# tires with treads



## lenny (Feb 29, 2000)

are there any classes of races that allow treads on the tires?

Dan


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## Black Oxxpurple (Jul 3, 2011)

Don't know, but that would be cool on some shelf Queens....


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

maybe the question should be
........don't allow tread ....?

What advantage would it give?

lighter tire ? faster lap times ? better traction ?

hmm silifoams with grooves

pancake ? inline ? both ?


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

the only tires i have seen that way are rubber.
most folks are running silicone tires.

the treads would reduce the amount of tire on the track.
without good flex, they may have to be sanded to make sure the tire is round which may remove tread in some areas. 

I have taken silicon tires, and put slices in them to add a hair more flex to the tire. but you still have most of the tire on the road.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

I dont know that it would be dis-allowed by rule. As previously indicated above, treads fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Most everyone follows the winning/popular trend, which is maximizing the contact patch area in the rear, and minimizing it in front. 

So if treads arent being used, there's likely not a rule to dis-allow them. Surely if you started blowing holes in conventional wisdom by winning on snow tires; they'd have a rule against it penciled up the following day.

Naturally the modeler in me is curious about displaying more representational rubber. Sight unseen, my first concern would about keeping them clean and true, because the racer in me wont compromise performance on the track.


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## lenny (Feb 29, 2000)

cwbam said:


> maybe the question should be
> ........don't allow tread ....?
> 
> What advantage would it give?
> ...


I'm in the process of sending some samples to the factory and some of the tires have treads. So that got me to thinking about making the production tires with treads. I agree that shelf queens would look good with them. But would they be allowed in races?


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Most 1:1 race cars run slicks to maximize the rubber to the road, and most races stop the minute rain hits the track. The ones that do keep racing, put tires on with tread to help with hydroplaning issues if the situation arises. For regular street car type tires, treads would be a cool touch of realism. 

For T Jet type chassis, I could see a slightly narrower flange on the rim and slightly wider skinny tires with a shallow tread imprint on the tread surface. To really make them kick, have the option of a whitewall on one side and a black wall on the other so a simple flip changes the entire look of the tire.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

> I'm in the process or sending some samples to the factory and some of the tires have treads. So that got me to thinking about making the production tires with treads.


The modelers will love it!
I imagine some IROC type race cars may even use them.
will become it own race class? I imagine some folks may just do that for fun


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

The block style tread pattern is on the diecast dirt race cars. I always thought it would be cool to have a slot car version of those tires available. The tires that come on the diecast cars are a very hard rubber or soft plastic. So they would be no good for slot cars. 

But a bead-lock wheel with white lettered silicone or rubber tires w/a block style tread pattern would look pretty good scale dirt cars.


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

*tractor-ready*

My only attempt at "tread" so far is this tractor tread A/FX tire.


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## rholmesr (Oct 8, 2010)

I like the idea of treaded tires for display purposes but not sure how they would pose any sort of advantage on a normal track or race.

I don't have any of these but didn't Tyco make treaded or nubby tires on the turbo hopper cars?

Hey, maybe we need to invent a whole new class of racing - race outdoors rain or shine. We will need a special track with stainless steel rails that won't rust when it rains!! Then you can change tires to suit the weather conditions just like at LeMans!!! Treaded tires would probably be a huge advantage on a wet track.


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

".....But would they be allowed in races?....."

So is the Question really for FRAY, Quarrel , ? ECOH ? ........ rules officials?


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## rholmesr (Oct 8, 2010)

Fray rules don't say anything about the type of tire or material to be used. There are rules about the wheels, but not the tires. I didn't study the Quarrel rules but to my knowledge they are very similar to those for the fray.


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## LDThomas (Nov 30, 1999)

If you are racing, why would you want to go slower?

For display, great idea.


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

rholmesr said:


> I like the idea of treaded tires for display purposes but not sure how they would pose any sort of advantage on a normal track or race.
> 
> I don't have any of these but didn't Tyco make treaded or nubby tires on the turbo hopper cars?
> 
> Hey, maybe we need to invent a whole new class of racing - race outdoors rain or shine. We will need a special track with stainless steel rails that won't rust when it rains!! Then you can change tires to suit the weather conditions just like at LeMans!!! Treaded tires would probably be a huge advantage on a wet track.


I had the Turbo Hopper cars when I was a kid. I hated them because the were severely crowned, & they made them this way so the cars would go over the hills without dragging. But they didn't corner worth anything because they would always tip over. I only had the buggies.


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## Boosted-Z71 (Nov 26, 2007)

I have some straight grooved fray style sili-foams that I made, They handle well, it seems you can push them harder into corners, but I cant prove it by any significantly better lap times. I will try to post some pics later, the grooves are approx .050 wide and 2/3 the depth of the tire.

I thought I might try to cut some tires with some outside edge sipes, like a dirt car tire, just need to make a jig to hold them and cut away with the dremel tool

Boosted


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

I experimented once with a pair of Tabcomary's silicones, that he made special for me. I trued/re-sized the tire tread using a coarse mill file, and it produced shallow grooves that looked GREAT !
But on the Track, it was a different story, they lost alot of traction compared to a stock set of the same tires. They Acted more like dirty tires, and spun way too much, and fishtailed all over. But they sure look great on my shelf queen


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## lenny (Feb 29, 2000)

LDThomas said:


> If you are racing, why would you want to go slower?
> 
> For display, great idea.


just looking for a way to maximize my investment. If I could produce a tire with a tread that looked and performed great; well *great*! but if it comes down to being able to afford to do one or the other, then I'll stick to slicks.

That's why I asked. thanks to all that replied!

Dan


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Just an observation. Some Carrera GO 1/43 cars do come with treaded tires.

Joe


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Groovy man*



Grandcheapskate said:


> Just an observation. Some Carrera GO 1/43 cars do come with treaded tires.
> 
> Joe


Joe, and those same Carrera GO 1/43 cars, GO really slow(beginners speed), and I believe their track is really rough for traction purposes.
And btw- back in the mid 60's -my Eldon 1/32 cars, had straight groove tread on the tires as well.... then again, they were pretty much Toy Slot Cars.


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## lenny (Feb 29, 2000)

Grandcheapskate said:


> Just an observation. Some Carrera GO 1/43 cars do come with treaded tires.
> 
> Joe


I have a* 1/32 scale Carrera* Audi R8 stitting on my desk and I just looked at the tires. Slicks in back, treaded tires up front.


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

*surfaces*

Even on the roughest HO track, I think a slick will result in the best traction. Tire treads are designed mainly to channel water away, or to deal with loose soil. The only exception I can think of is if you had a very smooth track, and could make a very soft (A 10?) tire with tiny dimples or pores in the surface that could act as suction cups.


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Although the original topic seems Moot now, here's a pic of the Tabcomary Tires I was talking about, that I added Tread/Grooves to...slightly hard to see though.








BTW- only the left rear tire was used in this photo, as an experiment to see if the inside tire would spin more easily on my oval in the corners, and it actually did, and improved the cornering !


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

Cool RT3 I like that idea for the oval that is so cool looking. I may have to get groovy.

I don't know if this would be a place to post this idea but anyway here it goes. Tires made especially for cleaning the track. I am not sure if this has been tried before or even if it would work. But if it would work it would be a cool way to clean the surface. Just slip on a set of "scrubbers or cleaners" & run some laps. Make them a different color so that you can see how dirty the surface is. Make them easy to clean & put the car back on the track. Run it again until the tires are clean. Then go the next lane and do it again. 

Sure cleaning the track with a rag works. But it would be more fun to clean it this way IMO.


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

Tracks are generally too long for a small thing like a tire to clean it. I agree it would be funner. AJs made a track cleaner that was moderately effective with a pad that cleaned behind the truck. 

Back to the treaded tires... Ralph, did the Willys in the picture have traction magnets? I find that traction magnets can offset dry rubber tires or improve the performance of skinny tires and wondered if we could have the look of the tread and sufficient performance by adding traction magnets.

Discuss.

Old Blue


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Old blue, No Way to the Traction Mags ! No Cars with Traction Mags(except Magna Traction type) are allowed to race on my Dirt Oval 
PS- drifting on Dirt Tracks is Cool :thumbsup: and so Traction mags are Taboo here, except for my Dragstrip.


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

Old Blue I agree with RT3 I don't run the traction mags on my cars either. Heck a AW X-traction with the magnet in & silicone tires. Can go around my oval wide open. I keep one chassis with the mag in so a nooby can make some laps w/o coming off. The car is faster than any other car I have because of that mag in, even on rubber tires! 

But they are not as much fun to race. Maybe if I was to groove the tires plus using the mags would be something worth trying.


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