Mojave Fortess 6s..G.O.A.T?

[KnowAir]

I feel compelled to say that I think the 6s Fortress tires are perhaps the best rc tires I've ever used. Of course their usefulness is somewhat limited due to the size, but dang.. these are hands down the most versatile and toughest tires I've ever run on an rc!! I have a set that are over 2 years old, been used and abused on my Mojo and Kraton since new. I've never had to even reglue these sum bitches!! Why can't Arrma make all their tires like this!? I sure wish they would!

 

[Dan B.]

I feel compelled to say that I think the 6s Fortress tires are perhaps the best rc tires I've ever used. Of course their usefulness is somewhat limited due to the size, but dang.. these are hands down the most versatile and toughest tires I've ever run on an rc!! I have a set that are over 2 years old, been used and abused on my Mojo and Kraton since new. I've never had to even reglue these sum bitches!! Why can't Arrma make all their tires like this!? I sure wish they would!

I agree. After I got my MOJO I drank the koolaid and put on a set MX43’s. They came off and the Fortress tires went back on one pack later. For a big, heavy SCT, the driving experience is fantastic with the stockers. Mine are also a couple years old and still hanging in there.

 

[BashingBrian]

Agreed..!! I have multiple sets of them

 

[KnowAir]

I just picked my second set from JRC. Showed up yesterday.. I knew my old set was worn, didn't realize how worn though, wow! The new tires got some meat on them!! LOL.
My first set is running track duty on a mojo armed kraton..a "Typhon XL" if you will..
Between the hard compound, thick sidewalls and sct wheel design, these things are nearly indestructible!! On my clay track, the more worn they get, the better traction they seem to have.. I'm throwing that thing into corners at speed with 6s without any regard to tearing a sidewall..they're just that tough!!
I really wish Arrma would branch out with the sct styled wheel and heavy sidewall to MT sized tires, maybe even some different tread patterns. If they did, I don't think I'd buy any other brand of tires or wheels!!

 

[Garcbomber]

They are excellent for strictly technical ground course, add any decent jumps and their centrifugal force is poor in air control correction landing flat. You could shift the battery back but then it has a tendency to parachute and be lighter on steering in and out of turns.

I prefer modified Speedlines in a small drift tire, backflips easily on the ramp and much better course correction. Every other outside lug nipped for better dig and clear.

Also have a theory everyone having the fortress wheels loosen up lugs is because the plastic is so pliable and nuts don’t have enough “bite”. Easily remedied by double nut adapters however.

 

[KnowAir]

They are excellent for strictly technical ground course, add any decent jumps and their centrifugal force is poor in air control correction landing flat. You could shift the battery back but then it has a tendency to parachute and be lighter on steering in and out of turns.

I prefer modified Speedlines in a small drift tire, backflips easily on the ramp and much better course correction. Every other outside lug nipped for better dig and clear.

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I hear ya but..I feel like that's not what a Mojo's for.. I have (had) a kraton for jumping/flipping.
Of course you can do what you see fit
If Arrma were to adapt the sct type wheel and tire to an MT size, I think they would easily be the best tires for stunting as well. The key is the tall thick outer sidewall..takes an amazing amount of punishment and prevents wheel damage. Even standard 1/10 sct tires/wheels hold up to crazy abuse..
I've only lost a wheel once on my mojo in over 2 years. I've seen the double nut setup as well as +mm hubs to accommodate but never felt a need for them.

 

[Garcbomber]

I don’t mean stunt jumping, traditional 1/8 buggy courses will have doubles and triples that the fortress have no chance at being consistent with fast lap times. Not without massive braking, pure luck, or crashing. Braking to get nose down or accelerating to keep the bumper from digging, it requires MUCH more input from the trigger finger. The wheel package is just too light for the application, the fortress actually do well on a lighter typhon wheelbase buggy but then you’re a bit more truggy.

I’d like to try the new prolines, those will certainly have the mass necessary for a true SCT. The tread appears limited to clay however.

 

[KnowAir]

I don’t mean stunt jumping, traditional 1/8 buggy courses will have doubles and triples that the fortress have no chance at being consistent with fast lap times. Not without massive braking, pure luck, or crashing. Braking to get nose down or accelerating to keep the bumper from digging, it requires MUCH more input from the trigger finger. The wheel package is just too light for the application, the fortress actually do well on a lighter typhon wheelbase buggy but then you’re a bit more truggy.

I’d like to try the new prolines, those will certainly have the mass necessary for a true SCT. The tread appears limited to clay however.

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I'm not sure I follow.. are you saying that sct, buggy, and truggy racers are using tire/wheel combos that are heavier than needed for air control? I'm doubtful. I do agree that the big ole Mojo doesn't respond well to gyro effects from throttle or brake inputs..due to total mass vs tire size but then, neither does my Tekno SCT410.3, or any race rig.. There's little to no air control in them because tires are small and light. Just the way things are. You learn to control jumping the vehicle through approach speeds and inputs before the vehicle leaves the ground. Once airborne, not much to do but hope you got it right
I would be surprised if there is any significant weight difference between the Proline Mirage and Fortress 6s wheel/tire combo. I do dig the tread pattern of the Mirage though, much closer to what I'm looking for to run clay than the Fortress.. I'm sad that sct as a class is getting smaller these days. Guess I missed the SCT craze unfortunately.

 

[Dan B.]

I don’t mean stunt jumping, traditional 1/8 buggy courses will have doubles and triples that the fortress have no chance at being consistent with fast lap times. Not without massive braking, pure luck, or crashing. Braking to get nose down or accelerating to keep the bumper from digging, it requires MUCH more input from the trigger finger. The wheel package is just too light for the application, the fortress actually do well on a lighter typhon wheelbase buggy but then you’re a bit more truggy.

I’d like to try the new prolines, those will certainly have the mass necessary for a true SCT. The tread appears limited to clay however.

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Those do look great, I’d like to hear some feedback on them. But at almost twice the price of a set of four Fortress take-offs from a Mojave at Jenny’s it would be tough for me to pull the trigger as much as I like the Fortress tires.

 

[KnowAir]

I don’t mean stunt jumping, traditional 1/8 buggy courses will have doubles and triples that the fortress have no chance at being consistent with fast lap times.

This basically sums up sct's as a whole, and why sct's don't make good bashers. Well, at least not good jumpers I should say.

 

[Dan B.]

This basically sums up sct's as a whole, and why sct's don't make good bashers. Well, at least not good jumpers I should say.

I agree. I don’t feel that air control should even be a conversation for an SCT. If you need air control for big sends you’re driving the wrong platform, IMO. Save the big-air sends for your NOTO, Outcast, Kraton, etc. There really is no “air control” on a short track, you either know how to properly drive and launch it or you don’t.

 

[KnowAir]

Those do look great, I’d like to hear some feedback on them. But at almost twice the price of a set of four Fortress take-offs from a Mojave at Jenny’s it would be tough for me to pull the trigger as much as I like the Fortress tires.

The 6s Fortresses aren't cheap these days I tell ya, guess the word is out! LOL. I just paid $67 plus around $15 for shipping from JRC.
For about $30 more, you can get the Mirage with free shipping from HH (once available)..
Depends on what/where you run I suppose. @Steve B in Vegas says the Jconcepts Landmines are amazing on the Mojo. I do value his opinions, he seems extensively versed and thorough in his assessment.

 

[Dan B.]

The 6s Fortresses aren't cheap these days I tell ya, guess the word is out! LOL. I just paid $67 plus around $15 for shipping from JRC.
For about $30 more, you can get the Mirage with free shipping from HH (once available)..
Depends on what/where you run I suppose. @Steve B in Vegas says the Jconcepts Landmines are amazing on the Mojo. I do value his opinions though, he seems extensively versed and thorough in his assessment.

But doesn’t he also favor those heavy AF aluminum wheels? Yimo stick to the Fortress and forget extended hexes, body trimming, etc. because it’s hard to beat them right out of the box and they freaking last forever.

 

[Garcbomber]

Centrifugal to Centripetal forces for air control is proportional between scales, the problem with the XLWB Mojave is it’s 15lb dressed, requires significantly more to articulate the chassis on torque-torsion transfer.

The ratio of a 7-8 lb 8th scale buggy with 120mm diameter and “x” weight wheel package in this case is much different application than a 14-16lb buggy with 140mm tire and “y” wheel combo. You can solve the equation a tiny bit with more wheel RPM, but mass is going to give you the control/precision required to meet the ratio.

Bottom line, fortress combo is too light for the Mojave on a 2lb 22.2V battery unless you are a flat lander. Which is fine, desert truck vs SCT are separate entities You coast-brake to nose down and accelerate to prevent diving after a course jump, pretty elementary transmitter racing knowledge. Or….Maybe I don’t race on perfect courses and have perfect setups where there is absolutely no trigger input required while in air

 

[KnowAir]

But doesn’t he also favor those heavy AF aluminum wheels? Yimo stick to the Fortress and forget extended hexes, body trimming, etc. because it’s hard to beat them right out of the box and they freaking last forever.

Perhaps, I do recall a discussion about the aluminum wheels.. I can get behind the idea for a crawler maybe, not a basher or racer though. Beadlocks would be great (plastic).. I'm running a set of Duratrax Dinero 1/5 SC's on my Xmaxx right now.. I bought them based on size, tread and price.. I didn't even realize they were beadlocks till I got them..
I run the Xmaxx on the same clay track as all my stuff.. they work pretty well, compound is a bit hard so they slip a bit more than I hoped for. I was stoked about the beadlock! Till I realized that they're basically discontinued and on their way to extinction..☹ Oh well, at least I got a set before they disappeared forever

 

[Dan B.]

Centrifugal to Centripetal forces for air control is proportional between scales, the problem with the XLWB Mojave is it’s 15lb dressed, requires significantly more to articulate the chassis on torque-torsion transfer.

The ratio of a 7-8 lb 8th scale buggy with 120mm diameter and “x” weight wheel package in this case is much different application than a 14-16lb buggy with 140mm tire and “y” wheel combo. You can solve the equation a tiny bit with more wheel RPM, but mass is going to give you the control/precision required to meet the ratio.

Bottom line, fortress combo is too light for the Mojave on a 2lb 22.2V battery unless you are a flat lander. Which is fine, desert truck vs SCT are separate entities You coast-brake to nose down and accelerate to prevent diving after a course jump, pretty elementary transmitter racing knowledge. Or….Maybe I don’t race on perfect courses and have perfect setups where there is absolutely no trigger input required while in air

What you’ve said is absolutely accurate, I just don’t see how the argument translates to a Mojave, which,
A. Isn’t designed for big sends, and,
B. Is very easy to control on a track with the requisite “normal” jumps.
Long story short, if you want to ”send” a Mojave you’re driving the wrong rig. Extra mass in the tire/wheel combo would only degrade the whole SCT experience, in which this truck excels.

 

[KnowAir]

Centrifugal to Centripetal forces for air control is proportional between scales, the problem with the XLWB Mojave is it’s 15lb dressed, requires significantly more to articulate the chassis on torque-torsion transfer.

The ratio of a 7-8 lb 8th scale buggy with 120mm diameter and “x” weight wheel package in this case is much different application than a 14-16lb buggy with 140mm tire and “y” wheel combo. You can solve the equation a tiny bit with more wheel RPM, but mass is going to give you the control/precision required to meet the ratio.

Bottom line, fortress combo is too light for the Mojave on a 2lb 22.2V battery unless you are a flat lander. Which is fine, desert truck vs SCT are separate entities You coast-brake to nose down and accelerate to prevent diving after a course jump, pretty elementary transmitter racing knowledge. Or….Maybe I don’t race on perfect courses and have perfect setups where there is absolutely no trigger input required while in air

I'm not trying to argue bro. I know there is some effect of throttle/brake input on an sct while airborne, but it's minimal at best. Sct, desert truck.. call it what you will, they're the same in my feeble mind, LOL. What, one carries a larger fuel load and spare tires, while the other does not
I can assure you the SCT410 responds about the same "in air" to throttle or brake as the Mojo does, and if you were in trouble mid air, you'll still be in trouble when it all comes tumbling to the ground..usually followed by the amazing sct "death roll"!! ☹

 

[SrC]

I feel compelled to say that I think the 6s Fortress tires are perhaps the best rc tires I've ever used. Of course their usefulness is somewhat limited due to the size, but dang.. these are hands down the most versatile and toughest tires I've ever run on an rc!! I have a set that are over 2 years old, been used and abused on my Mojo and Kraton since new. I've never had to even reglue these sum bitches!! Why can't Arrma make all their tires like this!? I sure wish they would!

Same here. I bought a second set with my new V1 mojo a while back and the originals are still kicking. The backups are still in the package. And also when new I never needed to add any CA. The tires come glued up and made well. Never pull apart or tear. On my 6s Mojo at least. The treads are still meaty with probably over 35 runs so far. I run on Dirt, Grass and Pavement, Good all around tires.
But.... I do consider them Expensive for their Size. Getting what you pay for I think? They are a good option for a Typhon also. Not much else you can do with them. But I see guys trying them on all types of models. They are not Fancy looking at all, so many pass on them IMHO. I buy a tire on performance atributes only. I don't care what it looks like. My wallet also doesn't care what they look like.
The expensive and large FT Tires are also durable. And they "appear" ugly also to so many. yet Long wearing . And don't Ballon as much as many others considering they are Unbelted.
Anyone notice there is No Name for the FT tires/wheels. I just call them FT wheels. If you look closely there is only a very small Arrma Logo on the tires, hardly even visible. I bet these were subbed out to a Taiwan Source, if I had to guess. Like Fortress's probably are.

 

[KnowAir]

I use the Fortress 6s on my short (mojo) arm k6 nowadays. Not the best for hardpack, but they're just so darned tough, they won't give up!! I was just reading your thoughts on the FT tires on someone's FT build..they do sound good, and even though the tread pattern doesn't really fit my use, I still want a set. I love ugly wheels and tires myself, mostly cuz no one else does.. makes them more affordable!! They can have all those blingy power hobby low pro POS tires..

 

[SrC]

The fancy belted PLs etc, are all so heavy. Work against you. Nothing worse than too much Unsprung weight. Very poor handling results and hard on the drivetrain. Easily adding an extra pound and more of total weight. Just in tires.
Ugly is the new normal for me. Jennys has them cheapest. The only way to go.