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If you have been racing or bashing RC cars for a while you have likely had the glue come off or start to come off multiple times. This is a pretty common issue that happens with RC tires so the question that people who have never had this happen before is whether they can simply reglue the RC tires.
You can certainly reglue either a section of the RC tire or the entire thing. You will want to make sure to remove the old glue and properly clean the tire before regluing it.
Most of the time it is better to simply remove all of the glue, clean the tire and rim entirely and then reglue the entire thing as often once some of the glue starts to come off the rest isn’t far behind.
However, if you recently glued the tire but part of it wasn’t as thick or didn’t adhere properly then you can certainly just fix that section of the tire.
No matter whether you are starting from scratch or just repairing a small section, the most important thing to do is to make sure to completely clean the rim and tire to allow for it to adhere as much as possible. Often people neglect the cleaning stage or don’t make sure to get off all of the residue from the old glue which can cause problems.
ALWAYS remove any leftover adhesive and get the tire and rim as clean as possible before gluing.
To learn exactly how to glue RC tires check out the video below. To see the most popular RC tire glue just click here.
A good RC car doesn’t have to cost a fortune. This 1/16 scale model is 4WD and can reach a top speed of almost 30 MPH!
With speeds like that and 4WD you can take this RC car almost anywhere!
What kind of glue do you use for RC tires?
There are many different glues on the market that you can use for your RC tires (such as these) , but knowing which one is the best can be quite difficult. Some people swear by certain brands or types of CA glue while others just use whatever glue they have laying around.
In most cases a CA (cyanoacrylates) glue will work the best to keep a solid bond between your RC tire and rim however, if you use a glue that doesn’t hold well it is a simple process to remove it and try something else.
Which glue that you use for your RC tires is really a personal preference. Some people prefer a thinner glue that gets into the bead better while other people like the thicker super glue despite it taking longer to dry and not being the “recommended” glue for RC tires.
After you have used your RC car with new glue you will quickly be able to tell whether you like the kind that you chose or not so then just simply keep using the same glue or change it out and try a different brand or type of glue.
What is the best glue for RC tires?
As with the previous section deciding which glue is the “best” is really all about preference. If you were to ask which RC car is the best you would hear a variety of answers depending on how people use their RC car as well as which brands they like the best.
Based on the sheer volume of reviews alone the Glue Masters CA glue (found here) would be considered one of the best on the market. However the RC glues made by Proline and Traxxas are also great options.
The Proline RC tire glue (found here) is specifically designed for RC tires however they only have one viscosity option while Glue Masters has two different viscosity options and two different sizes as well.
The Traxxas tire glue (found here) also only comes with one viscosity and size but it is certified to work with speeds up to 100mph (for the Traxxas XO-1). It has tons of great reviews which can be found by clicking the link above as well.
Does superglue work on RC tires?
Superglue is often discussed as an alternative to buying specific RC glue. Many people prefer superglue that is made for other uses to the glues that are specifically designed for RC tires but will it work?
Most superglue is actually CA glue which is what works best with RC tires so superglue will absolutely work to glue your RC’s rims and tires together!
However, just because you can use superglue doesn’t mean you should get the cheapest one you can find. Some will work better than others and the cheaper the glue is the more likely that it won’t hold well when going over bumps or at higher speeds.
If you choose to use superglue it is likely best to use one that has great reviews and make sure that it is actually CA glue and not something different. For example, this superglue is considerably cheaper than glue that is designed for RC tires but it will likely hold almost just as good over time.
Remember, just because something is more expensive that doesn’t necessarily mean it is better!
How long does RC tire glue take to dry?
Gluing your RC tires is a relatively simple process but the prep can take a long time as well as the drying time afterwards, but how long will it take the glue to dry?
RC tire glue will typically be dry to the touch in 30 seconds or less however it won’t normally be cured for 6-8 hours. You won’t want to run your RC car until the glue is fully cured so most people wait overnight after gluing before using their RC car again.
You can certainly not wait as long but if the glue isn’t fully cured your tires are far more likely to come off the rim and the glue likely won’t hold at all. If you absolutely can’t wait for whatever reason you can certainly try and use the tires earlier as the worst case scenario is you simply have to remove the glue and start all over again.
Letting the glue set up a bit longer than necessary is always better than trying to rush things so gluing the tires in the evening and then drying the glue overnight works the best.
Gorilla glue for RC tires, does it work?
Another popular type of glue that people love to use for a variety of projects is Gorilla glue. It works great and has an amazing hold but will it work for RC tires?
Gorilla glue will actually work perfectly for RC tires and is incredibly strong glue. Many RC racers will only use Gorilla glue for their tires because of how strong and long lasting the bond is.
There are of course many different types of Gorilla glue on the market but one of the most popular for RC tires is the superglue gel (found here) that currently has almost 15,000 reviews on Amazon!
Some people on forums are of the opinion that Gorilla glue doesn’t work well and while that may have been true of the original kind they now have many different types (such as the one above) that work perfectly for RC tires and dry clear as well.
With information online you have to make sure that it is current and most of the information about Gorilla glue for RC tires is just plain wrong since it is over a decade old!
The Gorilla glue that is on the market today will work just fine for RC tires as long as you get the clear gel type as mentioned above.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has been helpful in answering your questions about RC tire glue and what you can and cannot use and do. Gluing your RC tires is not a complicated process but it is important to do it properly so the glue lasts as long as possible.