• Welcome to RCCrawler Forums.

    It looks like you're enjoying RCCrawler's Forums but haven't created an account yet. Why not take a minute to register for your own free account now? As a member you get free access to all of our forums and posts plus the ability to post your own messages, communicate directly with other members, and much more. Register now!

    Already a member? Login at the top of this page to stop seeing this message.

Sneak Peek Losi 2.2 Rock Claws

Looks like a good-performing alternative to Swamp Dawgs.

Team Losi's gonna get some more of my money "thumbsup"

BTW, the full-size LST's come with hollow lugs now, too.
 
Hi Guys, thanks for the comments. I'd like to answer a few of the questions.
With the stock Foam the tires are 5" tall, but when you run the small foams and weight (as pictured in the review) they do sit down some. The compound is soft and the side wall is a little thinner than some of the others out there. That being said, before you count them out, I think that the tread pattern and compound will make up for the lack of height in most sections. I had a couple guys try them out after the comp and both seemed impressed. Both did some extensive running with their setups (mashers) and then ran the same areas with a set of Rock Claws that I mounted up on Axials with 4oz of weight and Losi "firm" foams (the stuff we use in our race tires). They seemed to be able to get through easier on some sections were they struggled before. Please keep in mind that the friend of one of the testers was calling him a "kiss a$$" for testing the tires for me, but once I let him try it, even he admited they were pretty good LOL.
I have a few other drivers running some more and hopefully they will give some reviews. I know that our tire is not the answer for everyone, but I think that having another choice is going to be nice.

Also our stock LST, Aftershock and Monster Baja tires are not in the Blue compound. We don't call out a specific compound for those tires.

Thanks for the comments and I will try and get back here as often as possbile.
Rich
 
Rich Trujillo said:
Hi Guys, thanks for the comments. I'd like to answer a few of the questions.
With the stock Foam the tires are 5" tall, but when you run the small foams and weight (as pictured in the review) they do sit down some. The compound is soft and the side wall is a little thinner than some of the others out there. That being said, before you count them out, I think that the tread pattern and compound will make up for the lack of height in most sections. I had a couple guys try them out after the comp and both seemed impressed. Both did some extensive running with their setups (mashers) and then ran the same areas with a set of Rock Claws that I mounted up on Axials with 4oz of weight and Losi "firm" foams (the stuff we use in our race tires). They seemed to be able to get through easier on some sections were they struggled before. Please keep in mind that the friend of one of the testers was calling him a "kiss a$$" for testing the tires for me, but once I let him try it, even he admited they were pretty good LOL.
I have a few other drivers running some more and hopefully they will give some reviews. I know that our tire is not the answer for everyone, but I think that having another choice is going to be nice.

Also our stock LST, Aftershock and Monster Baja tires are not in the Blue compound. We don't call out a specific compound for those tires.

Thanks for the comments and I will try and get back here as often as possbile.
Rich
Click to expand...

Rich,
The comments are just that. We are excited that Losi has come to the table. Just to let you know...my set are on back order. The height concern for me is for one specific rig, 2.2 Clod. And that is for clearance reasons.
Cannot wait to put them on.

Thanks to you and Losi for supporting our hobby.

John

"thumbsup" "thumbsup" "thumbsup"
 
1beatjeep and I were the two testers that Rich is referring to.

1st impression:

Tire too soft, too short. Disappointed by looking and feeling them. I'm use to a stiffer tire (Masher)

The Setup:

The way Rich had the tires setup on the test set with the Axials and the firm Losi race foams was the PERFECT setup for a guy (Rich) that's just getting into the 2.2 crawling scene. The tires were setup very well.

On my rig I run Mashers that are siped and the center lugs are cut with no foams, inner wheel bead narrowed and 12 oz (total) lead shot in front 6 oz. (total) in the rear.

Losi setup was Axial bead locks, smaller (standard 1/10 size) Firm race foams, 8oz (total) front rear.

So off the bat by front end is a little lighter than I run, but through the testing the less weight up front was minute, rarely affecting the performance of my rig.

Testing:

The main thing I was concerned with was the 1/8"-1/4" loss of clearance. I run a belly dragger tuber that has a 2 1/8" center height so a loss in GC is a big deal.

I hit the same comp lines I did previously with my Mashers and I'll tell you what you forget all about the decrease in clearance. It's honestly not that big of a difference when you get down to it. The performance of the tires is what counts and the traction is there and it's better than the Mashers. Side note: I hate Moabs, no traction IMO. Both 1beatjeep and I agree as well as all of us in Norcal. Since this tire performed better than the Masher it KILLS the Moab.

Descending side hilling (where any rig loves to push instead of take the line your pointing for) was where it really shined better than the Masher. With the softer compound and the race foams supporting the sidewall of the tire it gripped like no other tire. The tire pushed very little and the sidewall went into action performing great. The foams Rich put itn the tires never let the sidewall fold under the wheel.

The reason why this tire performs the way it does in due to the tread design more so the compound IMO. Mashers have big thick lugs with wide spacing between them. So when you searching for traction the lugs hit then miss, hit...and miss. Because it's like a tractor tire. Moabs also have thick lugs but they just spin and don't offer the traction nearly as good as the Masher. The other big factor is the tire is round like a 1:1 tire not squared off corners like the Masher. I think that's the only real area the Moab is better than the Masher. Folding a squared corner forms a V in the sidewall and also makes a very squirmish unpredictable tire when the tire is folded like that. On the Losi, rounder tread to sidewall transition made the tire hold better when it was rolled under.

Height:

Height concern. ALL of use have our rigs setup for Masher/ Moabs. Wanting a tire that's a half inch taller is something no ones rig is ready for let alone the driver IMO. There is a fine line between wheelbase and tire height. 12.5" is the perfect wheelbase for a 5" tire. If you go .5" bigger the wheelbase will need to be extended to keep the rig as stable as it was with the 12.5"/5" ratio of the current STANDARD/LEGAL 2.2 setup. Taller tire more ground clearance but a increase in the center of gravity of the rig as well. Side hilling will be decreased dramatically.

The best thing about keeping the Losi tire around a 5" height is it doesn't limit it to just full competition rigs. It can also be used on 2.2 Scalers and is a perfect 38" scale tire for a bruiser body etc... 1beatjeep ran the Losi's on his 2.2 Bruiser and I'll tell you want what a great scale tire. With the rounded sidewall and the lugs/sidewall lugs the truck looked fantastic.


Longevity:
The Losi Blue compound was a perfect choice on Rich's part (told me he could go even softer :shock: ). Since the tire was made to compete against the current limited selection of tires, it had to be made better. Just as in 1:1 competition. BFG's and Pro Comp's are super soft, wear out quick but provide that traction that people want. I see this tire wearing faster than any current 2.2 tire but not so fast that you'll be buying a set every two comps. This will be 4-5 comp life tire. Even though the tread design has a slight directional tread pattern, you will be able to run these backwards without a dramatic performance difference.

In The End:

Don't let a visual impression sway your decision on passing up these tires. You will doubt the performance of these tires all the way to bolting them up. Once you run them you will be surprised and happy that there is a new tire available for Rock Crawling. Even more happy that it has an edge on any other tire on the market currently.

From full comp rigs to scalers this IS the new tire to run.



Closing:
Great job from Rich on pretty much guessing and brewing up a new tire that really is great. After Rich seeing the West Coast Axial event he can see that there is no sign that this genre of RC is ever going to slow down. It's here to stay and support from a 20+ year company just goes to show we've carved out a notch on the RC belt for sure. Thanks to Rich for twisting the company's arm and letting him go through with a tire they didn't want him to make. Keep it up!
 
INteresting comment on the moab masher comparison, now Im really confused on what to think of this tire LOL

I will be ordering some and doing a down to earth comparrison on basalt, slick rock, and granite after I get them
 
"Side note: I hate Moabs, no traction IMO. Both 1beatjeep and I agree as well as all of us in Norcal."

you can add my name to that list as well :)

 
I take every tire recommendation with a grain of salt, everyones rig is setup differently, driving styles differ, and the terrain we all run on is so diverse. I will be running these regardless, just because i like options. If they work in my area, great, if they dont, oh well.;-)
 
dittohead said:
I take every tire recommendation with a grain of salt, everyones rig is setup differently, driving styles differ, and the terrain we all run on is so diverse. I will be running these regardless, just because i like options. If they work in my area, great, if they dont, oh well.;-)
Click to expand...


vancouver island.............lets see basalt and granite
 
I watched these tires being tested on the comp lines that had already been run.

SICJ was right on with his write-up. I had my doubts at first but when I saw the tires climb and sidehill better than anything I saw all day I was truly amazed. Also when you use a lot of wheel speed and get the tires to spin on the rock they are much more predictable and don't seem to jump around as much. They reminded me of watching the 1:1 rigs with their tires spinning rather than mashers or moabs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Vanquish VRD - Reducing Wheel Base
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
Spanishcop
S
J
Narrow 2.2 tires, max 4.20 diameter
Replies
4
Views
1K
Jjay
J
D
Rhino Yue One V2 - "Diamondback"
2
Replies
25
Views
4K
Dannko
D
R
Looking for a crawler to pair with my Axial Capra 4WS
Replies
19
Views
3K
Reezo
R
W
Need guidance on micro rock crawler purchase
Replies
16
Views
2K
discgolferlee
discgolferlee
Back
Top