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Stuck on You…
Don’t Shortchange Your Tires When
Gluing Them to the Rims
Tires are literally where the rubber meets the road. <groan>
The nitro engine of your monster rc truck or other gas powered rc truck is throwing off all sorts of power. That power is translated into thrust thru the tires. If they come off the rims that power does you no good.
So gluing the tires to the rims is not the time to take shortcuts. A little bit of prep time goes a long way.
There are three areas to cover for successful tip mounting:
• Let Your Tires VentLet Your Tires Vent
• Glue Clean to Clean - Rim Prep
• Glue Clean to Clean - Tire Prep
Vent as in let air flow in and out as the tires compress and decompress over uneven terrain?
To do that you need vent holes.
Obviously many rims come with holes predrilled. If yours did not dig out the drill, your 1/8 -inch bit and drill a couple. One is all you really need. But do another as a back up in case one gets clogged.
Glue Clean to Clean - Rim Prep
While it may seem obvious, if either surface (the rim or tire) is contaminated in some way you might as way save yourself the effort. The tires won't stay glued to the rims no matter how much glue you use.
Rim prep depends on the type of rim.
Generally rims comes in three flavors…aluminum, molded or chrome.
When working with either aluminum or molded rims it helps to remember the glue will adhere better on a uneven surface.
To get that the idea is to lightly scuff or rough up the rims.
Typically you'll use something like a scotch brite pad? Oh and stow the mule strength. You’re going for a light scuffing. Not an obliteration.
While with chrome rims you may find the chrome has filled in the bead line. Carefully, so you don’t melt the underlying plastic, remove it using some type of wire wheel.
Either way be sure to wipe the rims down to remove any lingering dust.
Pit Tip: Here’s an dustless alternative for chrome wheels. Mask off the bead line. Get an eye dropper. Use it to apply lacquer thinner around the rim on the bead line. The lacquer thinner should soften the chrome plating enough to let you simply wipe it away.Glue Clean to Clean - Tire Prep
Basically tire prep comes down to removing any trace of mold release used in manufacturing. Motor spray on a rag wiped over the inside the of tire should do the trick.
There you go. The few minutes of care this process takes is well worth it. Apply your glue to each side of the tire in turn. Mount the wheels. And it’s off to the races. Secure in the knowledge your tires are stuck - on.
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