# Sponge tires verse silicone



## SFC_Allen (Aug 19, 2007)

Which is better? Just running the home track with the kids since there is nothing else around here. 

Sponge tires seem to be cheaper but are they as good as silicone? 

Thanks in advance Earle


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Personally, I 've alaways peferred silicone. The original Aurura G Plus and Tyco 440 chassis came with sponge tire. The first thing I did was scrape the foam off and add AJs splip on sillies. I just refer the feel of the silly tire. That being said, I'll bet there a lot of guys on HT that like sponge tires.


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## rbrunne1 (Sep 22, 2007)

Silicone tires are stickier when clean and don't seem to wear like foam does.

It's pretty much whatever you like best!


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

Sponge tires only work good (for me anyway) if you are required by rules to use stock tires like on a Tyco.
Then put a little Tire-Bite on them and they'll really hook up.

But if you don't have to use stock tires some PVT or SuperTires would be better and more durable.

And I don't think AJ's Gumdrops are any better than sponge tires.
AJ's Gumdrops are old style tires and they're slippery.
They were like the first silicone tires and slot car tire technology caught up with them.

__________________


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## twolff (May 11, 2007)

Running on plastic sectional track?

I've found Rocket Science Ltd. silicones work better than any other silicones I've tried. They are not expensive and much more tolerant of a filthy track than others. They look like sponge tires once the shiny wears off. Two things to keep in mind is that they usually have to be glued to the wheels in order to stay put and they do wear. The wear can be a plus when you have wheels that are not quite round or true (like AutoWorld cars).

Jack often sells gigantic bags of rejects (BOR) for a bargain price.

http://www.weirdjack.com/bh.htm


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I like Jack's tires too, and I've snagged a couple of his BORs. That's what I run the most on my Atlas/Lionel track. Only thing I had to learn was to take the tires off the car when you're not running them, otherwise, over time, they stretch and get loose.

What you said about tolerant of a dirty track is definitely true, and Jack's compound seems to be the best I've found for a balance between stick and slide.

The only spongies I've ever used were ones that were already on the car when I bought it, and they are usually dried up and pretty useless.

--rick


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Myself, silicone is the way. So try a little of everything and you'll know whats up. Use a contol car or two and try some things out.

If we're gonna be making comparisons; a dirty PVT is about the same as Rocket Science tire... traction wise...giggle. 

Eventually, if you stay at this hobby long enough; you'll find that most tires have a place somewhere in the mix. Not all cars, chassis setups, and track surfaces are the same...so why would you have all the same tires in yer kit?

The enigma that is tires is well documented in our archives. Just like this thread, you'll find that there are a few camps huddled around they're favorite brand/type... and ALL for very good reasons!

For slip ons I roll like this...#1 PVT's #2 Super Tires #3 Rocket Science...all the rest need not apply. 

Note: Dont forget that O-rings are the ticket for lowered chassis setups in the front. :thumbsup:

Good luck!


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## joegri (Feb 13, 2008)

i,m kinda on the fence about this tire question. i agree with bill you have to try,em all then you decide what tire works the best.i like my home spun(road apples)on some chassis but then some silicones work tremendious on others. i dont know what pvt stand for but i,d like to try some.also i have recently tried some cow tires that work very well and when ya go slow they look trick!! try them!


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

*joegri*

PVT - Penn Valley Tires, and Wizzard sells them.
http://www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com/slotcars/supplies/tires/siliconetires.htm

__________________


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*AJ's Tires*



SuperFist said:


> Sponge tires only work good (for me anyway) if you are required by rules to use stock tires like on a Tyco.
> Then put a little Tire-Bite on them and they'll really hook up.
> 
> But if you don't have to use stock tires some PVT or SuperTires would be better and more durable.
> ...


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

*If you clean off the shine of the AJ's tire with lighter fluid, then they will hook up* - *duh* :freak: 










http://www.daveshoraceway.com


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I like the old AJ's, not the later ones. 
I bought some NOS AJ's in the mid 90s that couldn't have been any newer than the late 80s.
They are still some the best silis I have for stock racing on stock track. They fall off more gradually during a heat than most of the new tires out there. It really depends on the track and what class you are racing. I agree with SF, the tech has really come along, and there are some wicked sticky tires out there. That's great for high downforce cars, but for your stock cars, they stick good for a while, then they don't. The old AJ's stick way better than stock rubber tires, but offer a consistency similar to stock rubber tires. Just my thoughts, and are subject to change without notice under any circumstance.

Any one out there racing on stock rubber tires?
We sand our tires between heats and have a blast with them.

Rich
www.northtexasslotcars.com


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

joegri said:


> i,m kinda on the fence about this tire question. i agree with bill you have to try,em all then you decide what tire works the best.i like my home spun(road apples)on some chassis but then some silicones work tremendious on others. i dont know what pvt stand for but i,d like to try some.also i have recently tried some cow tires that work very well and when ya go slow they look trick!! try them!


If they are not the American Line "cow tires" (blue/white or red/white) chances are you are using *P*enn*V*alley*T*ire*s* as they produced the best ever made. 



But
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....they don't make 'em in multicolors anymore, and it was a different compound than their blacks/greys .


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

What was the idea behind sponge tires anyway?... Gimmick?... I remember back in the day, they came stock on some cars, and there were even aftermarket replacement sponge tires, but they never really worked all that good on my plastic sectional track. Were there silicone tires available in the 70's as spares? I jumped out of the hobby shortly after the first few releases of AFX and never met silicone until 2001 when I jumped back in. Was there (is there) really any place at the HO table for plain sponge tires?


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

tjd241 said:


> What was the idea behind sponge tires anyway?... Gimmick?... I remember back in the day, they came stock on some cars, and there were even aftermarket replacement sponge tires, but they never really worked all that good on my plastic sectional track. Were there silicone tires available in the 70's as spares? I jumped out of the hobby shortly after the first few releases of AFX and never met silicone until 2001 when I jumped back in. Was there (is there) really any place at the HO table for plain sponge tires?


I know AJ's were available in the mid 70's, pretty much the same variety as today. I don't recall there being too many others at the time.


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

I prefer silicone too, and all I do is basement running with friends/kids.
BudsHo sells them on ebay none stop and I usually grab a bag every few months. Bags of 16 pairs, mixed colors or black, for about 12.00-14.00 bucks........can't go wrong, and he has both tjet and afx size.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Regarding old AJ's...

Not long ago I picked up a little box of tjets that looked like they hadn't been run since the '70s. One car had a pair of what I think was AJ's Golden Falcons on it. They still stay on the rim fine and handle about like a good pair of WJ's Rocket Science tires...

--rick


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*Pvt*



SwamperGene said:


> If they are not the American Line "cow tires" (blue/white or red/white) chances are you are using *P*enn*V*alley*T*ire*s* as they produced the best ever made.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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I miss the multi color PVT also......

http://www.daveshoraceway.com


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

I still have a set of the whacky orange and blacks that are like new. I usually bust them out around Halloween and mount them on my Tuff Ones Cheetah. They grandyuns love it!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

tjd241 said:


> What was the idea behind sponge tires anyway?... Gimmick?... I remember back in the day, they came stock on some cars, and there were even aftermarket replacement sponge tires, but they never really worked all that good on my plastic sectional track. Were there silicone tires available in the 70's as spares? I jumped out of the hobby shortly after the first few releases of AFX and never met silicone until 2001 when I jumped back in. Was there (is there) really any place at the HO table for plain sponge tires?


I know the larger scales run exclusively sponge tires. 
I'm sure on a routed track with maybe a formica top, sponges may work well.
Could it have been the manufacturers attempt to make HO cars look more professional?

Rich


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

i only have one car that i run with sponge tires,its an artin HO f1 car,and the sponges look great on it!the magnets are strong on the artin HO cars,so it handles quite well.the rest of my cars have silis or ground rubber cleaned with isopropyl


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## SFC_Allen (Aug 19, 2007)

wow, lots to mill over and read...then try and undersatand .

seems like i might get a small package of both. 

I only run on plastic afx track right now. Thanks again


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## bobwoodly (Aug 25, 2008)

*Bottle of goo?*

I remember running sponges as that is what came on Wild Ones. Wasn't there some tire goo you applied to make the sponges sticky? 

Then they would leave sticky stuff on the track, tires would get hard and you would have to apply more goo? Then throw out the tires and buy more. Ahh the 1960's. I can tell you from experience plumbing washers make the worst tires ever!

I have a pile of those vintage white and red silicone tires from the 60's and 70's


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

When I was kid, we used to put lotion on the sponge tires so they WOULD spin out!

Anyone run stock rubber tires on anything?


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*Storm Extreme*



NTxSlotCars said:


> When I was kid, we used to put lotion on the sponge tires so they WOULD spin out!
> 
> Anyone run stock rubber tires on anything?


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*My favorite car with stock rubber, to date is:*









*New Wizzard Storm Extreme*

60 foot 10 turn road course 3.2 seconds out of package with hard rubber
tires/neo traction magnets...... not for children without adult supervision.
:woohoo: 
http://www.daveshoraceway.com


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

SFC_Allen said:


> wow, lots to mill over and read...then try and undersatand .
> 
> seems like i might get a small package of both.
> 
> I only run on plastic afx track right now. Thanks again


Or read the HobbyTalk slot car forum and figure out what ones you should be using.

It's obvious as dog balls.

__________________


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

bobwoodly said:


> I remember running sponges as that is what came on Wild Ones. Wasn't there some tire goo you applied to make the sponges sticky?


Champion Tire Bite.










__________________


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

NTxSlotCars said:


> Anyone run stock rubber tires on anything?


I actually find the newest release of AW Tjet Ultra-Gs run good with the stock tires. I have popped the magnets out of earlier releases and run silicones on them, but this release, I was happy to pretty much adjust the shoes, make sure the gears had clearance from the body, lube them up and go...

--rick


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## neorules (Oct 20, 2006)

When I first got into HO there was a tire compound with the acronym of S.H.I.T.--- Super Humongus Instant Traction


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

Sponge tires would hold traction goo and were much better than the hard rubber tires they replaced. But they were no match for the silicones that came later. And with silicones you don't have the goo residue on the track and rails.
I really like SuperTires for slip on silicones. I still have some of the blue/white PVT tires that are an unusual soft compound. They don't fit my style of driving but everyone else seems to love them.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## joegri (Feb 13, 2008)

just got the tears out of my eyes from laughing. Sfist yer too funny!some things have just come to my attention. what kind of racin surface?and sillicone coated sponge.not oldschool raw foam.also sillicoated foam on a routed mdf trak will take a rattletrap jet and mak,er way quiet to a point that a well tuned well geared car make a sound that you would never hear. kinda swooooshing sound of the arm spinning up! i,m here to tell ya i can hear it. and i,m deaf in 1 ear.just my 2 cents. ok continue.


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

LeeRoy98 said:


> ...I really like SuperTires for slip on silicones.


Me too, A compound SuperTires are my #1 choice: http://supertires.com/










And I really like the T-Jet slip on tires I got last year from bearsox here at HT.
They are a lot like SuperTires .360 dia. when mounted on .225 rims,
and are around .280 wide. I bought 20 pair.

__________________


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

SuperFist said:


> Champion Tire Bite.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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*This is what happens if I catch anybody using sticky substance on my track.
*

:beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse:


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

00'HO said:


> *This is what happens if I catch anybody using sticky substance on my track.
> *
> 
> :beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse:


I would never do that.








I like a clean track, and you always keep your track real clean for us Dave.









__________________


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## bemoore (Dec 23, 2008)

I actually prefer rubber. After getting them trued, they seem to fall off less than sponge, sponge/silies, or slip on silies. You need an adjustable supply so you can adjust the power to match your traction.


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*Power down?*



bemoore said:


> I actually prefer rubber. After getting them trued, they seem to fall off less than sponge, sponge/silies, or slip on silies. You need an adjustable supply so you can adjust the power to match your traction.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We use an MG 7-20V variable/10amp power supply.
Pros in real cars don't govern their big cars because the tires suck.
They get the best tire for their track conditions.

Pros in little cars do the same thing.

Power down for rookies...... :hat:

Power up for pros......










http://www.daveshoraceway.com


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## RiderZ (Feb 19, 2007)

Why not just run both as in AST tires.Or silicone coated sponge tires.I run the BSRT G-Jet tires on all my G3's.:thumbsup:


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## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

RiderZ said:


> Why not just run both as in AST tires.Or silicone coated sponge tires.I run the BSRT G-Jet tires on all my G3's.:thumbsup:


Because silicone coated sponge tires won't last on a high speed banked oval,
the silicone coating will go away fast.

I've tried that.

__________________


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

bobwoodly said:


> I remember running sponges as that is what came on Wild Ones. Wasn't there some tire goo you applied to make the sponges sticky?
> 
> Then they would leave sticky stuff on the track, tires would get hard and you would have to apply more goo? Then throw out the tires and buy more. Ahh the 1960's. I can tell you from experience plumbing washers make the worst tires ever!
> 
> I have a pile of those vintage white and red silicone tires from the 60's and 70's


We used to get Gorillla Snot. I swear thats what it said on the bottle. We put it on the tires and in certain spots on the track too. Boy oh boy how times change. Today put something on the track and get thrown right out!!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

We use stock tires and just learn to drive it.


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Sponge tires? Bob Hardin says it all:

http://www.slotcarthrillart.com/slothead11fullview.htm

I'm just sayin'


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

resinmonger said:


> Sponge tires? Bob Hardin says it all:
> 
> http://www.slotcarthrillart.com/slothead11fullview.htm
> 
> I'm just sayin'


I LOVE his stuff. I have a couple of his Slot Car Art posters, I'd get 'em all if I had the scratch...

--rick


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## Axsimulate (May 10, 2020)

I had a couple of cars that had sponge tires that were shorter than the normals ones. Those things were freaking awesome! Because they were not as tall, the magnets sat closer to the rails allowing the magnets to “grip” the curves better. Those tires ran circles around any other tire I used.


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

With cars that have even a little magnetic downforce tire diameter will have an impact on cornering speeds. Since the amount of downforce that you get varies with the square of the distance between the magnets and the rails even small changes in tire diameter will have a bigger effect than you would expect.
I have used all sorts of HO tires over the years and for some time I have been a tester for Super Tires. Sponge tires work well when they are new and even better when you put a little tire conditioner on them. As they get older sponge tires harden up and they need conditioner more often. I was not impressed by the silicone HO tires that first came out, but silicone formulations have improved. Each maker uses a different formulation, so all silicone tires are not going to have the same performance. If you race your cars shaving a tenth of a second off of your lap times is a big deal and you would probably not mind spending more money for tires that help you to win races. For people that run their cars on a more casual basis any tire that works better than the stock rubber ones would probably be good enough.
In terms of performance silicone coated sponge tires have been the gold standard for at least 20 years. Those tires have become increasingly expensive and are sometimes hard to come by, in addition they do not last a long time. Silicone coated tires have been available in incremental sizes, allowing you to optimize the car's track clearance, in the past that was not the case with slip-on silicone tires. Slip-ons were originally intended to be direct replacements for specific stock rubber tires, but now some slip-on silicone tires are available in incremental sizes as well. Aftermarket wheels are also available in many diameters and when those are matched up with the newer tires many different diameters can be obtained.
Silicone tires do pick up dust and when they get coated the level of grip goes way down. Rolling the tires over sticky tape is the quick way to clean them. If your track has not been used for some time it is a good idea to wipe it down with a microfiber cloth before you run your cars, that will remove most of the dust. Running the cars and cleaning the tires after a few laps will eventually get the track clean enough that fussing with the tires will not be needed very much.


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## JWSpeed (Jun 2, 2009)

We all ran sponge tires mostly TCP back when running AFX cars. You just oiled the tires and did a few practice laps until you laid down a thin coat of oil on the track. This was way better than running just plain silicone tires. It does kind of make a mess of your track that need to be cleaned often.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

yeah sponge tires were the way to go back in the day for road race courses. 
I still liked the Auto World "white boot" silicone slip on tires for my home layout though.
many trains of thought and all good.


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