Crawler Innovations Block Comp Tire

[Szczerba]

Hot Bodies Blocks (Red) Truggy tire with Hot Bodies Rover sidewalls made by Crawler Innovations

5.5" tall and 2" wide HotBodies Blocks (fronts internally belt sanded)
Hot Bodies Rover sidewalls
1.25" wide SLW's all around
10.75" wide up front and 10.5" wide out back
Truck is 5.5lb RTR
Weights...
Each front w/t/f is 8oz total with 6.5oz knuckle weights up front and each rear w/t/f is 8oz total with wheels vented.

Foam setup for now...
Front: 5.5 CI DD 2" wide medium density inner with 5.5 CI DD memory foam outers, inner support ring and I could add a medium outer tuning ring for more support. Tire did wad up sometimes but wasn't a huge deal.
Rear: CI DD 2 wide firm inner in rear with medium non-memory outer and medium non-memory tuning ring.

Video with listed setup. Some slick to sandpaper grip on these rocks. Thanks to RockedUpRicky for the video. Watch out at 3:06! Ricky gets a rowdy with some words.

Video VVVVV

http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/m...rystallake.mp4

The pins on the Blocks are bigger and firmer than other pin tires I have seen. They will hold up and do not roll into the tire carcass. The tires did get a little dusty but a light shot of simple green and a brush cleaned them up before this run. I just let them dry for 10 mins before running.
The Blocks on 1.25" wide wheels create a nice square profile.

[TSK]

Those tires look good. Did the tread come out uneven any those snip jobs?

[Szczerba]

Couple more pictures. Height/width comparison to Sedona. Very similar.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing

Those tires look good. Did the tread come out uneven any those snip jobs?

Thanks.
quote from Eddie
"Also, the Blocks do not have an even number of lugs like the Khaos. So the Blocks when trimmed this way, end up with one row of 3 blocks instead of 2. It has not been a problem."

He trimmed the fronts.

I trimmed the rears.

[ittybitty]

I can see why the 1.25 wheels work better but do you have any pics of them mounted on 1 inch wheels?

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by ittybitty

I can see why the 1.25 wheels work better but do you have any pics of them mounted on 1 inch wheels?

I don't. I know Eddie and some others like to run 1" wheels out back and 1.25 or 1.35 up front.
I run 1.25"s on all 4 corners. I can pull an SLW widener off and shot a picture.

[Nova's Ark]

Great write up Shane. That video is perfect. I love when the people talking in the background mention how hard gate #7 is and you just walked right up it. Perfect! Congrats on the win yesterday

[Nova's Ark]

Originally Posted by Szczerba

I don't. I know Eddie and some others like to run 1" wheels out back and 1.25 or 1.35 up front.
I run 1.25"s on all 4 corners. I can pull an SLW widener off and shot a picture.

I only run 1.25" and 1.35" wheels anymore. About the only tire I use on a 1" wheel is a HB White Dot Rover or Panther Leopard. Sedonas and pins I always run wide.



Here is the current block set up I have on my berg:

Details:

Weight: 5 pounds 15ounces Ready To Win

Front:
VP DH2 Wheel
585 Hub
C.I. VP Wheel Widener (run on outside)
3 VP Stainless Steel Weights
3 C.I. Aluminum Weights
Medium Inner Foam 2.00 width
Memory Outer (since I'm in Texas and it's been a solid month of triple digit heat)
Red Dot HB Blocks
Pattern trimmed
Belt Sanded internally

Rear:
VP SLW 1" width Wheel
335 Hub
C.I. VP Wheel Widener (run on outside)
No weight added
Medium Inner Foam 2.00 width
Memory Outer (since I'm in Texas and it's been a solid month of triple digit heat)
Red Dot HB Blocks
Pattern trimmed
Belt Sanded internally


This particular set of tires is just over a month old. I'm gonna speculate and say they have between 15 - 20 battery packs on them in that time. So that should give you some indication of wear in that time.


Also, the Blocks do not have an even number of lugs like the Khaos. So the Blocks when trimmed this way, end up with one row of 3 blocks instead of 2. It has not been a problem.



Side Note:
People ask me about sidewalls. What testing has proven, they don't matter. The set I am currently using and pictured here have used white dot rover side walls in front and 1 pair of RC4WD Spooky sidewalls in the back and 1 pair of Pro-Line TSL Swamper sidewalls. By the time you trim the tire, belt sand it, and properly foam it, the sidewall does little more than hold it all together.

[Nova's Ark]

This post is taken from another thread, but since it applies to the Blocks tires, I am reposting it here.

Originally Posted by Almighty Malach

How do the Blocks compare to boss claws or khaos as far as lug size?

The Block is a bigger pin. The pin is square. There is no relief in the pins like a Khaos or Boss Claw pin. What testing has proven, is that the block has better lug integrity. The lug will stay upright and not fold over as easily as a Khaos or Boss Claw. The Block tire enlarged to a Super Size Tire is very consistent as well.

I have been running and testing Blocks for the last 6 months or so. Team Drivers and select testers around the world have been running them for the last few months. I sent them out all over the world to really get an idea of what terrain suits them, which is pretty much anything just like a Khaos.

Originally Posted by Almighty Malach

I'm looking for a pin tire with slightly larger lugs, maybe 3/32" to 1/8". I think the larger lug would eliminate the need for cutting rows of lugs out.

In my testing I have come to learn that it is the lug spacing and trimmed pattern that really makes a tire shine. No pin tire performs to it's best without removing lugs. You need spacing for the tires to actually grab and go. The only pin tire I have had good performance from with no lugs removed is the Panther Meat Grinder. That tire already has large spacing and the pins are progressive meaning they start skinny and get fatter at the tire carcass. I have gone through many sets of Khaos and Blocks over the last 6 months in every different compound and trimmed in multiple patterns. I feel very confident that this year it will be a Block or Khaos tire that wins the 2.2 National Championship. Crawler Innovations Foams have been in the tires of the National Champions and it's only a matter of time until a tire we develop wins it and this could be the year.

Here is a side by side picture of the Losi Boss Claw, HB Khaos and HB Blocks. The purpose of the picture is to give a side by side view of lug size and design. Hopefully this helps some.

[Szczerba]

Here is the quick pic.

1" wide on left. It's probably 1/8" narrower and 1/8" taller. 1.25 wide on right. Changes the foam feel a little bit too.

[ittybitty]

Thanks Shane! I think I'll give them a try on some 1" wheels. If I don't like what they do I'll get new wheels or wideners...the price of the wideners is right up there with new wheels so it'd be a toss up. I guess the downside to new wheels is that they are 1.35, not 1.25, but they should accomplish the same thing.

[Harvo]

In the video they look like they spin a little more than the chaos... but in a controllable way. I like the way they look. In your opinion, what would be the reasons for having both the chaos and the blocks? Where would one shine above the other?

Thanks!

OH... and when are you going to start selling them?

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by Harvo

In the video they look like they spin a little more than the chaos... but in a controllable way. I like the way they look. In your opinion, what would be the reasons for having both the chaos and the blocks? Where would one shine above the other?

Thanks!

OH... and when are you going to start selling them?

Kinda tough for me to answer that right now. I only have one comp on them and one comp where I just ran the Blocks in the rear.
But I have alot of practice on my rock pile over the past 2 months as well, several mixes of rocks.
The rock type in the video is a very fine sandpaper type rock with some super slick areas too. I should be able to run a few pack through them at Disney, OK next weekend. I know what works there so it should be a good gauge.

The lugs on the blocks are bigger and spaced apart a little more. I think the blocks could do well with a rock type that offers a little more grip than in the video. But they did well yesterday.
Eddie says they are killing at the red sandstone at his crawling compound. It has a little more grip than the video rock. Only time I didn't feel confident with the blocks yesterday was when they got really dusty. As mentioned, I just sprayed the blocks with a quick shot of simple green, brushed em off and let em dry for the last run.

The tires are very predictable. I usually don't need alot of wheelspeed but everyone was having to work on the rocks that day. Some of the climbs at this location require wheelspeed and I could hammer on the rig 1/2 throttle while trying to climb and be confident they would bounce around or act squirrelly.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by ittybitty

Thanks Shane! I think I'll give them a try on some 1" wheels. If I don't like what they do I'll get new wheels or wideners...the price of the wideners is right up there with new wheels so it'd be a toss up. I guess the downside to new wheels is that they are 1.35, not 1.25, but they should accomplish the same thing.

1" should be good. I would say 1" would be the minimum with these.
Just watch the CoG getting raised if the tire becomes too tall/crowned. I don't think 1" wheels will do that on these unless you run a really firm setup up front. Just a note

EDIT, Just found a post in my Khaos thread about the widths. It effects thes Khaos a little more but it's a different foam setup too.

Crawler Innovations Khaos-Rover Comp Tire

......

[Chaotic Crawlers]

Great video.

I have a question for you.

How did other tires do on that course?
Mainly rovers, sedonas, and bc's!

The terrain looks pretty slick.
I'm about to order myself a set, but want to do as much homework as possible.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by Chaotic Crawlers

Great video.

I have a question for you.

How did other tires do on that course?
Mainly rovers, sedonas, and bc's!

The terrain looks pretty slick.
I'm about to order myself a set, but want to do as much homework as possible.

No problem. Ask away.
Pictures from last comp back in spring. Some closer shots of rock. Khaos's running.
Crawler Innovations Khaos-Rover Comp Tire

The terrian is a mix. Sandpaper in some spots, glass in others.
Only other tires out there were leopards and rovers (besides my Blocks) that day.

Rovers do good if they have some more grit or grip on that rock type. On the very last gate in that video, the rover hooked harder and faster than the blocks. But it was a little more chunky.
Leopards do ok out there, if they don't get dusty and if you don't get on the slick stuff. Leopards don't like the slick dusty rock out there.

Ricky ran Boss Claws last time we were out there. They seemed to do ok. I can't remember exactly how they did. I was running Khaos then and it was raining off and on..

I had pink (soft) front blocks with me but not mounted. Those might have worked well out there too. I'll have to test em out next time, up front.

I have not ran Sedona's out there or seen Sedona's on that rock. I bet they would be fighting for traction all day.

[helhedded]

You little bi- ...nevermind. Congrats on your win

[Nova's Ark]

Just a heads up about the RED compound Blocks, Hot Bodies is out of stock Nationally and more are not expected in stock until the end of August. That goes for Blue Rovers to. I am out of stock of Red Blocks as well. Red Khaos are in stock for those wanting those.

[White Stripe]

Have you made any block tires using the losi buggy green compound tires yet? If so how did it do?

[Nova's Ark]

Originally Posted by White Stripe

Have you made any block tires using the losi buggy green compound tires yet? If so how did it do?

No. I'm not a fan of Losi rubber at all.

I have been testing with numerous compounds from Panther though. Both existing and new compounds.