what kind of wear/life to expect from 959 slicks?

[robster959]

Hey all,

I was wondering what kind wear you can expect from the 959 slick tires?  Do they wear out fast?  Would I be better off trying to get Avante hubs and fitting current slicks?

Thanks,

Rob

[Mr.Ce]

the 959 slicks do last quite a while m8,  noit quite as long as the normal tamiya slicks tho, as the compound is a bit softer....

i ran my 959 on slicks on concrete and tarmac for ages, b4 i replaced them...

getting hard to find now too.

 

Mr. Ce

[robster959]

Mr. Ce,

Thanks for that - I guess you used the hubs and fitted modern rims and tires after they wore out?

Rob

[Mr.Ce]

hi rob.

 no mate, u cant as far as i know fit the later tamiya hex hub  wheels or tyres to the early 959 chassis.

but if u hunt for the 959 slicks which are smaller than the later stuff, they will cost around 15 to 20 gbp a pair, like i said not easy to find nor cheap.

 

i hope that cleared things up m8.

good luck

Mr. Ce

[kingeddie]

you can fit the later touringcar wheels but as stated above, you need avante/egress/astute or kingcab hexes as these are splined inside rather than fitting onto a drive pin like the later cars do. if you look in the showrooms you'll see loads with later wheels on, like mine!

[WillyChang]

someone did say perhaps modern Mini sized tyres can be fitted to the 959 wheels...? haven't tried myself

[robster959]

Well,

I managed to get 2 sets of NIP rims and slicks off of ebay.  I hope this was a good way to go instead of the Avante hub/standard wheels route.  This was easier than finding 2 sets of Avanted hubs, plus wheels and tires, but of course they won't be nearly as cheap to replace when they wear out.  I hope I get decent use out of them before they wear.  As they wear, what happens - do they wear through, or just lose grip?  Approx. how many runs can you expect from them, and I guess tires in general?

Thanks,

Rob

[DCLXVI]

Are the hexes perhaps done like the TXT-1 ones? They have 12mm splined hexes that the hubs that holds the wheel goes on...I wonder if I haven't got a photo somwhere...

Didn't find the pic I was looking for but I found something close...

There you can see the splined axles that the brass hex adapters goes on...

 

[robster959]

Well, the NIP rims and tires came today.  Of course now that I've got them and see how nice and mint they are I'm wondering if I made the right choice in buying them to run.  I'm still not sure if it would have been a better option to go with the new hubs and be able to choose from a wide selection of rims and tires.  I guess it comes down to just how long they'll last.  If I can run them without having to worry about needing to replace them, then I've got no problem with using them.  I'd just hate to have to get the hubs in the end anyway. I'm hoping that I get long life out of them.  I need some assurance here, I'm afraid to open the packs!

Rob

[crispy]

Glad they arrived safe Rob, I think you should open them, they are just going to sit and rot in the packs otherwise I think i heard that some of the old QD tires were also compatible with the 959, that may be another route?

Rich

[Singapore_959]

 

Don't worry, they last AGES!

 

Unless you run the car sideways ( [] easy to do!) for an hour every day for 3 months straight on very rough tarmac, I can't see them wearing out out much quicker than that. 

 For reference I have eventually seen them wear out, ie. thinning down, to holes appearing in the edges of the tires.  But I have only seen that once.

However if you start using grip goo or paint on them then the life time will be significantly shortened as that makes them even softer.

 

The mini wheels and tires fit OK, and the Avante hubs are ideal. But at the end of the day, the tires are available on ebay/trading and unless it's your only car or you race it week in week out I wouldn't worry about it.

Find another person to 'race' with and go out and have a blast! Moving the rear shock position helps tame it alot.  Enjoy! [] [au] [au]

[robster959]

Hey Rick,

Yep they got here safe and sound - Great packaging job by the way - I was looking out for a bubble envelope and was surprised when I saw the box with my name on it.  And it sure got here quick.  Thanks again!

[robster959]

Singapore,

Thanks for the info.  I guess I should get a lot of use out of them then.  I can't see me using it that often, but hey, if it's as fun as it looks in the promo video then who knows?

I'm looking forward to running it on road, as I found the dirt that I tried it on to be a bit bumpy for it.  It seems like it would prefer a nice smooth off road surface. 

I'm also wondering which upper arms would be suited for on road - shorter or longer?  And as for the shock position - harder setting for on road?

 

Thanks,

Rob

[robster959]

Well, I broke the seals and mounted the tires.  Took the car out for a spin in a small parking lot today, and used the lines as sort outline for a course.  Wow, the car seems to be a lot more at home than it did on the terrain I was using for offroad.

It stuck to the road really well, and I didn't really see all that much oversteer.  From what I saw in the video I expected the car to really get sideways in the turns.  Maybe I wasn't hitting the turns fast enough.  I noticed that the car seems turn tighter in one direction than the other.

I love the way the car leans in corners and can take the imperfections in the road.  I'm wondering if I should try to get a hold of the on road gear.  Has anyone used it?  Does it make much difference in speed?  Higher top, slower accel?

I was also wondering about the shock and arm settings.  What position is recommended for the shocks for onroad use, and which arms cause the car to have more/less understeer?

I have to say  I really like this as an onroader, and I can see it getting more use than when I just had the offroad tires.  I was feeling like I made a bit (expensive?) mistake by getting this car as a rally car instead of the tb01 route.  I was convinced from watching the video.  The lights, the cockpit, the technigold, etc....  But I think it will be alot of fun to run around the track.

Rob