Paddle tires size and scoop configuration

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geoffwg

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Hi, I've been building this buggy this past year and I was able to make it out to glamis a few months ago, but I'm thinking about changing my paddle configuration, I have a relatively light car it was built more for the desert. It has a mild compression 1914 with big heads and a single Webber 44. Trans is a 002 with close third and fourth 5.11 ring and pinion I believe. I currently have sand tire unlimited 16.50-15 paddles roughly 34inches tall on a 7inch wide rim and 7 scoops per tire. It's a lot of paddle for this car. So I am curious if I would gain any low end power for having scat trak make me some paddles on a 33x10.50-15 tire with 5 to 7 scoops. Or is it beneficial to have a big floatation type tire
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Fourstroker

Fourstroker

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I would go with the 13.00 Padla Traks for that car on a 10" rim. Go with the shortest paddle and let'em spin. 8-10 will work great. I used to have a car just about like what you have and that worked well. Rim size vs tire size is different than normal offroad tires. Those 16.50's should be on a 13" rim
 
CZLou

CZLou

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Something to think about. The Bigger the tire and the more bite you have It will wear out your tran's a lot faster, if not brake it! I have a 2 seater sand rail with a 2276 motor and i run 1300 plus on 12in. rims. So they spin in the sand. Save's the tran's and keeps my money for other trick parts! Just my 2 cents!!
 
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geoffwg

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Cool, thanks guys. So from what I've seen online the 13.00 are 30 inches tall. My problem is that I built the car to have around 2inches ground clearance At full compression on 33" So if I run that 13.00 I might be cutting it close. Do you think running a skinnier tire with a more aggressive paddle would equal to a shorter wider tire?


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CZLou

CZLou

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For Glamis or any sand dunes. I would run a wide paddle tire with non aggressive paddles. Wide tires float over the sand and skinnier tires dig a trench in the soft sand. With a 1914 motor I would want to keep the RPM's up and that would let the tires spin with non aggressive paddles. I see you have a belly pan and a skid plate for the motor. When you bottom out and you will in the dunes. The skid plate will slide over the sand. On the paddle tires. I run a #2 cut 1300 plus paddle tire on my car. Hope this helps
 
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geoffwg

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Thanks for all the input, I will be on the look out for some smaller paddles then. And I can always move my bumps to accommodate for the smaller tire


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CZLou

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Here's another idea and cheaper at that! I would use my 7in. rims for off road tires and pick up some 12in. rims for the paddles. I still think the cups on your paddle tires are too big for the motor, But they would will still work to get you around in the dunes.
 
CZLou

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No, I'm just saying, it's a cheaper way to get out in the dunes with what you have. I think the size of the tire and the cup size on your paddle tire is way to big for your motor. With a wider rim (12in or bigger) it spreads the tire out and lowers the high of the overall of the tire. But with the size of cups on your tire it will dig into the sand a lot more and that will put stress on your motor and trans. As MC@Per has said, a 1300 #1 cut paddle would be a good tire for your car.
 
Ol' Curmudgeon

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geoffwg said:
So going with a wider wheel will lessen the stress on my engine and drivetrain?


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Yes, because the same tire will have a smaller diameter on the wider wheel, which will serve to raise the overall gearing, lessening torque multiplication.
 
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geoffwg

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I was thinking the opposite, I was thinking with the narrower rim the tire would become taller but in turn the tire would be narrower giving less contact with the sand. So I will have to try a smaller diameter tire on a wider wheel. I may be over thinking this a bit... But this is the reason behind my questioning. I see trucks out running around with 35 12.5 and 37 12.5 tires that have been shaved and made into paddles and they seem to cruise around alright. I know they have way more power than my buggy. But my buggy is also thousands of pounds lighter than the trucks. So with the weight to power ratio that they have, i should be able to run my standard tire size shaved and made into paddles as well. But this just crossed my mind and it seems that everyone has the same input to give me


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burninfuel

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give me a call, I have a complete set 1300 plus with 12" wide rims, good for all vw buggys.
And I'm looking for your tires 33-34" for my honda v6, 300 hp class 5 race car
 
racer_dude

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geoffwg said:
I was thinking the opposite, I was thinking with the narrower rim the tire would become taller but in turn the tire would be narrower giving less contact with the sand. So I will have to try a smaller diameter tire on a wider wheel. I may be over thinking this a bit... But this is the reason behind my questioning. I see trucks out running around with 35 12.5 and 37 12.5 tires that have been shaved and made into paddles and they seem to cruise around alright. I know they have way more power than my buggy. But my buggy is also thousands of pounds lighter than the trucks. So with the weight to power ratio that they have, i should be able to run my standard tire size shaved and made into paddles as well. But this just crossed my mind and it seems that everyone has the same input to give me


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Couple things going on here.

YOU want the tire to spin with your 1914, get a wider wheel (will help the tire float, decrease the diameter, and reduce the "crown" of the tire trying to dig) if you want to continue to use this paddle for budget reasons right now. A wider wheel is almost mandatory for you though.

The "scoop" you have on your paddle is for a very aggressive high horsepower car. The scoops that have been shaved off would have been a lot better for your car, and would have allowed more slip and a better duning experience for you guys.




The reason you see the trucks running around on "shaved" race tires is because nobody really makes a paddle that is 35-39" tall and only 12.5" wide. The desert trucks are built around a narrow tire/ wheel, and when you try to add 2" of width with a paddle, they hit bumpstops, chassis, fiberglass etc.... They are running what fits, and if they were looking for a better performance paddle, they would need to be 12" wider. It is a HUGE!!!! strain on the drivetrain components when guys like BJ, Robby and the like go to the dunes on the race tire paddles with a 5-6,000lb truck. Not optimum at all, and they get around "alright" but not awesome. You actually have a close power to weight ratio if you calculate it out. (assuming you are about +-1600lbs and 110HP 14.5:1, a TT is +-6,000lbs and 5-600 to the ground 11:1)
 
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