How to: Glue Tires Like a G6

Here at RPP headquarters we get asked a lot about gluing tires so we figured we’d put together this little how to on how to glue your tires like a G6.

The biggest tip we can give you is of course, use the right tool for the job! So, you will need:

Tire glue. We like Losi and AKA tire glue.
Glue Tips. Zap makes awesome ones.
Glue Bands. Panther and RC Pro Products both make really nice Glue Bands.
Paper Shop Towels. We like the blue ones. (From the hardware store)
Motor Spray. We use Dynamite Magnum Force 2.

For this article we’ll be gluing up some Pro-Line Suburb 2.0′s in MC compound with Trinity/Team Epic Bomb One foam inserts and we’ll be putting them on JConcepts Rulux wheels.

Step 1: Clean everything.

Due to the way tires are made they all have a coating of slippery “mold release” on them. Mold Release compound is specifically designed to keep things from sticking together. This is of course the exact opposite of what we want a tire to do! So, bust those new tires out of the packaging and use some motor spray on a shop towel to clean the mounting beads (the part that seats into the groove in the wheel) throughly. Skipping this step is the single biggest mistake folks make when gluing tires. We cannot stress how important this step is!

Step 2: Vent and mount.

When dealing with *1/10 tires, we usually drill at least 2 1/8″ air vent holes in each wheel to let trapped air escape, but Jconcepts has already done that part for us so we can skip right to the fun part! Mounting the tires on the wheels! Go ahead and stretch your tires (don’t forget to put your foam inserts in) over your wheels and seat the mounting beads into the grooves.

Note:for 1/8 Buggy and Truggy, we use a #2 leather punch to make 2 holes in the tire itself instead of venting the wheel. This lengthens the life of the foam insert greatly. If the 1/8 wheel we have chosen already has air vent holes, we tape over them.

Step 3: Lock ‘em down.

After the tire is on the wheel, install glue bands around the edge of the tire directly over the mounting beads. At this time you will want to fiddle with the tire to ensure the fitment of the bead to the wheel is as tight and even as possible.

Step 4: Glue ‘em down, Boss.

Install a glue tip on your glue bottle. These glue tips really make all the difference in how the glue is applied to the tire bead as they really allow the glue to be applied in just the right amount. Too much glue makes a mess and too little means a blowout.

Gently pull the tire away from the wheel and apply a nice, even bead of glue. You do not need to pull the tire all the way off the wheel to try and get glue under the bead. Work your way around the tire in 1/2″ to 1″ increments until you have glued all the way around the first side of the first tire. Try not to leave any gaps in between your glued sections.

Wipe away any excess glue with a shop towel.

After the first side of the first tire is glued, move to the first side of the second tire and then come back to the second side of the first tire etc… This way you won’t end up with glue all over your fingers….like Corey did!

Step 5: Security checkpoint.

After the glue dries, remove the glue bands and pull on the tire to check for any gaps in your glue job. If any gaps are found, fill them in with glue and wipe away any excess. You should end up with a nice, uniform glue line all the way around the bead.