PL Hyrax vs RC4WD Wrangler, why Hyrax is so slippery?

[smog]

Originally Posted by Bray D

Tire and foam selection is likely the biggest variable when it comes to performance. Skinny tire research is what led me here - I'm trying to decide which 1.9 I want to cut up to make some tall and skinnies from.

I am sure you came across the cut tire thread in your search. Unfortunately it isn’t very active and most of the examples are pretty dated. Why not try your favourite wide tire, or perhaps a tire in the same rubber compound as it?

Personally I would like to try a narrower version of the 1.75 Proline Krawler.

[Egsise]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170914...tion_rev1.html

Tire Selection for Expedition Travel: The impact of tire width on traction Article Type: Position Paper, White Paper
By: Scott Brady, Expedition's West
Date: 3/28/2005 (revised 4/17)
Position: A tall, narrow tire is a superior choice for all off-highway surface conditions with the exception of deep, soft sand or mud.

Here is link to that file in pdf format.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/13qb0l5fn2...ravel.pdf?dl=0

[oldmancrawl]

Hey, that's a good find, some interesting info there.

[Egsise]

Originally Posted by oldmancrawl

Hey, that's a good find, some interesting info there.

Indeed it explains a lot, even though it is from 1:1 tyres.


I laughed to this, it's very true even with scale crawlers.

Appearance: Big flotation tires look great (in the mind of some). There are thousands of SUV's driving with wide, oversized tires as a fashion statement.
For a vehicle relegated to pavement work and cruising, then the “balloon” tires are a good choice.

[Hal]

I live in new England and there is always a good natured argument for wide versus pizza cutter tires on 1:1 rigs. My opinion is tall and narrow. I do comp and have Rovers as well as Sadonas and Voo Doo pins. Both narrowed and stock. I also tried a set of Pit Bull XOR and hated them in stock width. I cut about 3/8 of an inch out of the center and they really came alive. I just have to dial in the foams now. I found some of the really soft compounds got slimy feeling if it got over 75 degrees.
The thing about cutting off the lugs on the side is all about traction. Not wanting it! Sometimes the lugs will suck you into a hole or crevice. It also let's the tire flex a lot better. I don't know if anyone here has tried shaving the sidewalls on any tires. It does the same thing. Kinda like a drag slick, it let's the sidewalls flex. The thing with shaving the lugs is much like the wide versus narrow thing. Some guys love it some hate it.
One of the reasons comp guys play with the foams is to get just the right contact patch. If you talk to some of the comp guys you will find some of them very secretive about the foams they run. With the advent of CI foams it's pretty easy to get a decent set without making them custom, and they will help you decide what product is best for your rig/tire combo. I know a lot of guys that run custom 4 and 5 piece foams, they won't tell you though unless they really trust you.
Tires are the last piece between your ride and the rocks and everybody has an opinion on what to run. Sometimes it's all about the looks and sometimes it's all about function. But it's great if you do it right and get both

[Maxx_Action]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the height of the tire effectively changes the gear ratio...

Higher gear ratios will spin more than lower gear ratios. Proline advertises the hyrax at 4.75 tall I think, but if they are like the Krawlers I just bought, which are also advertised at 4.75 height, they are right at 5 inches mounted. From 4.19 to 5" OD is about a 19% change in gear ratio, which is also an increase in wheel speed.