RC Cars: Here's What Matters Wheels Wise

Commercially available remote controlled cars have been around since the 1970s and as time has passed their parts and components have been improved in many significant ways. From receivers that have increased range to batteries that last much longer than the old small gas engines that were used back when remote control recing was in its early phase. But it's not only the internal components that have changed with significant improvements being made throughout the years with better rubber treads, rims and foam inserts.

The tyres are often made of rubber although there are plastic wheels they are often too brittle to be viable for any racing while rubber wheels are much better at handling the stress put on them from the driving. This is also due to the added padding of the foam inserts which give the car a softer surface to ride on allowing for better traction and stability. Foam inserts come in a variety of types based on the structure of the foam, namely weather the rims are square and if it's molded or dual staged.

You should first consider the shape of the foam if you're setting it within the tyres, stuffing wider foam into your tyres is recommended but it also depends on your RC car type you have since one that will be driving over rough terrain wider foam would be better but if you're drifting your RC then narrower RC foam tyres are your best bet. Although another thing you should look at is the structure of the foam, there are two specific structures closed cell and open cell foam. Closed cell foams, during the forming process the gas forms pockets completely surrounded by a solid materials. These RC foam tyres are usually put in to molds and have unique shapes that also contribut to different handling characteristics.

While open cell foams are the ones supplied with the tyres, they are cheaper to produce and are often cut out larger pieces to a basic “donut” shape. This allows the foam to expand and contract easier as the tyre runs on the surface or goes through the air. However, they break down easier and soak up water, so their use in racing has been completely discontinued. So if you're considering upgrading your RC you should get some closed cell foam which will be more durable and add to the stability of your RC's tyres.