Is it possible to soften hard tires?

[pug]

The tires on my Kyosho Raider have a good amount of tread left, but are hard due to age (1989), there is no cracking or other signs of rotting except for them hardening. And new tires are super hard to find due to the odd size of the wheels.

 

[ground_zero298]

I got a 80’s Tamiya with stock tires. We’re almost like plastic. I put 2 coats of tire conditioner on them. Ran some laps with them. They were pretty good after that. Not new good but felt more like rubber.

 

[Chubaka]

Wd40 or armoral. Wd40 will leave marks on concrete if you floor it right away.

 

[Xraycer]

I've tried WD40 on a set of hard WPL Hilux tires. I'd soaked them in WD40 for a week. They were definitely softer for a time, but after a few months, the tires became hard as plastic!

 

[WickedFog]

I've tried WD40 on a set of hard WPL Hilux tires. I'd soaked them in WD40 for a week. They were definitely softer for a time, but after a few months, the tires became hard as plastic!

WPL has 3 hardnesses of their tires. The RTR comes with very hard tires. The kit versions come with a fairly soft tire, but still a little firmer than most good aftermarket tires. Then there is a medium one. I got the medium ones from an ebay seller, with some of the beige wheels off one of the military models they have.

As far as the WD40 trick not lasting, I would try soaking them for a few days, then let them sit in the open for a few days. Repeat for a few weeks, and see if that doesn't helps. Either that, or give them a good spritz of WD40 every few days. Tires that sit in WD40 for too long though can get really soft. I had some Traxxas Anacondas in a box that WD40 leaked into. They sat for a couple years in the box, and when I found them, they were severely ballooned and gummy where the WD40 was on them.

 

[ground_zero298]

I’ve never used the wd40. I used Sxt slime tire conditioner. Just went up stairs to check. Car hasn’t been run in 6 months. Tires are still pliable.

 

[WickedFog]

I’ve never used the wd40. I used Sxt slime tire conditioner. Just went up stairs to check. Car hasn’t been run in 6 months. Tires are still pliable.

Nice. Will have to try that one.

 

[Xraycer]

WPL has 3 hardnesses of their tires. The RTR comes with very hard tires. The kit versions come with a fairly soft tire, but still a little firmer than most good aftermarket tires. Then there is a medium one. I got the medium ones from an ebay seller, with some of the beige wheels off one of the military models they have.

As far as the WD40 trick not lasting, I would try soaking them for a few days, then let them sit in the open for a few days. Repeat for a few weeks, and see if that doesn't helps. Either that, or give them a good spritz of WD40 every few days. Tires that sit in WD40 for too long though can get really soft. I had some Traxxas Anacondas in a box that WD40 leaked into. They sat for a couple years in the box, and when I found them, they were severely ballooned and gummy where the WD40 was on them.

I've got the rtr and 2 kits. Tires on both are awful!

Like I said, I've let it dish for an entire week, let them completely dry out, and they were certainly softer. However, months later, they became harder than what they were originally.
The softness that was achieved is not enough to warrant doing this process over and over.

 

[WickedFog]

Either they changed the tires they supply in the kits, or you got a bum deal. Most of the tires I have aren't that bad. Definitely not RC4WD soft, but nowhere near as hard as the RTR tires.

 

[Xraycer]

I’ve never used the wd40. I used Sxt slime tire conditioner. Just went up stairs to check. Car hasn’t been run in 6 months. Tires are still pliable.

I've just put into my Amazon cart.

Did it make your tires noticably softer than what it was originally, or does it just to keep the softness from how the tires originally came?

Either they changed the tires they supply in the kits, or you got a bum deal. Most of the tires I have aren't that bad. Definitely not RC4WD soft, but nowhere near as hard as the RTR tires.

IDK ......but, I actually got 2 of the kits, from 2 different vendors.

 

[WickedFog]

IDK ......but, I actually got 2 of the kits, from 2 different vendors.

If there isn't a pretty noticeable difference between the kit tires and the RTR tires, you got hosed. The RTR tires are VERY hard. I will dig the ones I have out and try to show you the differences.

 

[ground_zero298]

makes them softer. I’ve actually ruined new tires by forgetting I left it on them, get stretchy like a condom. Lol. Bout 2 hours. I use it on all my new tires. For the old tires I do about 15-20 minutes per coat. Wipe off the wet after that time. Keep doing that til you get close. Can also do just sides or tread if one needs more than the other. Then run it some to break the tires back in.

It’s a good trick if your tires are to hard for a track and that the only set you brought. Can soften them and drop a dot or 2 for grip.

 

[Xraycer]

makes them softer. I’ve actually ruined new tires by forgetting I left it on them, get stretchy like a condom. Lol. Bout 2 hours. I use it on all my new tires. For the old tires I do about 15-20 minutes per coat. Wipe off the wet after that time. Keep doing that til you get close. Can also do just sides or tread if one needs more than the other. Then run it some to break the tires back in.

It’s a good trick if your tires are to hard for a track and that the only set you brought. Can soften them and drop a dot or 2 for grip.

I'm mostly a crawler guy, so stretchy condom soft would be awesome!

 

[ground_zero298]

I'm mostly a crawler guy, so stretchy condom soft would be awesome!

lol. That was gonna be my next reply. The secret trick for crawler tires.

Ozone generator. If you have one it is the best tire softener ever. Not for vintage tires but for new. You can actually turn them to dust literally if you wanted to. I run it until the rubber just starts to spider crack when you stretch it and look. At that point they’re pretty much latex. Then wash in dish soap to add the sticky. Keep running the ozone some more and you will actually get cracks in the side wall, past that point they will start to fall apart, keep going and they turn to dust. That take hours for that.

Or tape the side walls and just do the tread. Lot of options. And if the tires off the rim it will do inside and out. Just don’t do exposed tire foams. That gets messy.

Tha last pic is a lmt tire under it.
Forgot the disclaimer. Ozone level needed to start degrading rubber is not safe for your lungs or animals. Has to be done somewhere it can be contained. Storage bin or card board box outside will work. And you can smell ozone. Little bit is not bad for you but concentrated is.

 

[Xraycer]

@ground_zero298 great info, Man!

 

[Maximum_Quake_Pro.com]

Olive oil lathered on and soak overnite. Wipe away. Soak in real warm not hot water with dish soap and check every 10 or so mins until desired softness. I dont advise more than 30 mins at one soak time.

Baby Oil inside and out sit overnite
Wipe away keep out of direct sunlight and above 60 ish degrees and under 90 ish and not humid climates if storing or to prolong life.

if theyre dry cracked and spider cracking when squeezed, forget running them, you can use 3m black weatherstrip adhesive on the entire inside let cure and do the oil lather methods and you will have purely display set

I have done this with so many old kyosho, quake, ek4 , clod, etc tires in my time i got fuc..d on by dishonest sellers and trading for junk losing good tires i can't replace now its not funny.

A clod collector friend told me he throws a set of tires in the dryer with dryer sheet 20 mins on med temp every year or so to rejuvenate

The tires on my Kyosho Raider have a good amount of tread left, but are hard due to age (1989), there is no cracking or other signs of rotting except for them hardening. And new tires are super hard to find due to the odd size of the wheels.

Oh one more thing

I have a set of never ran nitro quake wheels tires that were on a display stand for 15 years and another set rhat was on display in a case not off the ground and the ones on stand are literally petrified rheyre like wood and the ones that had weight the sidewalls fell apart at flat spots

 

[Xraycer]

makes them softer. I’ve actually ruined new tires by forgetting I left it on them, get stretchy like a condom. Lol. Bout 2 hours. I use it on all my new tires. For the old tires I do about 15-20 minutes per coat. Wipe off the wet after that time. Keep doing that til you get close. Can also do just sides or tread if one needs more than the other. Then run it some to break the tires back in.

It’s a good trick if your tires are to hard for a track and that the only set you brought. Can soften them and drop a dot or 2 for grip.

Just got my SXT today. Looking to really soften up these FMS Atlas stock tires. These tires are decently soft, but I'm hoping to make them a lot softer.

 

[The_RC_Dude]

I've tried WD40 on a set of hard WPL Hilux tires. I'd soaked them in WD40 for a week. They were definitely softer for a time, but after a few months, the tires became hard as plastic!

Well at least then you had yourself a nice set of drift tires!

 

[Doom!]

Just got my SXT today. Looking to really soften up these FMS Atlas stock tires. These tires are decently soft, but I'm hoping to make them a lot softer.View attachment 141448

Easy solution, visit me in the summer, 112°F should soften them right up

 

[The_RC_Dude]

Easy solution, visit me in the summer, 112°F should soften them right up

You'll also get some tire scorching, rubber burning action! Good thing we wear masks!