Looking for non-magnatraction tire source

[RichD]

The urethane tires that I have tested were very sticky out of the package, but the grip fell off after a few laps. Until you run a lot of laps with urethane tires they need frequent cleaning to have good grip, but even after they are cleaned they never have as much grip as when they are new. At some point I will have to get some Gel Claws just to see how they work. I race my cars and I am always looking for good consistant grip.

[Ralphthe3rd]

RichD, re: Jel Claws, ummmm...unless you run them on Traction magnet cars ? You should stay away from them, as they get dirty and very slippery- FAST, and will greatly disappoint a Gravity racer. :(

[qball41]

[vins123]

[RichD]

I do have some Jel Claws on order, however I do expect to race on them. People often ask for advice on tires and I would not be qualified to comment on Jel Claws until I have tried them myself. I am reluctant to pass along things that I have seen on the Internet because I have been stung in the past. Often people with very limited experience recommend stuff that may not be the best for your situation.

[RichD]

The Jel Claws just came in and I took them for a spin, I got the size that fits the HOCOC Jalopy class, which uses the same chassis specs as the ECHORR Indy class. With Wizzard PVT05 silicone tires that had been turned down to 0.460 inches the car did a best time of 6.785 on my MaxTrax. The lap times did not increase by much as the laps piled up. The Gel Claws did a best time of 6.783, but the lap times dropped off quickly and the car was undrivable after ten laps or so. I went through a few cycles of running a few laps and cleaning the tires to restore grip. I decided to sand the tires down, they were 0.490 to start with and I brought them down to 0.460. I had to take off very small cuts or the tread would become rough. Smoothing the tires with fine sandpaper did not work. The turned down tires were not quite as fast when they were clean, but stayed slidey, but drivable much longer. I only put about a 100 laps on the Gel Claws in all, but I expect that someone that likes more slide would probably be happy with them.