Are Foams Overhyped?

[Inspector86]

Originally Posted by themountain

Learn to drive , brother ...nobody needs training wheels

Fakebook type comments like this add nothing to the discussion. Clearly, a number of manufacturers feel portals are a coming thing so you best get used to them brother.

[jwag1973]

Originally Posted by Highmark

What size foams are you running? I think Eddie (CI) over-sizes his foams a bit. For a 4.75" tire I prefer running his 4.5" foams for a good combination of grip / sidehill performance. For most rigs (even heavy ones) I feel like the 4.75" inners are too tall. That said I still 100% believe that CI foams are a way better starting point than just about anything out there.

But yeah, as others have mentioned, setup, driving style, ect. all play a role in how we'll you'll do on the rocks.

I have quite a few sets of the popular tires with both Crawler Innovations and Proline Foams.

Hyrax - Super Swampers - Krawler G8/Krawler Predator All have Proline Dual Stage
Proline BFG Mud Terrain Predator - Proline Dual Stage/Single Stage Combo

Pit Bull Rock Beast C.I. Rock Beast Foams
RC4WD IROK C.I. Lil Nova/Deuces Wild Combo
Axial R35 Nitto Trail Grappler C.I. Lil Nova 4.25 Soft/Med
Axial R35 Maxxas Trepador C.I. Lil Nova 4.25 Soft/Med
Axial BFG All Terrain C.I. Lil Nova 4.25 Soft/Soft
Ottsix KLR Silver C.I. Lil Nova 4.25 Soft Med

Waiting on Ottsix KLR Gold to show Up, have C.I. Lil Nova 4.25 Soft/Soft Ready to Go When they arrive.
On a Waiting List for Duratrax Deepwoods, have to figure that one out yet.

[themountain]

Originally Posted by Inspector86

Fakebook type comments like this add nothing to the discussion. Clearly, a number of manufacturers feel portals are a coming thing so you best get used to them brother.

Well...its still kinda cheating for me , brother .

[smog]

Originally Posted by themountain

Well...its still kinda cheating for me , brother .

That is what my cat says to me when he watches me eating with a fork...

[themountain]

Originally Posted by smog

That is what my cat says to me when he watches me eating with a fork...

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by jwag1973

I just got home after heading back out to the state park I crawled yesterday. I spent most the day out there running the same two rigs with the exception that I vented the Krawlers and Swapped my Hyrax back on my Cherokee. What a difference a day makes!

I had the place to myself in regards to crawling and was able to get some productive work done. I’m not going to say I have the spot mastered, but I learned a lot...and I’m very happy with the progress I made. I was able to figure out how to navigate most the lines the way I like to drive, and I’m still working on a few lines I couldn’t make work the way I wanted them to. Yesterday was pretty much what I’d consider bashing or rock bouncing, not my preferred method of crawling. My rig took a beating yesterday and his was already beat to death. Today was a completely different story.

I was pretty aggravated and frustrated when I got home yesterday, not rationally thinking about it!
I think our differing driving styles played a part as well. He forced his truck to go where he took it or it went for a tumble.(Which was quite often). I tried the same thing and believe that made my day worse as I was tearing my trucks up, and having little success.

The properly vented Krawlers and Hyrax both worked great today, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there again, hoping to build on the knowledge and experience I gained today. The foam thing was probably more pure frustration than anything else.

That was the best thing you could have done. Dont just instantly blast the truck/tires/foams as being bad. You took the initiative to actually go and practice and try different things. Kudos to that.

Originally Posted by mewalsh100

I wouldn't discount the fact that the TRX has portals whereas your 10 and 10ii do not (I assume).

Portals help but honestly if their not dragging pumpkins portals mean nothing in the equation.

Originally Posted by smog

That is what my cat says to me when he watches me eating with a fork...

Now that was funny

[DukeMinnix]

Originally Posted by Highmark

What size foams are you running? I think Eddie (CI) over-sizes his foams a bit. For a 4.75" tire I prefer running his 4.5" foams for a good combination of grip / sidehill performance. For most rigs (even heavy ones) I feel like the 4.75" inners are too tall. That said I still 100% believe that CI foams are a way better starting point than just about anything out there.
.

This

I used to be all about fighting the dual stage foams into my tires and they always seemed overstuffed to me and I would fight the wheels and get frustrated the throw shit while mounting. Anymore, I buy slightly smaller, and more often than not, just ribbed single stage. Vent and that nice air gap allows for my tires to conform like a 1:1 tire on a beadlock would and the single stage keeps things nice and solid for side hilling and steep descents and ascents. Works for me, although I don't claim to know whats best for everyone.

[mewalsh100]

Originally Posted by smog

That is what my cat says to me when he watches me eating with a fork...

[RcHydronut]

So is softer foams better for climbing and the dual stage foams for all around use?

[themountain]

What about these for the wet ??
They are pricey but worth it!

[RcHydronut]

I had watched a video recently with Jared Tebo and he talked about glueing tires and tire foam prep for off road tires..yes I know way different but I think there was good pointers on where and how to cut foams to allow the tire to sit on the surface. V cuts, down the center vs on the outsides, sipping the foams, grooves in the foams, ect... the different cuts allowed the tires to grip the surface better. If someone is curious lmk I can find the link or you can try and find it on YouTube

[lonleycreeper]

Originally Posted by RcHydronut

So is softer foams better for climbing and the dual stage foams for all around use?

Softer foams are like having lower air pressure in your 1:1....

It increases the contact patch and conforms better to the terrain. Up to a certain point, a super soft tire is going to give you the most traction possible. The downside is rc tires do not have any built in sidewall support, thus the foams. Without sidewall support, you have issues with the tire tread folding over when turning, and "wrapping it self around the wheel....

[themountain]

Originally Posted by RcHydronut

I had watched a video recently with Jared Tebo and he talked about glueing tires and tire foam prep for off road tires..

Welcome to the 90ths

[Richr8]

I just added CI dual stage to my SCX10.3 and I am very pleased with the improved sidehilling.

[Egsise]

Originally Posted by jwag1973

Yesterday was pretty much what I’d consider bashing or rock bouncing, not my preferred method of crawling. My rig took a beating yesterday and his was already beat to death. Today was a completely different story.

I was pretty aggravated and frustrated when I got home yesterday, not rationally thinking about it!
I think our differing driving styles played a part as well. He forced his truck to go where he took it or it went for a tumble.(Which was quite often). I tried the same thing and believe that made my day worse as I was tearing my trucks up, and having little success.

I have seen competition drivers drive like that all the time, non-scale bashing and forcing the rig to some difficult lines.
TRX-4 Sport is perfect for that, the body is so ugly that it doesn't matter how much you beat it.

My first crawler was a TRX-4 Sport.
Then I got a nice scale looking SCX10 II and my driving style changed, I don't want to beat it.
Driving a scale crawler is not a competition.
It's relaxing, fun, and good looking. There's always an easier line to drive, zero need for bashing or competing.

I have bought this year $700 worth of tyres, foams, and wheels.
They are the best upgrade I can think of.
A.L.T. dual stage supersoft foams and RC4WD Wrangler MT/R 4.7" are my favourite.
Try 4.19" Wrangler with just stock foams, the lowered center of gravity makes you drive some crazy lines.

[meatmonkey]

All I gotta say is if someone has indeed worn out a set of trail canyons they must have hundreds of miles on them. The owner of said tires is probably well accustomed to how his truck behaves after all that time.

IMO, the foams make almost as big a traction difference as the tires do. Not that everything needs fancy oversized dual stage foams to work, just that super soft foams typically dont work well unless supported by a stiffer inner foam.

My neighbor is running CI 4.5" dual stage foams with medium outers inside the Trail Canyons on his mostly stock trx4 and has no issues keeping up on the stone walls and river beds we frequent.

[size does matter]

I feel like good foams are worth the money

[Stomp]

I personally have stopped running foams. Way over hyped. I also have stopped running tires. They are way over hyped as well. Now I just run tires made out of silly putty. You have to reshape them often, but man do they grip.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

I personally have stopped running foams. Way over hyped. I also have stopped running tires. They are way over hyped as well. Now I just run tires made out of silly putty. You have to reshape them often, but man do they grip.

Lmao that’s the greatest thing I’ve heard today.


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[Stomp]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

Lmao that’s the greatest thing I’ve heard today.


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Haha, glad to bring some laughter to others.