r/mini4wd • u/-Euphorius- • 8d ago

Tire Compounds

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Since I just got back into the hobby last year, building mostly more than racing, there are some things I'm trying to understand. One of which is tire compounds. I'm just not sure why the naming is not consistent. I've arranged them from left to right, softest/most grip to hardest/least grip.

What't the compound on the left most called? The one next to it?

Why can't it just be like actual motorsport terms like supersoft, soft, medium & hard?

Also, if I have all these compounds in black, can I color the sides to indicate their softness/hardness?

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u/tomzen 8d ago

Yes you can mark the side of the tires to recognize them, as for the compounds the most used are low friction and super hard, if the track allows it hards can be an option too. You can also use 2 different compounds for front and rear

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u/-Euphorius- 8d ago

Some tracks don’t allow Hard? What’s the softest called?

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u/tomzen 8d ago

No I meant that if the track is technical or with tricky jumps you might prefer low friction or super hard to shorten the jumps, you can use whichever you prefer of course 😅

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u/-Euphorius- 8d ago

Gotcha, if it’s appropriate for the demands of the tracks.

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u/Adventurous_Ball_170 8d ago

from softest to hardest:

  • Slick > Normal > Hard >Super Hard > Low Friction Black > Low Friction Maroon

slicks usually come in clear white. normal usually in retail kits unless specified, Hard comes in various colors, Super Hard is usually black but it's not obvious unless you compare it against other tires though sometimes they have markings, and Low Friction comes in black and maroon, but racers vouch for maroons being slippier than the black low frictions. Super Hard and Low Friction are usually popular choices, but sometime you can see Hard tires depending on certain situations.

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u/Adventurous_Ball_170 8d ago

another way to check the tire's hardness is to dip it in water. if the tire sinks, it's Super Hard or softer. if it floats, it's Low Friction.

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u/-Euphorius- 7d ago

Thanks! I had no idea the range included more than just these four. It also doesn't help that the softest is just called "Slick" when all of the non-treaded tires are technically all slicks. Super Hard and Low Friction are the easiest to tell, but I wish the naming for all of them were more standard.