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There have been a lot of questions about the latest version of the RC4WD Rumbles and hopefully I can answer them here. To give a little history on the subject, there have been 5 versions of Rumble over the last four years. The first two versions are lumped into what I call the "small" Rumbles. The next two are considered the "large" Rumble as the size increased slightly over the original two versions. Version 3 is what we now call the "large/soft compound" Rumble with version 4 being the "large/hard compound". When version 4 was released many of the carpet racers using them had problems with tire chatter (when the tire bites and releases a few times a second in a turn) pinpointing the problem to the hard compound used and asking for a return to the previous soft compound. Version 5 is that change, and this review will hopefully address the concerns of the consumers wondering if the change was successful.
The version 5 Rumbles are made with the advanced X3 compound and it is marked on the packaging the tires are wrapped in. This is not to be confused with the fact that the original version's X3 compound as the two compounds are very different.
One major concern I had was if the change in compound would revert the tire back to it's original "small" dimensions, they don't. The tire retains the "large" dimensions of the past two versions. Here is a pic with a version 2 tire (left, the corners have been shaved round). For this review, the version 5 tire will always be on the far right.
And here's a pic with the, from left to right, version 2, version 3 (shaved down, mounted on TXT rims), version 4, and version 5.
One thing that made the version 3 distinctive was the semi glossy/matte black finish on the tires, version 5 almost that same look.
Version 3 (shaved) next to version 5.
Version 4 next to Version 5
Initial Impression
The version 5 tires feel very close to version 3, maybe just a slight bit harder. My version 3 tires are shaved so they are softer then normal but the carcass feels very similar. Versions 1-3 Rumbles had some fold over of the lugs because of the soft compounds used and this latest version has some of that, but that was to be expected. Some people have said they felt the compound was sticky but I haven't felt that, at least not to the extent that I would call them sticky. Version 3 does have a slightly slicker feel but version 4 and 5 feel similar in that regard. How this plays out on carpet and the tire chatter issue remains to be seen.
Upcoming Road Test and Shaving
I will prep the tires for mounting and road testing. The foams that come with this version is the same foams that have been included with Rumbles for some time now. They are slightly oversized and really stiffen up the tire, too much for my taste.
So I will be rounding the corners off the foams to get them to fit better and not crinkle up in the tire. The Rumble tire itself has a lot of sidewall and corner support even without foams so removing the corner material from the foams actually helps the tire have a more uniform feel to it. After that I will mount the tire and do a test run with the tires uncut on pavement so I can see how the new compound wears. After that I will do some slight cutting and shaving of the cleats (so they have an even height with the carcass) to see how the compound shaves. The previous version 4 "hard" compound was the best in respects to shaving, not needing to be buffed to achieve a smooth finish.
More to come........
The version 5 Rumbles are made with the advanced X3 compound and it is marked on the packaging the tires are wrapped in. This is not to be confused with the fact that the original version's X3 compound as the two compounds are very different.
One major concern I had was if the change in compound would revert the tire back to it's original "small" dimensions, they don't. The tire retains the "large" dimensions of the past two versions. Here is a pic with a version 2 tire (left, the corners have been shaved round). For this review, the version 5 tire will always be on the far right.
And here's a pic with the, from left to right, version 2, version 3 (shaved down, mounted on TXT rims), version 4, and version 5.
One thing that made the version 3 distinctive was the semi glossy/matte black finish on the tires, version 5 almost that same look.
Version 3 (shaved) next to version 5.
Version 4 next to Version 5
Initial Impression
The version 5 tires feel very close to version 3, maybe just a slight bit harder. My version 3 tires are shaved so they are softer then normal but the carcass feels very similar. Versions 1-3 Rumbles had some fold over of the lugs because of the soft compounds used and this latest version has some of that, but that was to be expected. Some people have said they felt the compound was sticky but I haven't felt that, at least not to the extent that I would call them sticky. Version 3 does have a slightly slicker feel but version 4 and 5 feel similar in that regard. How this plays out on carpet and the tire chatter issue remains to be seen.
Upcoming Road Test and Shaving
I will prep the tires for mounting and road testing. The foams that come with this version is the same foams that have been included with Rumbles for some time now. They are slightly oversized and really stiffen up the tire, too much for my taste.
So I will be rounding the corners off the foams to get them to fit better and not crinkle up in the tire. The Rumble tire itself has a lot of sidewall and corner support even without foams so removing the corner material from the foams actually helps the tire have a more uniform feel to it. After that I will mount the tire and do a test run with the tires uncut on pavement so I can see how the new compound wears. After that I will do some slight cutting and shaving of the cleats (so they have an even height with the carcass) to see how the compound shaves. The previous version 4 "hard" compound was the best in respects to shaving, not needing to be buffed to achieve a smooth finish.
More to come........
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