How Long Do RC Tires Last?

One can find a wide variety of RC truck and car tires available on the market. They come in all kinds of different sizes and have a variety of costs. Just as we humans wear shoes, tires do the same job for vehicles. It acts as a protection against the ground but if not maintained well, these tires can easily get worn out. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to know about the life of these RC tires and what can be done to prevent them from getting worn out prematurely. In this article, we have tried to dive into everything that you must know about your newly bought RC tires.

So, how long do RC tires last?

On average, your RC car tires are likely to last for a period of 3-5 months. This duration is based on you using your RC car a lot and racing it hard.  If you are someone who likes to drive your RC cars normally, then the tires can last a year or even more. Just like real car tires the life of your RC car’s tires depends on the frequency and intensity of your usage.

Also, another factor that affects how long the tires will last is the construction quality of the tires themselves. The cheap variants of Chinese tires won’t even last for 3 months. This might happen even if you don’t use them very much at all. Since they are of cheap quality, they are destined to get worn out within just a few days of using them. 

Therefore, it is a good idea to always go for the high-quality, premium material tires. They might cost you a little extra for the original purchase but they are worth the price you have paid for them over the long haul. They won’t wear out easily even if you mistreat them or use them in coarser terrains.

The premium quality tires always tend to have superior quality outside casing as well as the foam inserts. The more expensive versions come pre-equipped with costly plastics for providing added durability and grip as well. 

How often should you replace your RC car tires?

RC tires are similar to those conventional versions of tires that are found on real cars. Since tires act as a protective item to keep your RC car moving on the ground, they are highly susceptible to getting worn out due to constant use. Therefore, it is always recommended to frequently change your RC car tires.

If you never change your tires, it may lead to the car getting damaged and even make the tires shred entirely due to the friction. Knowing that having worn out tires is bad for your RC car then you are probably wondering how often you should replace them. As no tire comes with a tag of lifelong sustainability, it is very important to know when you should change your tires and purchase a brand new set.

Well, the answer is you should change the RC tires of his car once every year or so on average. This time duration that I mentioned is assuming that your car is either seldomly used or not ever used roughly. If you are an aggressive kind of a driver or like to drive on harsher terrains, then you have to change the tires more often. The lifetime of your tires depends on the driver and the how and where it is driven so unfortunately there is no exact answer to how often they should be replaced. 

There are some other factors as well which will help you determine how often you should replace your RC car tires. Replacement is required more often if you tend to apply your brakes quite often or if you live in a place that has extreme temperatures.

What are some of the factors that lead to premature tire wear?

There are several things which can wear out your newly bought tires faster. They are:

Heavy use of a track

If you are someone who loves to enjoy indoor track racing, then you must be aware of the fact that even a 30 minute harsh, aggressive track looping can shred your car’s tires completely. Actually, many indoor tracks are designed from a special kind of material which tends to be quite grippy. This is intentionally done in order to prevent the tires from getting loose. But the main problem lies in the turns. 

These aggressive turns are pretty hard on your tires. They are quite challenging and your car’s tires might not be able to deal with that large amount of pressure being exerted on them. These sharp turns are solely responsible for bringing most of the damage to the tires. Therefore, if you are someone who likes to play on indoor courses or rough terrains, then be prepared to spend a lot of money on the tires’ replacements.

To see exactly what kind of damage can be done when drifting on rough terrain check out the video below. 

Driving while raining:

Driving during the rain can reduce the traction of the tires. Wet roads make it easy for the tires to drift and for your car to slide out of control. As already stated, drifting on the RC car and chirping tires can severely cause damage to the tires. Therefore, care must be taken while driving on wet roads and tracks. The more that you slide around on the wet road or spin your tires while trying to accelerate the faster your RC car’s tires will need to be replaced. 

Doing tricks and stunts with your RC car

Stunts and tricks may sound fun but they are not at all funny when it comes to your tires. Stunts can severely damage the tire’s rubber. Therefore, if you are someone who is very much into quirky stunts, then you should upgrade your tires at a local hobby shop. These shops sell special kinds of tires which are purposely designed for these kinds of activities. These special variants of tires are made quite slippery therefore making them perfect for stunts and tricks. 

It is always recommended to buy these kinds of tires in order to carry out your drifting and donuts because these tires help in putting more power rather than sliding around and they will last longer than if you try these tricks with your normal tires. 

Using the wrong tires for the wrong terrain

Depending on the terrain, path, or track that you will be using your RC cars on you must choose the proper tires for that spot. If you choose the wrong tires then you will wear out those tires quickly and they will need to be replaced after a tiny amount of use. 

For example, if you buy racing tires that are designed for indoor use and you proceed to use them while driving offroad then you are sure to tear them up. Buying the right kind of tires for where you will be racing will prevent any kind of severe damage and will ensure a long lifetime of the tires.

Conclusion

How long RC tires will last you is entirely dependent on one thing, how YOU use them! There is no specific amount of time that an RC tire will last but with normal use and used on the proper terrain for the tire you should get approximately a year’s worth of use out of them before they need changed. 

That is assuming that you aren’t always peeling out, drifting, etc. as those types of things will severely shorten the lifespan of your tires. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with doing those things as they can definitely be quite fun but you should know that when you do them you are shortening your tire’s life.