Review: Pro-Line 2.2" Trencher (Predator) R/C Crawler Tires & Pro-Line 2.2" Dual Stage Foam Inserts
When I decided to attend Axialfest Badlands 2022, I came to the quick realization that I didn't have any 1/10-scale Axial vehicles in my lineup. Bummer. As my R/C garage has experienced some growth over the years, it's also experienced turnover, and without realizing it, I sold off any of my tenth-scale Axial rigs. Whether it was perfect timing or simply coincidence, Horizon Hobby had an amazing sale on a number of Axial machines in early 2022, including the RR10 Bomber.
The Bomber and I go way back, and I have many fond memories of my days driving my first-gen RR10, so the opportunity to get it back in the fold was too good to pass up. Of course, I couldn't roll into my first Axialfest with a bone-stock machine, so I picked up a few items to help make this machine my own. Thankfully, Pro-Line assisted with that and provided me with a set of 2.2" Trencher (Predator compound) Tires and 2.2" Dual Stage Foams. Let's take a look at how these perform and what they could do for your 1/10-scale crawler.
Hands-on with Pro-Line's 2.2" Trencher (Predator Compound) R/C Crawler Tires
For years, my go-to tire upgrade for my R/C crawlers has been Pro-Line and their Predator compound. This sticky, flexible tire has seemingly endless grip, no matter what tread pattern the tires may have. When you add in the aggressive styling that Trencher tires offer, you get a combination that's very hard to beat.
While you may think that "standard" 2.2" wheels and tires that arrive on most rock crawlers and rock bouncers are large, Pro-Line manages to go one better with the size of their XL tire sets. Measuring 5.75" tall, Pro-Line's 2.2" Trencher easily eclipse the stock tires on the Bomber, which gave me a bit of worry regarding the center of gravity. Thankfully, I didn't encounter any additional rollovers when compared to the stock tires on the RR10 Bomber.
Hands-on with Pro-Line's 2.2" Dual Stage Rock Crawling Foam Inserts
Depending on your personal preference, you might be one who runs stock tire foams, no-foams, dual-stage foams, or anti-foams. For the most part, I fall in the "stock foams" camp; however, I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out a set of dual-stage foams. If you're not familiar, dual-stage foams consist of two pieces of foam that are typically made from different materials that offer two levels of firmness.
Pro-Line's Dual Stage foams have a softer outer foam that allows for tire flex and an inner foam layer that is much more firm and prevents sidewall roll.
Performance Impacts
With my new foams inserted and the tires and wheels installed, it was time to head off to adventure. The first test for this new foam and tire combo took place during the opening night of Axialfest Badlands 2022. The "Fun Run Trail" was set up in a wooded area and featured plenty of natural obstacles ranging from logs, a few rocks, and plenty of dirt.
Out of the box, the Bomber had very little trouble making its way through the gates. I wanted to see how the Dual Stage Foams would impact the vehicle balance when encountering obstacles at higher speeds. While I had envisioned my Bomber ping-ponging off of logs and everything else, it stayed grounded and planted, both on impacts and when landing jumps.
Aside from the foams, the traction that these tires offer is fantastic. They clawed over anything and everything in their path and helped me get through most of the obstacles on the course. I've since taken the Bomber on some local trails, and it's handled just as well in those situations. At higher speeds, there is some risk of flipping, but I don't believe it's any greater than with the stock tires. All in all, these are a very nice upgrade.
What's the Verdict?
For a long time, I didn't see much reason to upgrade the tires on my RR10 Bomber, both the V1 or the V2. While that line of thinking was much shorter with the V2, I'm glad I ventured outside the land of stock 2.2" rubber and into Pro-Line's Trencher territory. These wheels look great and perform even better, enhancing the climbing, crawling, and cornering grip of this R/C rock bouncer on just about any terrain you could imagine.
When paired with Pro-Line's Dual Stage Foams, these tires get even better (if you can believe that). The hard inner foam ensures the soft sidewalls of the Trenchers don't flex too much, allowing for improved side hill and departure performance. If you have a radio-controlled rock racer, rock bouncer, or comp crawler that runs 2.2" tires, this combo is a must-have.
Pro-Line's 2.2" Trencher (Predator) R/C Crawler Tires are priced at $33.99 per pair and are available from Horizon Hobby, Pro-Line, and their dealers. Visit horizonhobby.com to order a set for your rig today.
Pro-Line's 2.2" Dual Stage Foam R/C Crawler Tire Inserts are priced at $23.99 per pair and are available from Horizon Hobby, Pro-Line, and their dealers. Visit horizonhobby.com to order a set today.
