Wheel weights?

[Moto Duck]

Hey all, I've been running my SCX10 with the battery mounted over the front axle. It still seems too light in front. Would I benefit from adding wheel weight to the front end? And if so, what's the best way to do that? I was going to head to the fishing store and look for lead in lengths that I could wrap inside the tire. If I do that, do I put it against my rim, or stuff it between the inside of the tire and the foam? Lastly, how much should I initially try? Thanks for any suggestions!

[Szczerba]

These are the weights of choice to put around the wheel. They have a sticky backing tape and are segmented to conform around the wheel. I would start out about 2 oz per wheel.

Great Planes Segmented Lead Weights 6 oz

Also, changing the rear upper link geometry will increase front wheel traction.
JC Auto Design - SCX10 Rear Upper Link Risers - Improved geometry

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[rcntncrawler]

Wheel weights are an inexpensive way to increase front wheel traction, but they do add rotating weight. That means the motor has to work a little harder to turn the wheels over, and even harder to create wheel speed to get over stuff. Other ways to increase front end bite are: adding a steel bumper, heavier axle components, weight attached to the frame (but keep it as low on the chassis as possible). Good Luck.

[Moto Duck]

Originally Posted by rcntncrawler

Wheel weights are an inexpensive way to increase front wheel traction, but they do add rotating weight. That means the motor has to work a little harder to turn the wheels over, and even harder to create wheel speed to get over stuff. Other ways to increase front end bite are: adding a steel bumper, heavier axle components, weight attached to the frame (but keep it as low on the chassis as possible). Good Luck.

Thank you for that advice. I like the idea of steel bumpers as I'm ready to upgrade from the stock Dingo bumpers I have now. I will look for a set of those, or at least a front one.

[Moto Duck]

Originally Posted by Szczerba

These are the weights of choice to put around the wheel. They have a sticky backing tape and are segmented to conform around the wheel. I would start out about 2 oz per wheel.

Great Planes Segmented Lead Weights 6 oz

Also, changing the rear upper link geometry will increase front wheel traction.
JC Auto Design - SCX10 Rear Upper Link Risers - Improved geometry

...

Thanks for the link. I will try these out until I can find a front steel bumper I like.

[Olle P]

Just to make it clear: Wheel weights should be stuck to the rims, not to the tire.

[Norton]

Look into knuckle weights, better than wheel weights anyday!

[HyperMark]

I use self adhesive LEAD wheel balance weights I get from a local tyre fitter.
A good cheap option if you want wheel weights.

[Olle P]

Originally Posted by Norton

Look into knuckle weights, better than wheel weights anyday!

Better performance but more expensive and not legal in competitions unless they look like brake drums or something.

[TIREBUSTER]

I know it's probably not the best way to do it but I take the foam out so there is more tire squish to grab rocks and I've got beadlock wheels so I put as much water in as I could and then tightened the bead lock and never had a problem again with traction or weight in the front end.

[GodSpeed999]

You fill your tires with water?

[Postclanker]

Really??? Water

[TIREBUSTER]

Haha like I said it's prob not right in other people's eyes but yes I do. I run a service truck doing truck and farm tires and since some people use calcium in their tractor tires for more weight and traction that's why I decided to give it a shot and I can get the tire prob just shy of 75% full of water before I tighten down the bead lock and like I said it improved my traction and front end lift big time! ya I prob could'vE just grabbed some tape weights from the shop but I figured I could get more weight and adjust the weight more or less a lot easier.

[Postclanker]

I suspect the bead locks hold the water in ok but the rotating mass of water has got to be hard on your drive train and motor. I guess I'm not a big fan of weights in the wheels. It was a sad day when the rules committee decided that knuckle weights were outlawed.

How do you keep the water in until you get the beadlocks bolted down???

[TIREBUSTER]

well I started filling them only about half full cuz it started getting pretty warm pretty quick and once I started doing only half everything stopped heating up. As for fill them I bolt on the back bead lock and the kinda tilt the tire so it's almost laying down and then fill til it starts overflowing a little and then bolt the front bead lock down

[TIREBUSTER]

And I got to thinking I have used some tape weights from our shop that you use on cars and pickups and put them on each side of the axle but I didn't get as good of results

[Postclanker]

Originally Posted by TIREBUSTER

well I started filling them only about half full cuz it started getting pretty warm pretty quick and once I started doing only half everything stopped heating up. As for fill them I bolt on the back bead lock and the kinda tilt the tire so it's almost laying down and then fill til it starts overflowing a little and then bolt the front bead lock down

did you do a before and after weight to see how much that actually added? I bet it would be hard to get the same weight in both front tires....would like to see a video of that process as well.

[TIREBUSTER]

No I never really took time to weigh anything. I just did like I do in tractor tires and filled to the same level on both of them to the best I could. I don't have that crawler anymore but I am gonna be buying a honcho scx10 here very shortly if everything goes right and I'll make a video of it for you And weigh them too. I put it in the back tires too just for more weight

[Moto Duck]

I bought a nice RC4WD steel front bumper tonight at my local hobby shop. Got to try it out in their indoor crawl space & beer pub. It seems to have helped some. And at any rate it looks nicer than the stock Axial bumper.

[Meatwad]

Originally Posted by TIREBUSTER

No I never really took time to weigh anything. I just did like I do in tractor tires and filled to the same level on both of them to the best I could. I don't have that crawler anymore but I am gonna be buying a honcho scx10 here very shortly if everything goes right and I'll make a video of it for you And weigh them too. I put it in the back tires too just for more weight

Back in the old days of rccrawling the thing to do was use bb's, easier to make even. The unpredictable nature of either bb's or water seems whacky to me, but then again I've never tried such a thing.

Wheel weight in general is a bad thing for the drivetrain, if it hasn't been upgraded that is. I like the pendulum effect offered in a high centered situation with wheel weights, jerking the throttle and instant drag brake will wiggle the entire truck around.