Introduction
If you own an RC vehicle, you might have noticed the telltale vibration sometimes. When you’re speeding up your car it’s wobbling and vibrating too much. That’s when you know the tires are unbalanced.
Now, you might be wondering how to balance RC tires?
It’s pretty simple. Take a tire balancer and mount the tire in it. Now, spin it gently to find out the heavier side of the tire. Mark the area and apply some weight there. When the weight is evenly distributed the tire will get balanced. You can do this even without a tire balancer.
That was the whole balancing process in a nutshell. To know the detailed process read our piece till the end.
Let’s start right away-
What Are Unbalanced RC Tires?
It’s easy to notice unbalanced RC tires. Just take an RC car off the ground and whirl the tires. While it’s whirling, do you notice it wobbling or vibrating? Then it’s not balanced. Contrary to that, balanced tires won’t shift, wobble or vibrate at all.
Ignoring this issue may result in bigger problems for later. If the tire is not that worn out, fixing the balance is a good choice.
Otherwise, repurpose the tires. Now, even though the rc tires are tiny, you can try out the ways to repurpose regular car tires.
Why Are Your RC Tires Unbalanced?
Tires from the same vehicle are not always of the same weight. Also, not all of them are cast in the same way. These differences may seem small.
But they’re enough to make the tires destabilized. The building quality of tires also varies from different models to the same kind.
For example, a vehicle can have 3 to more tires that spin perfectly straight. But if you attach a belted tire, it may not spin perfectly straight. It’ll create vibration while the vehicle moves at high speed.
This can happen with roller cars as well. Tires lose their balance as it gets old and wears out.
How Can You Balance RC Tires?
Rather than replacing the tires, balance them manually. Balancing tires is easy and a cheaper option than replacing them. By balancing them you’ll be ensuring that they move uniformly at high speed.
Pick a tire for balancing. It’s better to use tires that have been used at least once or twice. It’ll verify that the foam inside the tires had enough time to settle in.
You’ll need some tools and ingredients for this method. These would suffice-
- A tire balancer
- Marker
- Balancing putty/ lead tape
Got them? Let’s start-
Step-1: Set The Tire On Balancer
A tire balancer is a stand-like tool that holds the tire while it’s spinning. It’ll help you identify whether the tire is balanced or not.
These are the best tire balancer out there-
| Product 1 | |
| Product 2 |
Once you’ve gotten your tire balancer, set the tire onto the balancing shaft. On the front of the shaft, there’ll be two adapters. Press one of the adapters. It’ll do the pinning of the wheel into its place.
Step-2: Marking The Heavy Side
After putting the wheel on the balancer, whirl it slowly or tap it once. The tire will move back and forth. Balanced tires don’t move back and forth.
Now, pay attention to its stopping point. The lower side of the tire is the heavy side. Wait till the tire stops moving. Then take a marker and mark the top side of the tire.
Step-3: Apply Weight
The marked side of the tire is the light side. To balance your tire, the weight needs to be distributed evenly. So, take a bit of balancing putty and put it on the marked side.
If you don’t have balancing putty, use lead tape for the job. Cut the tape in small lengths & put it inside the wheel’s marked area.
Some even consider using glue for this process. You can take a look at the best glue for RC tires to do so. But it’s best to use putty or clay.
Step-4: Balancing Tire
Now, see how the wheel moves again. If the putty applied side stays at bottom, it has gone heavier. Take away some putty and see if the tires move back and forth again. For tapes, if it gets heavier, pull away some of the applied tapes.
Once you see the tire is resting at any point, the job is done. The tire has become balanced. Follow this method for all the other tires that need to be balanced too.
Balancing A Tire Without Tire Balancer
Even without a tire balancer, you can balance your tire. Just utilize the front axle of the RC vehicle. Make sure the axle has a bearing. It’ll make sure that the tires can move freely.
For some vehicles, you may need to remove the dog bone. So that the axle can move freely.
The rest of the balancing process is the same as mentioned above. Check for the heavier side and put weight on the tire. Once the weight is applied uniformly the tire gets balanced.
Now, check if your RC car is moving smoothly on the ground. Building an RC rock crawling course for the car won’t be a bad idea.
Hopefully, the whole process was easier for you to understand. Now, you can balance those tires once and for all.
FAQs
Question: Can I use Regular modeling clay to balance tires?
Answer: Yes, you can use regular modeling clay. But it won’t be as sturdy and effective as balancing putty or balancing clay. Try to use non-hardening modeling clay for better experiences.
Question: Can I use a duct seal to add weight to the wheel?
Answer: Yes, you can. Duct seal is an excellent product that sticks well on tires. They’re cheap and you can find them easily at most hardware shops.
Question: How to make tires more grippy?
Answer: To make tires more grippy you can use silicone spray or bleach. Use them all over the surface of your tire. After applying silicone spray, dip them in hot water and put them to rest. Dry them properly so no water remains.
Conclusion
Now you know how to balance RC tires. Hopefully, the discussion was easy for you to follow. Check out the balancing process with your RC wheels to get a satisfactory experience.
Lastly, good luck balancing those tires!
