1/8 Scale Foam Tires

[Allan Webster]

I was wondering what you guys use for 1/8 scale buggies? Looking to take a XTM xterminator out to the track. Someone said to run foams. Was wondering what options are out there?

Thanks
al

[John Binz]

Ofna makes them. Watch out for hitting the wall real hard they are real brittle. Powerline Racing also make some that are mounted on Dish wheel. If you get Ofna foam tires Get the Green dot. Powerline Racing I think only have one shore. You can also get the Ofna foam tires and mount them on dish wheels after you cut the ribs off of them. Hope this helps.

[Allan Webster]

Thanks for the info. Powerline just showed a set of wheels/tires. Ofna showed three compounds, "shore" 30-34, 35-39, 40-45. What exactly do these numbers mean, I'm assuming soft/med/hard. What the heck is a shore? Which are most likely used for dirt oval?

You mentioned getting just the foam, didn't see that right off. I'm guessing you just put the dish wheels on a lathe, then glue the new foams on?


Thanks again,
al

[GaRacer]

We run foams here, TRC makes them and so does Imex. I run yellow compound, its soft and would have a low shore rating. TRC tires seem a little softer than the Imex even in the same compound. If you are running on a clay surface, would probably be a good idea to treat them with some type of traction compound, the ones right out of the box then to be limited in the amount of traction they supply.

[Dlan44]

Thanks for the info. Powerline just showed a set of wheels/tires. Ofna showed three compounds, "shore" 30-34, 35-39, 40-45Thanks again,
al

I am not a fan of Powerline's wheels. They are too soft (wheels). Out of 8 wheels, I spun the center out of 3, and cracked 3. Don't EVER try to soak the foam off of them in laquer thinner..........they melt!

[Allan Webster]

So, is a shore rating a hardness rating, or some sort of ratio rating? I have absolutely no idea. I was able to go to OFNA, get some part numbers, then tower to get the colors.

I'm guessing OFNA and other companies make both the foam on rim and foam donuts, though I haven't found them on tower until this morning due to John Binz post. Is it worth it doing your own tires, buy the donuts, mount them to rims? Or just buy the complete package.

thanks
al

[Dlan44]

Smaller the shore number, the softer the tire.

[John Binz]

What you could do if you bought the Ofna ones. Take a L shaped allen wrench and cut the L part and put it in a drill spin it around under the foam on the Ofna wheels. Do this on both sides and the foam should come off pretty easy. You should buy a set of Proline dishwheels and cut the ribs where you would mount rubber tires with till they are flat with the rest of the wheel. The just slide the foam you took from the Ofna wheels and slide it on to the dishwheel. Then just glue them on. You will need some TQ Mod or some type of tire traction compound. If you do use the wheels that Ofan used you will need to use shock spacers where they would mount on to the axle or they will rub on your Hub carriers.