Best Short Course Tires For – Loamy Top / Loose dirt – Heavy to Medium Dust – Blue Grooved with Medium to Low Dust – Black Grooved – Astroturf and Carpet – 4wd and 2wd front tires.
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| Top (5) Picks | Features | Deals |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Panther Boa | + Best Tire for Loose/Loamy + Must have on outdoor style 1/8 tracks – None | Check Price On Amazon eBay |
| #2 AKA Cityblock | + Best Tire for Medium Dust + 2-stage tread layout for good tire life – Top pins wear fast | Check Price On Amazon eBay |
| #3 Pro-Line Hole Shot | + Best Tires for Groove with Light Dust + The tire used on most tracks – Wears out fast | Check Price On Amazon eBay |
| #4 Pro-Line Positron | + Best Tires for Groove with Super low Dust + Different performance if you flip the tire – None | Check Price On Amazon eBay |
| #5 JConcepts Carvers | + Best Front 2wd Tires + Makes front end more predictable and easier to drive – Less aggressive- Less responsive tire | Check Price On Amazon eBay |
Tire List
(1) Best Tires for (Loose Base with Loamy Top)
- Panther – Boa
- JConcepts – Goose Bumps
(2) Best Tire for (Grooved to Hard Base with Heavy to Medium Dust)
- JConcepts – 3D’s
- AKA – Cityblock
(3) Best Tire for (Grooved with Medium to Light Dust)
- Pro-Line – Hole Shot
- JConcepts – Double Dee’s
(4) Best Tire for (Grooved with Light Dust to no-Dust)
- JConcepts – Ellipse
- Pro-Line – Positron
(5) Best Tire for (Astroturf and Carpet)
- Schumacher – Mini Pin
- Schumacher – Mini Spike
- JConcepts – Carvers (Dirt)
- Schumacher – Stagger Rib (Astroturf and Carpet)
Note… The more dust/loam you’re in – the more it depends on the tire design. (1)(2)(3) list – you still want to use the recommended compound for your track (usually soft).
When the track is grooved (blue or black line in the track). The compound of the tire plays a much bigger role. For this, the recommended on the list (4) (grooved with no-dust) has a higher chance of not being the best tire for your track. but they are the best tire for that category.
List (5) (Astroturf and Carpet) has a large variety of surfaces. There are only two tires on this list. They should get you in the ballpark on your track but might not be the #1 tire.
List (6) Is for the front of a 2wd… You use them to mostly make the tire less aggressive at steering (less rotation in the car). It also has a higher force per area (more pressure to the ground) making the steering more predictable. Both usually equal more consistent lap times.
Best Tires for (Loose Base with Loamy Top)
Panther Boa
- My #1 go-to tire to see where the track is at – works well with any type of dust on top.
- Even if the track has a good groove with a bit of dust, I usually start with this tire.
- Larger center lugs give – good life and good forward bite.
- The pins/lugs get smaller as you get to the out part of the tire, making it work in multiple track conditions.
- Kinda an underground tire – hard to find info on the net. below is a track they will work well on.
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
JConcepts Goose Bumps
- Probably the best race tire in heavy loam.
- Works well on a loose damp track, wide gap pins don’t cake up as much.
- 2-stage tire – Being a wide gap pin tire the top pins wear fast – Not all is lost when the top pin wears out, it works well on a grove track.
- A good side-bite – works for 2wd front or any time the tire is trying to push out laterally (front or rear).
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
Best Tires for (Grooved to Hard Base with Heavy to Medium Dust)
JConcepts 3D’s
- My #1 tire when the track gets any type of groove to it.
- The best forward bite on the list
- It works well in wet or dry. does not cake up like small pin tires.
- This tire has a good life for being a semi-short tread tire.
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
AKA Cityblock
- Very similar to the Goose Bumps but the top pins won’t wear as fast on a harder base.
- 2 stage tread layout- top pins work good in heavy dust – bottom pins work well in low dust
- A good side-bite – works for 2wd front or any time the tire is trying to push out laterally (front or rear).
- This tire sums up the phrase jack of all trades master of none- a forward bite tire and a side bite tire at the same time (probably won’t be your fastest tire)
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
Best Tires for (Grooved with Medium to Light Dust)
Pro-Line Hole Shot
- “The most used race tires of all time”
- Good forward bite
- More square pins = More tire on the ground – if it can make it through the top layer of dust, it’s the fastest tire on a dusty track.
- Sometimes has a hard time getting through the dust especially if the tire is a bit worn.
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
JConcepts Double Dee’s
- Very similar to the holeshot but most of the time I will pick this tire over the faster holeshot.
- reason 1. It has a bit wider gap in the pins – making it more consistent in the dust.
- reason 2. It seems to cut through the dust – even when old. It feels like I get 2x life out of the tire over the holeshot in the dust.
- In short, this tire is not far behind the holeshot in light dust – equal if not better in medium dust – and last longer, saving you money.
- Best price on eBay
- Best price on Amazon
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