by RichD » Fri Apr 19, 2019 6:06 pm
Both my HO and 1/32nd clubs use silicone tires. My testing of silicone VS urethane HO tires indicates that silicone tires have more grip. People often say that the prefer one type or the other, but they seldom say why. Not everyone is obsessed with getting to lowest possible lap times, people that mostly run by themselves often like a tire with more slide.
Urethane tires are a lot easier to sand than silicone tires, so that is one way that you can tell them apart. I have not bought any 1/32nd urethane Super Tires for a long time, but when I was testing the HO urethane tires I noticed that they had a fruity smell when they were new. The HO urethane tires are softer than the silicone tires, I have a durometer so I can measure the Shore value. I am not certain that you could tell the difference just by poking the tires.