First Test Tyres.

The first 'test' tyres arrived last week and whilst I am very pleased with them, further work is still needed.

Four tyres have been produced with (initially) front and rears to suit the ERA wheels plus front and rears to suit the larger wheels, eg., Talbot Lago, Alfetta, Auto Union etc.

All four tyres are being made in both soft and hard compounds, both materials having advantages and dis-advantages.

The softer compound provides excellent grip, is easy to fit to larger wheels though inevitably as with real tyres, wear is likely to be somewhat greater than a harder compound.

The tyres in the harder compound actually have an improved grip over the Scalextric parts they are based on. The stretch on these tyres is minimal, even when warmed up. Fine where only a small amount of stretch is needed, but those intended for the 19" wheels are a fight to get on.

Both hard and soft tyres have retained their original shape and unike some urethanes, this rubber does not seem to be detrimental to painted wheels.

Above: A rear tyre in A30 compound fitted to an Alfa wheel.

Whilst these tyres are a step in the right direction, they are made using basic open casting techniques and as a result, the rear faces are not unlike other 'performance' tyres.

I expect that further tyres will be available in due course, most of which will be 'vintage' style with a large diameter and fairly narrow width.

January should see positive steps made to produce the larger tyres to a higher quality, using pressure injection methods.

Peter