How To Make RC Rock Crawler Tires Sticky

Having sticky tires on your RC car is very important for different aspects of driving whether you want to be able to handle corners better or if you want to get a more effective braking distance.

There are many different ways that you can make your RC rock crawler tires more sticky. Some of the most common ways are by using: 

• Simple green 
• WD-40 
• Paragon 
• Diesel fuel
• Sun tan lotion 

Yes I know some of those sound quite odd however some people swear by these and many other odd compounds to make their RC crawler tires have better grip. 

A lot of RC racers have been able to get a better grip on their RC tires by using Simple Green. With Simple Green, you can ensure that your car tires are more sticky and that you can get a better racing experience. 

Just get Simple Green, a brush, and a bucket to fill with water. After racing, use a generous amount of Simple Green to spray the tires and then use a brush to get the dirt off the tires. After that, dip the brush into the water in the bucket to clean off the brush. While the brush is still wet and dripping, brush the Simple Green off the car’s tires and then use a towel to dry them. Next, spray a light mist on the whole tire and let it have some time to dry.

If it is hot out or you are doing this process in the sun then you will want to lightly dry the tires with a towel. Remember not to soak the tires in the water, or you will have water getting into the air holes of the tires and soaking the foam. 

Now, apart from using Simple Green, you can use virtually all of the other methods mentioned above as well as a variety of other compounds that you can use. There are even some compounds that are specifically designed for getting extra grip with your RC tires. 

One such unique compound is Sticky Kicks (found here). 

There are also some other things you can do to make the tires of your RC crawler more sticky as well as offer you better grip. Some of these will only work in certain situations so it certainly isn’t one size fits all just like what you would put on the tires. 

Especially during the winter, it can be quite difficult to have a peaceful run with your RC car. Dealing with ice, snow, and maybe even the sun sometimes can be quite the challenge, and this can make driving in weather like the winter especially frustrating. 

When you are using a rock crawler in the winter season or even in the spring when the terrain is wet from thawing or rain getting your RC crawler to get good traction can be even more difficult so we will talk about some additional things that you can try during these times of the year to try and get more grip. 

Add weight to the rear

Adding weight to the rear of your RC vehicle is a great way to gain traction in slippery and wet conditions. This is typically thought of as something that you will do with a normal vehicle and not an RC but if your rock crawler is rear wheel drive then extra weight will help it get more traction. 

Of course when adding any extra weight you have to be careful that it isn’t in a place that could cause your RC crawler to roll and also make sure that your engine can handle the extra weight as well. 

As long as you make sure both of those things are fine then the extra weight can be helpful in getting better grip on any terrain you are climbing over. 

Drive-in clear tracks 

Here’s another very effective way to get more grip with your RC tires. If you are driving through snow, mud, etc. driving in the worn path will allow you to not spin your tires as much which in turn will help you get through the terrain or course more than easily because of the better grip. 

If another RC car has already gone through the snow or mud and cleared the path for you, racing your own RC car will be a lot easier, and you won’t need to bother about finding your way through or repeatedly getting your RC car stuck When you stay on tracks that have already been previously clearly defined, your stress is significantly reduced, and your vehicle will surely have a better grip. 

Another thing to remember is that if the snow is packed very tightly, it can still be slippery, so an important thing to do is to adjust your speed to the present conditions. Don’t expect your RC car to climb near as fast if the conditions aren’t perfect! 

Use a pair of socks

No, not for yourself but for your RC vehicle. Getting a pair of tire socks can help a decent amount. These are really only useful when your grip would otherwise be really bad such as with snow or ice but they can work amazingly during that time and allow you to use your RC car throughout the year. 

Again, under normal conditions these “socks” will slow down your crawler too much to be useful but in certain conditions they can be just what you need to make the climb. These tire socks are more traditionally seen on normal vehicles but you can make your own to allow your tires to get better grip. 

Purchase different tires

There are some tires that are designed to be used both on the road and off but if you are trying to get as much traction as possible with your rock crawler you will want to purchase tires that are specifically designed for off road use. 

These tires will be able to handle wet or muddy conditions better and they can even help if you are using your RC crawler on snow or ice as well. 

Even if you already have off road tires it is important to consider how old and worn they are as well. Just like traditional tires the more your RC tires are used the less grip they will have as the tread starts to wear down. 

If you have noticed that your RC crawler has started to have more and more grip issues over time then it might be a sign that you need to get a new set of tires. If you find yourself with this issue you can buy new off-road tires online by clicking here. 

Conclusion

Whether it’s winter or not, having as good of grip as possible for your rock crawler is one of the most important aspects of racing or climbing because you can’t do good in a race without having good grip.

 Applying the above-listed tips are sure to help you get the most out of your ride as they provide a better grip for excellent control and handling. Also, keep in mind that new tires will always win if you’re looking to get a really good grip out there on the track or while climbing terrrain.