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If you have an RC car then you might have heard about venting the tires on your vehicle. To many people this is a foreign concept as we obviously don’t poke holes in the tires of our normal cars so why would we want to do that to RC tires.
There are different groups that come down on opposite sides of this argument. Many people feel like poking holes in the tires prevents them from holding dirt and moisture inside of them while the opposing camp feels like the holes are what allows the dirt and water in them in the first place, but which is right?
Should you vent your RC car tires?
If you commonly drive through wet or muddy conditions then you should vent your RC tires to allow the water and dirt a way to escape. As you drive your RC car around the centrifugal force will cause the water and dirt to go back out through the venting holes.
If you rarely drive through mud or water then venting is not as important but it is still likely something that you will want to do so if you happen to drive your car in those conditions the water and debris has a way to get out.
If you prefer to not vent your RC tire then you will likely want to go completely in the opposite direction and seal the holes in the rims and make your tires air filled. This will keep your RC tires from ever getting any water or debris in them but creates a whole new set of issues that you will have to deal with such as the tire popping off the rim and being flat as well as the tire blowing out entirely if you run over something sharp.
For some additional information about sealed vs vented RC tires check out the video below.
How do you vent an RC tire?
If you have decided that venting your tires is what you should do then your next question is likely “how do I do it”?
Venting your RC tires is actually quite simple. All you have to do is punch four holes through the tire tread at approximately ¼ of the tire and you now have vented them!
If you are a little bit of a perfectionist (like me) then you can just get out a ruler or straight edge and hold it up against the outside of the tires. Then make 4 small marks on the outside of the tire exactly ¼ of the way around and drill the holes in those spots.
To do this you can use a small phillips screwdriver to punch the holes but i personally prefer to just use a cordless drill and drill bit. It is quite easy to do and as long as you don’t go too far and catch the foam you can’t really do it wrong (which is right up my alley).
How do you get sand out of RC tires?
If you have tires on your RC car that are vented you might find yourself getting debris into them every now and again. This is especially easy to do when you are running on a material like sand that is really fine. Since sand is so small it will find its way inside your tires quite easily so how do you get it out?
The best way to get sand out is by shutting off your RC vehicle and then shaking out as much sand from the tires as possible. Once you have done that they spend some time running your vehicle on the pavement and the movement of the tires should cause the sand to fling out.
If you know that you will be running on sand for an extended period of time and you have vented tires then it is a good idea to cover the holes up with some small pieces of tape. Duct tape or electrical tape work well to cover the holes temporarily and keep the sand out of the tires.
Once you are done using your RC car on the beach or sandy area then you simply take the tape off and go back to racing.
How do you get water out of RC tires?
If you have been using your RC car in or around water a lot then you will probably find that you will have water in your tires. These types of situations are why some people feel like sealed tires on your RC car work better since they won’t allow the water in but what can you do since it already is?
To get the water out of your RC car tires you will simply have to drain as much of the water as possible and then run the RC car on dry pavement. As you drive the vehicle the water will fling out and then it is just a waiting process for the foam inside to dry.
If you don’t have a dry area that you can run the car in, you can simply put your RC car up on blocks and then run it like normal. Your car won’t move but the spinning tires will force all of the water out.
If you want to watch a video detailing a method for getting water out of RC tires you can watch the one below.
Is there an RC tire venting tool?
If you have decided that you want to vent your RC tire you might be wondering if there is a tool that you can use to punch the holes in the tires to vent them. You might especially want a tool if you have a lot of RC cars that need holes put in the tires!
There is actually no tool that is designed specifically for punching holes in the RC tires but you can use a drill and bit, a small penknife, a phillips screwdriver or even a leather hole punch.
If you don’t have any of the above you might as well go with the best and get a leather hole punch. It is actually designed to punch holes in leather belts or other similar materials but it works great for RC tires as well.
You can find these tools in many hobby shops or even online as well by clicking here. They aren’t incredibly expensive and they will work great for punching the holes in your RC tires.
Conclusion
Now you know whether you should or shouldn’t vent your RC tires, how to do it, as well as other helpful information when you get debris or water in your vented RC tires.
There are a lot of pros and cons to venting or not venting your tires but most people feel that venting is still the way to go unless you are always using your RC car on sand or other loose material that will easily get inside the tires.
No matter which way you choose to go be sure and find out all of the pros and cons of venting or not venting your tires before you make a decision.