Choosing the Right Wheels

    In Competitive Radio Controlled Model Racing, you have to consider every aspect of your car and how to improve its performance to give you the edge on your competitors and that includes your choice of Wheel-Rims.

    My article below explains why and how the type of rims you put on your model car can influence its handling and what type you should be looking to have.

Choosing the best Wheels / Rims

   When it comes to wheels, the majority of people tend to go for what looks good, something that will make their car stand out from the crowd, but are they the best wheels for you when it comes to winning races on the track?

   Quite a number of years ago I read an article in an RC magazine about RC model wheels and how important it is to have the right ones on your car. I was so impressed by that article that I immediately sold off all my old wheels and bought a batch of new ones - why? Read on.

Flimsy Bad - Rigid Good

   In order for a tire to maintain grip, it needs to preserve the downward pressure through the cars suspension onto the road surface. To do this, not only must the wheels be concentric, they have to be totally rigid. So, if you accept that premise as fact, you will realise that the majority of the flashy wheel designs available for all types of RC model cars are not exactly what you might call rigid. In point of fact, they are down right flimsy.

Looks aren't Everything

   If you take a good hard look at some of those multi spoked pressure injected plastic wheels you have in your car box, you will soon see what I mean. Just take one in your hand, squeeze it just a little and you will realise how weak and feeble the construction of these cheap and nasty things are. Looks aren't everything.

In Competition, its Performance that Matters

   If you want to be up there with the best you have to strive for the best, and that doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive. There are lots of wheels out there at reasonable prices that can give you that rigidity you need. Okay, they might not look pretty, but they will perform better and give you that extra one percent that could mean the difference between winning and losing.

   At some point, you have to ask yourself what you want your car to be, the one that everyone admires for its flashy good looks, or the one that gets you to the top.

In Conclusion

   So there you have it, rigid wheels are the thing to go for. They may be heavier and provide a more dynamic rotating mass, requiring more braking than those flimsy lightweight wheels out there - but then, that is a whole new subject.

More Hints and Tips

   For more Radio Controlled Model Hints, Tips and Information, check out the list on the RCScrapyard Homepage. ▶ ▶