2005.07.02, 08:06 PM
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#1
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Mini-z Addict.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Newport RI
Posts: 263
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Plastic rims VS Alluminum
ok , it turns out me and another "person" from a different forum are having a dissagreement on wheels.
He says <
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boss 302....very very few off-road drivers use aluminium wheels....because unlike the plastic wheels which just warp and then go back into place off of jumps the aluminium ones dont...they just bend...and then stay that way
and if you bend an aluminium rim you cant really get it back perfectly sraight...so id rather spend $5-$10 to buy a replacement plastic rim that cracked...than a $15-$20 new alloy rim.......which bent
and the plastic rims are really stonger than you think...alloy is also heavier and that wears down your motor and brakes faster too
you also dont damage plastic when removing the tire from the rim any more than alloy...glue doesnt mess
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Is this true? Ive heard Arch2b saying he uses alluminum rims on al most all of mini-z's because its easyer to remove the spent tire without damaging the rim.
I say
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I have to dissagree. Arch2b of MZR says almost all of his mini-z rims are Alluminum. With TIRE glue (Not the elmers kind you probely use) the plastic rim would get damaged almost everytime you try to remove the spent tire.
I do relize that plastic weighs less , but itll save you alot more time to NOT order a new rim everytime it brakes.
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Who is right here?
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Got me an Overland! Upgrades: Dry Idler gear bearings, and alluminum screws.MY GALLERY
MA-010-Completely Stock.
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2005.07.02, 08:32 PM
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#2
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I want my two dollars!!!
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 1,106
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It kind of sounds like a argument over apples and oranges. Since I have joined the forum here I have not noticed Arch really racing his Z's off-road. I have seen him racing his Overlands at the Kyosho Cup and at his own track.
The person that you are having the discussion with seems to be running more like a buggy or Mini T on dirt. I do not know what there alloy wheels are like for those but if they are shaped like my old Grasshopper or Hot Shot's wheels were, I would agree with him for true off road racing with the possibility of hitting rocks and ruts in the track.
Now if we are talking about running alloys on Mini-Z's then I would agree with you. I like the alloys I have on my Enzo, F1's and Overland. They are pretty hard and really doubt I would be able to break one of them. I am pretty sure if I hit something hard enough to break one of those rims my chassis would be in very bad shape too.
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2005.07.02, 08:59 PM
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#3
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Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 35,480
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both
both arguments are legitimate and based on personal preference.
i will agree most racers run plastic for less weight and nothing really more. i've decided the durability of alloy outweighs my concerns regarding weight. i've also never dented an alloy wheel on the track in 2 plus years. i have cracked many plastic wheels. the concerns regarding flexibility of plastic are more suited for buggies and offroad unless your racing on a very unforgiving track which is less and less common thanks to rcp.
i also use superglue for the tires which will not come off plastic easily or cleanly. i'm sure there are special glues that would prevent this from happening but i'm not that into it to be buying comm drop, special glues and all that other stuff. i'd rather buy one set of alloys, an easy and cheap to find glue and simply race for the shear fun of it. i'm more of the backwoods type than track professional.... the happy gilmore of mini-z's if you will
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2005.07.02, 09:04 PM
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#4
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I want my two dollars!!!
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 1,106
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arch2b
i'm more of the backwoods type than track professional.... the happy gilmore of mini-z's if you will
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Guess that puts me down to the Waterboy of Z's
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2005.07.02, 09:05 PM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 35,480
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proof.... i ran into a pothole on the street at full speed with a turbo mr-02 and severly bent the alloy knuckle and didn't even ding the finely detailed square clk wheel.
now,
im sure some will have pictures of dented alloy wheels. it's bound to have happened i am not as concerned as much as others however but thats just me
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2005.07.02, 09:21 PM
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#6
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Retired Super Hero
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Posts: 609
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...i agree its all personal preference...you might be more concerned with weight, bling, offset, rolling resistance blah blah blah...MY prefernces are...alloy on a mini z racer, alloy on a miniz monster, plastic on anything bigger, ie 1:16-1:18..EXCEPT for the half8 STOCK rims which suck...
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2005.07.02, 10:55 PM
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#7
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MINI-Z MONSTER GARAGE
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Sandy, Oregon
Posts: 1,761
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Topcad and GPM wheels are not too likely to bend...the Squares are another story...RCM bought a set and bent two of them the first day he had them, and we run on a foam track! The problem lies in the ultra thin lip (infact the whole wheel is cut real light) which may bend at the slightest impact.
I would love to see more alloy rims with a lip, something that actually looks like a rear wheel drive wheel, I mean face it, all the bodies we run are rear wheel drive, so why do all the wheel makers make wheels that look like they belong on a front wheel drive car?!?!? Come on, give us some lip!
The Squares (and a few HIGH DOLLAR customs) have a small lip, how about something in the 2-3mm range.....I guess I got a little of subject...sorry
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2005.07.02, 11:02 PM
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#8
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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Like all the bigger RC's you will have to watch the rocks with those aluminum wheels. Something as small as a Mini Z racer series car you are not hitting rocks with it, so the aluminum wheels work out well for them. Another factor when it comes to size is the weight difference on these wheels, even between a racer and a monster (Mini Z's) the aluminum wheels add some weight on the monster and very little on a racer. Also the heavier RC's have more impact from a jump than a mini z.
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2005.07.02, 11:37 PM
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#9
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DogbreathRacing
The Squares (and a few HIGH DOLLAR customs) have a small lip, how about something in the 2-3mm range.....I guess I got a little of subject...sorry
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That is a good point, I try to stay away from those high dollar wheels myself. I have an old set of Megatech wheels and my Kyosho alloys. The Megatech are like the GPM wheels and are solid, the Kyosho wheels are a bit ligher but still a good all around wheel. It is just that some ASC wheels on certain bodies (like the Diablo) that I have seen broken very easly. Some older MR01 type wheels are like that too (the Subaru mesh type wheels).
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2005.07.03, 05:41 AM
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#10
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Hopeless Z addict
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cincinnati Ohio
Posts: 883
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I would like to ask anyone have an opinion as to the rolling mass and the lowering of the cg with alloy
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2005.07.03, 09:00 AM
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#11
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Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 35,480
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HammerZ
That is a good point, I try to stay away from those high dollar wheels myself. I have an old set of Megatech wheels and my Kyosho alloys. The Megatech are like the GPM wheels and are solid, the Kyosho wheels are a bit ligher but still a good all around wheel. It is just that some ASC wheels on certain bodies (like the Diablo) that I have seen broken very easly. Some older MR01 type wheels are like that too (the Subaru mesh type wheels).
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i agree, the kysoho alloy wheels have turned out to be much better in design, style, and craft than gpm/topcad. i have almost as many sets of those as i do square's. admittedly, i would not suggest runing squares on asphalt. square and kyosho i think are on the edge of being high dollar wheels. i think they are ina good price range when you consider style and quality where as tagu and z-speeds are just way out of proportion in terms of cost vs. quality and design. i am by no means saying they are not well crafted and nice wheels. i just can't justify spending almost twice the cost of square/kyosho on a set of wheels.
gpm/topcad/megatech are all basically the same stuff for hte most part. 3 racing actually offers some nice deisgns at about the same costs as opossed the the bland stuff gpm/topcad/megathech have been putting out for the last couple years. there are always people selling rebranded gpm/topcad/megatech and even 3 racing in other stores so names my be different.
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2005.07.03, 10:47 PM
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#12
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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Quote:
Originally Posted by techno
I would like to ask anyone have an opinion as to the rolling mass and the lowering of the cg with alloy
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If anything it add's just enough to smooth out the brakes. But the Kyosho alloys are close to the weight of the plastic wheels that I see no difference in the way the car drives, if anything it will corner a bit quicker.
The extra weight of some brands can spread out the CG for better stability I guess. I don't have any, but some of the Tagu wheels look heavy.
I have busted enough plastic wheels (ripped the centers out) to justify getting the alloy ones.
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2005.07.04, 03:07 AM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,683
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From my experience I prefer delrin wheels. It has the advantage of being the best of both worlds. Plastic wheels are lighter and they do make a difference specially in stock. That extra bit of "umph" while it maybe almost negligible, makes a difference with the slower non-fet mods with a nonfetted board. Aluminum wheels, eventhough more durable/prettier, don't stick to the tires as well with tape- superglue is a whole different story. The advantage of aluminum is a truer wheel, since they are cut on a lathe, a difference that CAN be felt on the track over plastic wheels. Also after an impact plastic won't "return" to shape as well. That's when the delrin takes the best of both worlds. It has the qualities of both wheels- sort of a compromise. They are truer than plastic, because they are machined, I also feel they are stiffer and don't bend as easy, and on top of that ligher than aluminum. They weight difference is negligible by contrast, but you also have to take into account that these cars are REALLY light. Therefore a difference of a couple of grams makes a significant difference. I like running stock plastic enzo wheels in stock because they are CHEAP, not because of any other reason and Delrin in mod. I also own a couple of sets of aluminum and eventhough they are a lot nicer, (squares) I don't like their Enzo offset (a little too wide and therefore hit on the body slightly, specially in the rear). Aluminum wheels will dent, but it takes a pretty high impact to do so. When running modified, the difference in the qualities disappear as far as weight goes, and trueness matters more. So if I had to chose I would run aluminum vs plastic with modified. But again, delrin comes in. Delrin is as true as aluminum and cheaper, therefore the reason why I would run them, strictly based on cost vs performance factors. Weight may really be negligible here, but cost isn't.
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2006.08.08, 11:47 AM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 4
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I have seen that the dish wheels are made by several different companies. Are these all plastic, or iis one of these the delrin wheel that you are refering to? I guess what I'm asking is where to get delrin wheels?
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