RC Wheels Venting Guide (All the Why’s and the How’s)
Venting RC wheels is simply the process of putting holes in the wheels or tires of your RC car. It might seem weird or destructive to choose to punch holes in your RC tires, but its actually has a ton of benefits.
This is a guide that entails how venting your RC wheels can be beneficial for your RC experience, as well as some tips to help you better understand the venting process.
Why do RC wheels have vent holes?
Vent holes help to allow the flow of air in and out of your RC tire. It also allows other substances like water and sand to easily flow out of the tire when riding through terrains with these substances.
There are several different reasons why an RC wheel could have vent holes, but most of these reasons have to do with helping to make your car move faster and smoother. The holes help your tire to breathe and also prevent your RC car from bouncing. It also helps to get rid of water and dirt that enters the tire.
Should you vent RC tires?
Whether or not you should vent your RC tires depends primarily on how you use your RC car. So, before you choose to vent your tire, you should first know what you want to do with it.
If you want to bash your car, then it might not be necessary for you to vent. Most bashers are not concerned about whether or not their car is bouncing around. However, if you will be bashing in water or dirt, then it might be a good idea for you to vent your tires. Venting will prevent the water and dirt from building up inside the tires.
If you will be participating in on-road racing, then there is little to no need for you to vent your RC wheels because you hardly ever need to worry about bounce, and there is most likely no water or dirt that could build up inside your tire.
If you will be racing off-road, then you will probably want to do some sort of venting.
Racing on dry terrain might only prompt you to vent the wheel, but if you will be racing through some wet terrain, then you will also need to vent the tire so water can be expelled from it.
If you will be participating in RC crawling, then you might not need to vent your tires. Although, venting the tires of RC crawlers is becoming much more popular nowadays.
What benefits can you get out of venting your RC tires?
As stated before, there are several things you stand to gain in your RC experience when you vent the RC tires:
- Venting allows air to move freely in and out of your RC tires, and this helps to make your driving experience much smoother.
- Venting also helps the car to move faster because it works very smoothly.
- There is also very little to no bouncing in RC cars with vented tires.
- Venting your RC tires also prevents water or dirt from being stored in the tires.
- Venting your RC tires also prevents rigidity and helps to boost the flexibility of your tires.
What are the downsides of vented RC tires?
One main drawback with venting holes on the rim of your RC wheel is that it tends to allow water and dirt to enter and become mud that cant leave through the venting holes quite easily. This could lead to the wheels becoming unbalanced and heavy, which has a direct effect on the car’s handling and speed.
Many RC enthusiasts also believe that venting your RC tires slows down your car, eventhough we didnt experienced it.
Does venting RC tires prevent ballooning?
The aim of venting RC tires is not to prevent ballooning, but it is to prevent the tires from being filled with water or dirt.
Venting your RC tire wont prevent balloonning since ballooning depends on the flexibility of the tire.
Venting your RC tires create a big difference
Venting your RC tires creates a very significant difference.
For starters, it helps to prevent your RC tire from being rigid, and this boosts your tire grip and traction. It also prevents your car from bouncing at high speeds, especially when coming off jumps.
Also, using vented RC tires helps to prevent your tire from ripping or coming apart from the rim after it has been glued.
Venting belted RC tires
Do belted RC tires need to be vented?
Yes, you should vent your belted RC tires.
How do you vent an RC belted tire?
You need to ensure that you make a clean hole. And if your vehicle will be moving at a high speed, you can vent on opposite sides for balance.
Is there an RC tire venting tool?
No tool has been specifically designed to punch holes in RC tires.
If you have chosen to vent your RC tire, then you might have been looking for a special tool to use in punching the holes in the tires. There is no special tool but you can use several different tools to punch holes including a drill and bit, a leather hole punch, a Phillips screwdriver, or even a small penknife. You should find any of these tools in a hobby shop or you can even get them online. Pick the one you feel most comfortable with, but all of them should do a great job of punching holes in your RC tires.
Should you vent RC crawler tires?
Yes, you can vent your RC crawler tires, and it is becoming more popular among RC crawler enthusiasts.
Venting your RC crawler tires helps to allow the foams to work properly. And venting the tires also prevents water from staying in the tires as it flings out any water or debris as the wheel rotates.
Best ways to vent RC tires
- Venting RC tires with a soldering iron
A soldering iron works great at venting RC tires, but you should expect to end up with some tire gunk stuck to the soldering tip, and the vapor from venting can be pretty intense.
The heat helps to melt the hole and prevent the tire from tearing.
- RC tire hole punch
You can also choose to punch the hole through your RC tire. This can be done by heating a nail the size of the hole and sticking this hot nail in the part of the tire that you want the hole. You can then leave it there for a couple of seconds to ensure the hole does not seal back up.
- Use a leather hole punch tool
You can get a small leather punch at most craft or hardware stores and punch the hole in your rubber tires easily. You can choose to drill a few holes that are equidistant in the middle of the tread.
- Use a drill
You can also simply use a drill with a small diameter to drill holes in you RC tire.
Read More: Best RC Tires For Any Surface
