Why Do You Glue RC Tires?

When someone gets interested in the world of racing and RC vehicles, it’s easy to get or feel a little bit lost. There are so many aspects about RC cars and trucks that could be quite confusing to anyone who is new to the idea of RC vehicles. When you start with RCs as a hobby or career, there could be a lot of doubts and questions that might come up the moment you enter the RC world or simply as you learn more about it. 

One confusing thing that many people face with RC cars is that you glue the tires onto the rim rather than filling them with air like normal tires. Why are RC tires glued and not air filled? 

RC tires are glued to the rims to allow the tires to have some flexibility and movement so they don’t pop or come off because of rough terrain or landing a jump. RC tires that are glued will normally have holes in either the rims, the tires or both that will allow air to get in. 

There actually are some air filled tires but they will also have to be glued as they will have some air in them but won’t be aired all the way up to create a tight seal. The glue between the rim and tire on the RC vehicle is what creates the seal and keeps the rim and tire in the correct spot. 

This is one of the most important lessons you need to learn before you start racing with your RC car or truck as knowing both how and why to glue your RC car tires is vital. 

To learn how to glue an RC tire properly you can check out the video below. You can see some of our favorite RC tire glue by clicking here. 

However, before we get into that, it is good to know what it means to glue an RC car tire. 

Why are RC car tires glued? Are they important? Will the gluing or not gluing affect the driving? What aspects of racing does gluing the RC car tires impact? 

Let us find out!

What does gluing an RC tire mean?

Gluing is an important aspect when it comes to the tire part of RC cars and trucks. It is done to make sure you do not have any unfortunate incident such as the tires of your RC car or truck coming off while you are driving! 

Obviously it’s pretty important! 

Tires coming off is actually a pretty common thing and happens to a lot of people who race RC cars. This is why gluing is done and why proper gluing is so important so as to make sure that such accidents do not take place and there is no chance of damaging your RC vehicle. 

Now that you know what the meaning is when someone says they are going to glue an RC car or truck tire, you might wonder exactly what you get out of it when you do so. You might want to know the advantages you will have if you glue your RC car or truck tires. What is the exact reason behind gluing your tires? Is there more than one benefit to doing this process?

Why gluing is crucial if you own a RC car or truck

Here are some reasons that gluing RC tires is an important part of the process

• The most obvious reason that this is important is that it prevents the tires from falling off. If you were racing and your tires came off, well, let us just say it would not be a pretty sight. Your tires coming off could lead to accidents and of course damage to your RC car. And well, come on, you cannot even race if your tires came off. So gluing is always a good option.
  
• Gluing your tires means they will last longer. It is basically good maintenance.
  
• Usually, in many cases, the rear tires do tend to become all wobbly and come off if the glue even starts to come loose, even in the middle of a race or a drive. So this is just one more reason to glue your tires.
  
• The technical reason as to why gluing your RC tires is important is because tires are under a lot of pressure when one drives an RC car or truck. This pressure is especially rough on the rear tires. This is what causes them to fall off or come off.
  
• Gluing your RC tires will also stop your tires from spinning in your wheels, enhancing your performance and specifically acceleration.
  

All of these reasons must have convinced you that gluing is in fact extremely important for your RC car or truck. But just like every coin has two sides, there is one slight disadvantage of gluing your RC car or truck tires. 

Gluing then could be a problem when the time comes for replacement. The next time you want to replace your tire, you might have a hard time doing so because you glued your tires to the rims and are now forced to remove the glue. 

This could create a bit of a problem if you glue on your RC car or truck tires to your wheels so this is why some people use headlock rims that are easy to swap the tires on instead of gluing them. Of course beadlock rims have their own set of problems with the biggest one being that they can be quite expensive. 

So, in short, gluing depends on what type of racer you are and it depends on your racing style. If you are someone who might have to replace the tires within short spans of time, gluing might not be a good option for you. If there are chances that you might replace your RC car or truck tires quickly and very often, it is best if you do not glue them to your RC car or truck wheels and instead use beadlock rims since they are easy to change out. 

But on the other hand, if you are someone who does not change your RC car or truck tires that often (which will be most people) and usually uses the same set of tires for your RC car or truck for a longer period of time, then go ahead and glue your tires. You have nothing to worry about and gluing your tires will only enhance your driving and racing experience, so go for it.

Conclusion

In short, to conclude, that is all that gluing is all about. Hopefully, by now, you know what gluing an RC car or truck tire means. You should now understand the pros and cons about the process and also know more about the importance of why RC car or truck tires are usually glued. 

In case you had any doubts about whether you should glue your RC car or truck tires, you know also the many reasons why you should and the one reason why you should not. So go ahead and glue your tires on, people! And race to your heart’s content without fearing that your RC car or truck tires will fall off ever again!