Motocross

What tools do I need to mount a set of tires?
Scissors, tire glue (thin to medium), a hobby knife, and velcro or a thick rubber band. 

What is the best way to mount tires?
Mounting tires can be easy by following these few simple steps:

Step #1 - Putting vents in the rim of the wheels.

If your rims don't have 3/16" inch holes it then you will need to make them.  Carefully ream two 3/16" holes on opposite ends of the rim.  These holes let the tire breathe.  If there is no ventilation your vehicle will have a bouncy ride.  Make sure the hole is large enough to let the tire compress and rebound quickly.  If the hole is not large enough a tire may develop a flat spot after being compressed.

Step #2 - Cut the foam insert.

Using the scissors, cut a small amount of the out side edge of the foam.  This prevents the foam from bunching up in sidewall of the tire.  Then cut away the inner edges of the foam.  This helps keep the foam from bunching up at the edge of the rim.

Step #3 - Cut the tire.

Turning the tire inside out trim the edge of the tire at about a 45 degree angle.  Trim just enough to get rid of any inconsistency or extra material.  Make sure the you leave an edge the is just shy of the width of the rims mounting flanges.

Step #4 - Clean all surfaces that are going to be glued with alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol helps clean the surfaces for greater adhesion between the rim and tire.  Make sure the alcohol is dry before gluing.

Step #5 - Insert the foam into the tire

Place the foam inside the tire.  Make sure the foam is centered with as little folds and wrinkles as possible. 

Step #6 - Assemble the tire and rim.

Slide the rim through the tire.  Make sure the lettering on the tire faces the outside edge of the wheel.  Align the edge of the tire with the mounting flanges on both sides of the rim.  To make sure the foam is seated properly, roll it on the table while applying pressure with you hand.  Then double check the alignment of the tire with the rim.

Step #7 - Gluing the tire.

Wrap a velcro strap or rubber band around the side to be glued.  This will ensure a tight bond with a gap free bead.  Make sure that there is no bunching on the tire is you are using a velcro strap.  Pull a section of the tire up and away from the rim, just far enough to put to place a small bead of glue on the rim.  Lower the tire back into place.  Continue quickly gluing the tire until you have glued the entire diameter.  Set the wheel aside and allow the wheel to dry before gluing the opposite side. 

After gluing a few sets of tires you will be a pro.

How can I get a tire off a rim once it is glued?
Wheel assuming that you don't care about the foam inside of the rim, you can soak the tire is a jar of acetone overnight.  You can get a bottle of acetone at Wal-Mart for a couple of bucks.  Before you mount another set of tires to the rims you soaked be sure to clean the edges that will come in contact with the new tire with rubbing alcohol otherwise the CA glue will not stick as effectively as before.

What are the different tire compounds?
Pro-line makes two different tire compounds.  M2 and M3.  M3 is the softer of the two and is used when more traction is needed.  Team Losi makes three different tire compounds Silver, Red, and Pink.  Silver is the most common this compound works well under varying conditions and is excellent on blue-groove and soft surfaces.  Red is a soft compound that works well on dry, hard, slick surfaces.  Pink is a soft compound that has traction similar to Red, with handling similar to Silver.

How do I know which type of tire to use?
Usually a tire with bigger pins and harder compounds are recommended for wetter tracks.  Small pin tires made from a softer compound are good for hardpacked and loose tracks.  Check to see what the other racers are using.  Especially the racers who are winning.

What is stiffer tire foam used for?
Stiffer foam supports and reduces tire squirm while cornering.  Stiffer foam is recommended when driving on high-traction tracks, such as blue-groove and moist tracks.  Run a stiffer foam on smooth tracks and a soft foam on rough tracks.

Why do racers trim off the outer edges of pins on a larger pin type tires?
This trick is to gain even more traction.  The tire is loaded from the side while the car is cornering, the outside row of lugs usually deflects and this causes traction to be disrupted. Eliminating this inconsistency in traction by cutting the outside row of lugs causes the outside row of lugs to be positioned far enough away from the edge of the tire.  The lugs no longer deflect while cornering.  Almost every team driver performs this little trick when they choose a large pin rear tire.