that I thought would provide great grip and the supertires were so firm.

But for both my inlines and t-jets, the supertires were the key.
the radius edge also helps


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

*tires*

Have you tried making your own? Depending on the materials you use it is not always "cheap", but it can be fun.


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

Since I race low lap times are more important than low cost, but if you don't enter formal races and you need a lot of tires cost would certainly be a big factor. I mostly race on Super Tires, those are harder than most other brands but they usually have superior grip besides not being prone to tearing or wearing out. Some brands of tires may be rather fragile, they can tear or wear out quickly. I have only had wear problems with Magnatraction type cars, switching to Super Tires eliminated that problem. Super Tires tend to be more expensive than other makes, but you can check the website for special deals. For years I got my silicone slip-on tires from Wizzard, those were actually Penn Valley tires and are no longer available from Wizzard. Tom Heister has taken over the Penn Valley business and he sells his tires for $1.00-1.25 a pair.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

Tom will, very likely, be at the Morgantown PA slot show on December 13.
as far as "oily" silicone slip on tires, that is mold release and a bath in a good brand dish washing detergent (not dishwasher) will remove that.
I have bought "bags O blems" from Rocket Science for many years and for casual use they are great.
I agree that serious racers must spend the extra money for good quality tires that meet their needs and demands.
I also have been a fan of Penn Valley Tires (PVT) for a very long time as the (now closed) hobby store is 20 minutes from me.
they give excellent traction but are prone to tearing if roughly handled.
to the best of my knowledge, along with the original PVT molds, Tom Heister uses the original PVT formula for making those tires.
Tom also has another grade of slip on silicone tires that are his design and formula.
he makes a great narrow, low profile tire for the 4-Gear wheels.

usage and pocketbook usually dictate which brand people favor and I don't know how to know which I prefer without trying them for myself.

I will say that I bought a sample pack of Gel-Claws and ended up giving them all away.


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## AFXRICK (Dec 6, 2008)

I like the Gel-Claws, but they are prone to getting dirty, so a clean track is an absolute must. When they are clean, they work fantastic.


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## stirlingmoss (Aug 24, 2012)

I actually washed the "bag of blems" in my ultrasonicator with dawn dish soap and water and they still have a oily finish,i don't think I will ever buy or use them again they are just horrible..i will look into supertires or possibly mold my own.
thanks guys


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

Jel Claws new wider skinny TJET tires look nice and on the TJETS I have been cleaning and fixing up perform better that the ones I got a couple years ago. I don't believe they are Urethane anymore they have a new blend. I haven't done any serious testing yet just playing around. I am happy with the tight fit on stock TJET wheels and the looks so for skinny TJET runners give them a try.


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

As far as I know Jel Claws have never been urethane, they are made of EDPM which is used for automotive window gaskets.


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

Its probably my memory, but I tested some urethane tires several years back and I thought they were Jel Claws, its hell getting old


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## stirlingmoss (Aug 24, 2012)

Tried the jel- claws skinny t-jet "fats" and like them.. I ordered a few dozen more.


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## toomanyhobbies (Mar 27, 2005)

As an alternative to supertires, these folks put out a nice product too. For the most part he has two compounds for each tire size as well. 

http://www.hotiresdirect.com/

Also, you can use the radius edge on the supertires as a tuning aid. If you turn the edge in, you will loosen the bite in the curves. Could be helpful with a car that pushes out of he slot in the twisties. Just an FYI. 

Dom


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