Best RC Tires for All Surfaces | get most out of your car
Driving an RC car would be difficult with the wrong tires. Using the right tires plays a significant role in your RC vehicle’s maximum performance.
There are various surface types: grass, snow, pavement, carpet, dirt track to mention a few.
Tires help the vehicles to roll along on these surfaces.
Tires with spikes or studs are good for slippery tracks on wet dirt, mud, or snow. Meanwhile, smooth tires with pins are good for tracks on hard-packed dirt or carpet.
The table below shows the best RC tires for any surfaces
| Best RC Tires By Surface | ||
| 1 | Dirt Track | Injora RC Tires |
| 2 | Snow | Hobbysoul Snow Sand Master RC Tires |
| 3 | Grass | 1.9 Mud Slingers Beadlock Wheel |
| 4 | Asphalt | Street Fighter HP 3.8 Belted Street Tires |
| 5 | Pavement | ARRMA 1/10 SC 2.2 Tires |
| 6 | Carpet | Matrix 1/10 EP 28R Pre-Glued Carpet Tires |
| 7 | Concrete | LAFEINA 4PCS 1/10 RC Truck Tire |
| 8 | Hard-Packed Dirt | Pro-line Racing Trencher HP 3.8″ Tires: |
| 9 | Indoor Clay | 1/10 Crosslink 2.2 Clay Truck Tires |
Want to know how RC tires are made?
Best RC Tires for Dirt Track
A dirt track is made up of loose dirt, sand or clay. It is an uneven track and needs spiky tires for good grip.
Tires will get dirty when you use your RC car and loose dirt or other particles can affect performance. Getting a set of tires with good grip and ability to push the dirt as soon as they come in is very important.
The best 3 RC tires for dirt tracks are from Injora, Duratrax and Goolsky manufacturers:
1. Injora RC Tires
They come in 4 pcs and are made of high quality rubber. With a size of 4.7 Inch Outer diameter and 1.9 Inch Tires, these tires work well on most terrains and can be driven in mud, dirt, creed bed and slate. They are good for 1/10 short course trucks.
2. Duratrax RC Tires
Duratrax RC tires are made of super soft C3 compound and good for deep woods and dirt. They have maximum gripping power for loose conditions and can plow through dry, loamy, wet and muddy terrains.
3. Goolsky RC Tires
Goolsky 1.9 Inch 110mm 1/10 Rock Crawler Tires have a good grip in rock, mud or dirt. They have excellent durability and wheel stability.
Best RC Tires for Snow
A snow surface is smooth and slippery. This surface needs spiky tires with good grip and anti-skid strength.
The best RC tires for snow are:
1. Hobbysoul Snow Sand Master RC Tires
These foam inserted tires are 4pcs and have a hex of 17mm, inner diameter: 80mm ( 3.5 inch ), width: 40 mm ( 1.57 inch ) and weighs about 170g/pc. They are good for RC 4wd Axial RPM Gamde and other 2.2inch wheels.
2. Tbest Snow Badland Tires
These RC tires are high quality. They have good anti-skid performance and are great for driving on snow, ice or sand.
3. Axial AX12015 Ripsaw 2.2 RC Tires
These tires are made of an R35 sticky compound. They effectively dislodge loose dirt or snow. Axial Ripsaw tires have outstanding grip and are exclusively for running on uneven surfaces without flipping over.
Best RC Tires for Grass
A grass track or field turf can be tough to plow through. Monster trucks with big, spiky wheels and good resistance to wear and tear are suitable for racing on this kind of surface.
When it comes to driving RC car on grass, these tires listed here do the job well:
1. 1.9 Mud Slingers Tires and 1.9 Beadlock Wheel
These super-grip tires have a diameter of 120mm (4.72 inch), width 43mm (1.69 inch) and wheel hex of 12mm. They are designed for professional RC crawlers.
2. Joguly 1/10 RC Tires
These 4pcs tires are of high quality soft rubber. They have good grip and durability. Width is 42mm (1.65 inch), diameter is 120mm (4.72 inch) and weigh about 97.5g/pcs. They are suitable for 1/10 RC trucks.
3. Gool 1/10 RC Rubber Tires
These tires are high wear and crush resistant. They have a diameter of 108mm, width of 43mm and are suitable for 1/10 short course trucks.
Best RC Tires for Asphalt
Asphalt is a smooth on-road track. Its smooth surface reduces possibilities of tire wear and tear. Asphalt is not as dense as concrete. Tires with studs are suitable for racing on it.
The best RC tires for asphalt surface are:
1. Street Fighter HP 3.8 Belted Street Tires
Their belted herringbone weave design prevents them from ballooning and the soft M2 compound makeup provides outstanding grip. They have a top-speed of 95 mph that must not be exceeded. They come in four variations.
2. Road Rage 3.8” Street Tires
They are perfect for street or paved areas racing and bashing. The tires are very stable and responsive. They have an aggressive V-tread design that easily move on dirt and debris found on asphalt surfaces. ProLine offers them in three variations and they fit directly on all 3.8” Traxxas style bead wheels.
Best RC Tires for Carpet
The carpet is a smooth and even surface. Treaded tires with pins or spikes are good for carpet rides to prevent rolling around. Tread patterns in the tire help to move on the carpet and out of the way.
The best tires to run your RC car on carpet surface are:
1. Matrix 1/10 EP 28R Pre-Glued Carpet Tires
They are 4 pre-glued tires on wheels designed for highly competitive carpet racing. They have been selected as the tire for the ETS (European Touring Series) racing series because of their good grip and drivability. They fit any 12mm hub.
2. Pro-Line Wedge SCT 2.2″/3.0″ Off-Road Carpet Tires
Pro-Line Wedge tires work for carpet 2wd or 4wd short course trucks and provide the right amount of steering without being too aggressive. They have excellent grip on a variety of surfaces and are very good for indoor non-dirt racing on carpet, wood, cardboard or plastic. They have a height of 4.28″ (109mm) and width of 1.81″ (46mm) and are good tires for 1/10 2.2″/3.0″ Short Course wheels.
3. Contact RC 1/10 A30 Carpet Tires
These are good 1/10 touring car tires. They come pre-mounted on white 24mm wheels and 12mm hex and can handle the rigors of indoor carpet racing.
Best RC Tires for Pavement
A pavement is a flat and smooth surface. This surface can cause skidding. Spiky tires with good traction are best for this surface.
Some of the best tires for pavement include:
1. ARRMA 1/10 SC 2.2 Tires
With a diameter of 2.2/3.0 and 14 mm wheel position, these tires have great traction and increased strength for tough terrains. Its multi-spoke design wheels give it a stylish look. They come pre-glued and are easy to service.
They are excellent for 1/10 short course trucks.
2. Hosim RC car Rubber Tires
These tires are made of super-soft compounds for good grip on all kinds of terrains. They are easy to assemble and durable. They are best for RC cars.
3. Hobbypark OD Tires
They are 128mm 2.2 inch tires made of quality rubber. They are wear-resistant and are durable. They are very good for 1/10 RC rock crawler trucks.
Best RC Tires for Concrete
Concrete is a hard and rough surface. It will require high quality tires with studs and good balance because gravel can come loose as you race.
The 3 best RC tires for concrete are:
1. LAFEINA 4PCS 1/10 RC Truck Tires
These are high quality rubber with foam inserts. They come in different colors of red, blue, and silver. They are suitable for 1/10 RC monster trucks but you have to glue them yourself.
2. Powerhobby Scorpion Belted Monster Truck Tires
These are strong and balanced tires and are good for sport racing. They are pre-glued and come in a pair per set. Width is 81mm, 17mm hex and weight is 13.3 ounces. They are designed for 1/8 RC trucks.
3. Prime 2.8” Mounted Street Tires
These already mounted tires are designed for high-speed and you do not have to worry about gluing them. They have great traction on concrete and asphalt. The tires feature smooth sidewalls for stability during high-speed runs.
Best RC Tires for Hard Packed Dirt
Hard-packed dirt is used for off-road racing tracks. It is dry, hard and uneven. This surface needs soft tires made of a harder compound for wear and tear. Tires with small pins and good traction work well on this type of surface.
Those are the best tires on the market today for packed dirt track:
1. Pro-line Racing Trencher HP 3.8″ Tires
They are made bigger, bolder and stronger for maximum performance. They are designed for medium speed runs. They have good resistance and removable hexes if you want to change the wheels. They are suitable for 3.8 Monster Trucks.
2. SD Tires 4X 1/10 RC Monster Truck 7 spokes Wheel
These are high-quality rubber tires with foam inserts and plastic wheel rims. Width 55mm, hex 12mm and diameter of axle hole 42mm. Their aggressive tread pattern gives great grip and traction. They work well on grass, mud and dirt. They are suitable for 1/10 short course trucks and monster trucks. They do not come assembled. You will need to glue the tires yourself.
3. Avenger HP S3 (Soft) Street BELTED 1:8 Buggy Tires
They are developed by Proline and belted. The belt prevents the tires from expanding or ballooning and helps the car to maintain a straight line.
Best RC Tires for Indoor Clay
Indoor clay tracks can be soft or hard, even or uneven depending on the mix. They need tires with pins, medium-high bite and good forward traction.
1. AKA Products 1/10 Crosslink 2.2 Clay Truck Tires with Red Inserts
Crosslink tires are compatible with standard 2.2″ 1/10 Stadium truck wheels. They provide great forward traction and are designed for hard packed or blue groove, indoor and outdoor tracks.
2. Pro-line Racing 823817 Electron 2.2 Mc (Clay) Off-Road Tires
This is the perfect tire for indoor abrasive surfaces. It has consistent forward and side bite, precision steering and corner speed. It is the first ever 2.2” buggy tire to have closed cell foam inserts. The height is 3.31″ (84mm) and width is 1.63″ (42mm).
How do I know what size my RC Tires are?
To know what size your RC tires are or to change your tires and rims, you can read the manufacturer’s measurements in the user manual or measure them yourself. Note that the front tires and rear tires might have different rims depending on the car model.
· 1/10 RC Buggy: The standard size for rims and wheels of most 1/10 buggies is 2.2 inch (55.88 mm).
· 1/10 RC Truck: The front and rear tires are the same size of 2.2 inches.
· 1/10 RC Short Course: The front wheels of 1/10 scale RC trucks are 2.2 inches and the rear wheels are 3 inches.
· 1/8 RC Buggy: They have the same size of rims and tires on the front and back. They are the easiest to swap or replace.
To measure your RC tires, first gather the needed tools: digital caliper, plastic board, and flat surface. Use the digital caliper to measure the rim width. Then divide it by 2 to get the tire’s radius.
Measure the hex slot depth with a caliper and plastic board. Subtract the width of the board from your result. Use these measurements to calculate the offset. Offset is the distance from the hub mounting surface to the wheel’s centerline. Write down the offset.
The offset is measured in millimeters and can either be positive or negative. A positive offset means the hub mounting surface is toward the front wheel. The car goes wider and has good stability. A negative offset means the hub mounting surface is toward the back wheel or brake side of the wheel’s centerline. This makes the car go narrower and is called a ‘deep lip’.
What do I need to replace my RC Car Tires?
To change your RC car tires, you have to first dissolve the glue holding them together.
The two methods are the Acetone method and the Steamer Pan method.
· Acetone Method: This is considered to be the best way to remove tires. You will need a liter of acetone, a big paint tin to hold the tires, a paintbrush and rubber gloves.
· Steamer Pan Method: This method requires a steamer pan and boiling water. It is an alternative when there is no acetone to use.
Afterwards, You’ll need to glue the new tires, or attach a new wheel, if your tires are preinstalled.
RC vehicles are in five different types and come with different tire sizes
Before buying tires for your remote-controlled car, short course, truck, buggy or truggy, you have to think of what surface you will run them on. You also have to know your RC car tires measurement and not just guess from the vehicle’s body size.
· 1/10 RC Buggy: The front and back wheels of buggies are not the same widths. The standard size for rims and wheels of most 1/10 buggies is 2.2 inch (55.88 mm).
· 1/10 RC Short Course: Many 1:10 short course cars have different diameters on the front and the rear. The front wheels are 2.2 inches and the rear wheels are 3 inches.
· 1/10 RC Truck : The front and rear tires are the same size of 2.2 inches.
· 1/8 RC Truck: 1/8 RC trucks have the same tire size but there is a difference in the diameter of the wheel and rims.
· 1/8 RC Buggy: They have the same size of rims and tires on the front and back. They are the easiest to swap or replace.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for RC tires for loose dirt, asphalt, grass, or snow, you should know that each surface has the tires that will be best.
Think about the tire material and surface usage when choosing your RC tires. The tire material determines your car’s speed. Hard materials tires cannot provide a strong grip like soft material tires.
For smooth and flat surfaces like carpets, use pin tires. Spiked tires give tight grips and are best for rough and uneven surfaces.
