Axial BFG Krawler foams way too soft, help me understand foams

[jeff22]

I have a set of 1.9 wheels and BFG Krawler tires with standard axial foams that I got off of a RTR CR edition Jeep Scx10 and put on a trail honcho. The foams are way too soft and the tires ride on the sidewall while turning.

I don't really understand foams and I don't know what the differences are between them. I thought I wanted closed cell foams but can't make sense of the options to get some that fit a 1.9 4.75" tall tire.

These Crawler Innovation dual stage Lil' Nova foams are really the only thing I can come up with but I'm worried they might be too firm for my stock honcho.

Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.75T Foam Pair (2)

It says these foams are: "for scalers weighing 9 - 12 pounds using tires 4.750" to 5.0" Tall."

My stock trail honcho only weighs 4 pounds.

What happens if it put smaller foams in? The next size down says: "for scalers weighing 6 - 8 pounds using tires 4.375" to 4.625"Tall."

What would the difference between soft, medium and firm be?

Can anyone give me any advice regarding foams for these tires?

[DeviledEggs]

I have 2 different size lil novas in my 1.9 BFGs. Fronts are 4.25 inner, rears are 4.50 with soft outers on all 4. Both sizes fit the tires well. My rig is a bit on the heavy side ~8lbs so the 4.25s may be a tad small but the truck is primarily for crawling. The fronts conform nicely while the taller rears give a bit more support on steep climbs. Im not sure how common size- mixing is but I often see others using stiffer rear outer foams- same general idea. Overall Im very happy with the setup.

Size really depends on your weight and intended purpose. Smaller inners/ softer outers for light trucks or slow crawling- taller inners/ firmer outers for heavier, faster rigs.

[jeff22]

Ok the inner outer thing is confusing. I don't see that as an option. I see the option for the weight of the rig and size of the tire. Then there is the option for soft/medium/firm.

How does this relate to inner outer? Did you buy the inner closed cell foam separately from the outer regular foam?

[Szczerba]

I would say, the 4.5" Lil Nova's with soft or medium outers to start out with. You can buy extra lil nova foam densities in the "foam parts" section. Lil' Nova 1.9 Outer Foam Pair (2)

little bit of information here.
Axial 1.9 BFG Krawler review

..

[jeff22]

I think I understand now. So going a little smaller won't hurt anything. The closed cell inners are one density only. The outer foam comes in three densities.

I think I'll go with the 4.5 medium outers. I do mostly trail style driving no too much real rock crawling.

Do you prefer boiling or baking to remove the glue from the factory glued wheels if you have ever done it?

Maybe it is worth getting the cheap axial bead locks while I'm at it too.

[Szczerba]

...

Originally Posted by jeff22

I think I understand now. So going a little smaller won't hurt anything. The closed cell inners are one density only. The outer foam comes in three densities.

Correct. since your truck is lighter than most, you have to step down in foam height, as to not overfirm up the tires for a light truck.

I think I'll go with the 4.5 medium outers. I do mostly trail style driving no too much real rock crawling.

If you don't do alot of crawling, the Dueces Wild foams may be a more suitable option too. Not to confuse you further, lol.

Do you prefer boiling or baking to remove the glue from the factory glued wheels if you have ever done it?

I use Bob Smith Industries "Un-Cure" to remove glue.

Maybe it is worth getting the cheap axial bead locks while I'm at it too.
Depends if you are going to be doing alot of foam swapping or driving in water and want to remove the tires often.

[struhall]

I used the 4.25 with soft front and medium rears when I switched to 1.9 Rok Lox and they are 4.5in tall. I then switched them into some 2.2 Proline Hammers that are 4.75 tall and they were awesome. The rig was super light like yours and the difference was night and day.

The inner size is based on the weight of the rig and the type of driving you do. Heavier rig, larger inner foam for support, lighter rig you want the smaller inner foam.

I agree with Szczerba, 4.5 with soft or medium.

[Szczerba]

I was going to mention the 4.25's but figured 4.5's were a safe call to start with.

[jeff22]

Thanks for all the info. I'll have to check out the glue remover. That sounds like more my speed than using my oven.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by jeff22

Thanks for all the info. I'll have to check out the glue remover. That sounds like more my speed than using my oven.

Light reading on Uncure

Six bolt wheels

...

[jeff22]

I ordered the 4.5" medium lil novas. Also some uncure and tire glue. I'll try my hand at ungluing and regluing. If that goes terribly I'll get the beadlocks.

Thanks for the advice.

[jeff22]

The Lil Nova 4.5 medium foams came in the mail today. I put them on and did a quick test run and they are awesome so far. Definitely improved stability and turning ability compared to the stock axial foams which always rolled over on the sidewall when turning.

I can say that I will probably never glue another set of tires though. The installation did not go as smoothly as I thought it would. I used goof off super glue remover because the un-cure I ordered will take a long time to get here. I also used a heat gun instead of boiling or baking to get help loosen the glue which went alright but not great.

Stuffing the foams into the tire was easy but getting everything even inside the tire with the two separate pieces of foam seemed tricky and one of the tires definitely has a a slight wobble now when driving at top speed, which I imagine is because I didn't get the foam properly centered in the tire.

Gluing the tires to the wheels was tricky and it doesn't look very good. I wish I knew how they glued them at the factory. When they were factory glued you could hardly see any glue at all. On mine you can see a lot of the glue and even while using rubber bands it was hard to keep the bead evenly seated while gluing.

This was my first time trying this so I could probably do better with practice but it seems like a lot of hassle to remove and re-glue. I'll spend the $25 for the axial beadlocks if there is ever a next time I want to do this.

[struhall]

I'm glad you liked them, it is one of those things you will want to do to every set of tires you get from now on. I know all my stuff either has CI foams or will before I'm finished with the truck.

As for the tire with the wobble, you should be able to work it with your hands and get it straightened out a good bit, I know I have had a tire look goofy on me and I was able to fix it without taking them apart (beadlocks).

I would also make sure not to let the truck sit on the tires when you're not using it, the foams (any foam for that matter) can compress and deform. A lighter weight rig like yours wouldn't mess them up much but it can happen. CI has a foam block you can set the truck on, or if you're like me I take the wheels off to clean everything and leave them off until I'm ready to run again.

[jeff22]

I didn't think about letting the truck sit on them causing them to deform. . I'll check out the foam block or build a little stand.

I am definitely going to change the foams in future tires. I think I might go ahead and order some cheap beadlocks just in case.

[hotrodsoup]

i am by far a pro/expert on this topic. But i have had very good luck with the boiling (rolling boil) to remove glued tires from the rims. drop em in one at a time give it a few minutes pull it out(wear gloves and gently carefully peal the tire off the bead. dont fight it or muscle it. If its not coming off with gentle persuasion drop it back in the water. and try again.

gluing tires: a little glue goes along way. the way i do it is get the foam and tire all happy on the wheel then pull back the bead in one small area with your thumb and lay some glue in the bead of the wheel. then get the tire back in its happy place on the wheel set it aside. Don't use too much glue a lil goes along way and when you re-seat the bead the tire bead will push the glue along
the wheel) and repeat on the others. I do this in 4 spots on both sides of the tire/wheel. take your time and remember a little goes along way with tire glue.

And CI stuff is the best hands down no question!!!

[jeff22]

Thanks for all the good advice. All this talk and no pictures.

Here is how they look all mounted up.

[TacoCrawler]

use a CA tire glue... various mfgrs

black, ie: CA Tire Glue | Amazing RC Store Shop

beside offering a little longer set time...
it can be had in black to blend better on black wheels.


clear, ie: Ultra-Cure | RC Tire Glue | CA Adhesive


I prefer using bead lock wheels that hold/seal well.
makes easier to alternate different tires using the same wheels.