Proline Racing Hyrax XL G8 2.9" Rock Crawling Tires
The 1/6th scale Axial SCX-6 represents an interesting and narrow segment of the large-scale RC industry. Much like the big fish in a small pond, the Axial SCX-6 has dominated the space for off-road trail trucks of this scale. This has been somewhat helped in that there are only a few obscure trail trucks near its size, thus not much competition to contend with.
For the most part, the SCX-6, be it the Jeep or Honcho, is really the only game in town when it comes to 1/6 RC platforms of this type. Even with its popularity, many consumers continue to balk at the $1100 entry price for such a machine. Losi, ARRMA, and Traxxas all have large-scale offerings around that $1000 price point, with a few priced even higher, but the SCX-6 seems to be the lightning rod for criticism when it comes to $1000 threshold. |
As a side note, I’m rather surprised Traxxas hasn’t released a 1/6th scale TRX-4 2021 Bronco. My guess is with the with same 4-servos needed for shifting and exceptionally beautiful body styling Traxxas is known for ( yes, Traxxas owns the market for premium detailed bodies ), it would most likely retail for $1500. I’d buy one immediately.
Getting back on topic, the after-market support for the SCX-6 seems to be thriving with countless offerings from Vitavon, Treal RC, as well as smaller vendors in spite of the groaning about the retail price of the SCX-6. There are plenty of performance upgrades, cosmetic scale enhancements, electronic upgrades, and of course our favorite; tire upgrades / options.
If there is one thing we love about our crawlers, it’s the fun in testing out of different tires. And what may come as a surprise to many of our readers, there are quite a few tire options on the market for the SCX-6.
Looking over our fleet of crawlers and trail trucks, I’d say the SCX-6 is easily one of our most favored of the bunch, and we were quite pleased to be heading back out to the rocks for another tire evaluation. So, for this review we won’t be rehashing any of the details about our SCX-6, but rather we will be keeping our focus on the traits and performance aspects of the tire.
Getting back on topic, the after-market support for the SCX-6 seems to be thriving with countless offerings from Vitavon, Treal RC, as well as smaller vendors in spite of the groaning about the retail price of the SCX-6. There are plenty of performance upgrades, cosmetic scale enhancements, electronic upgrades, and of course our favorite; tire upgrades / options.
If there is one thing we love about our crawlers, it’s the fun in testing out of different tires. And what may come as a surprise to many of our readers, there are quite a few tire options on the market for the SCX-6.
Looking over our fleet of crawlers and trail trucks, I’d say the SCX-6 is easily one of our most favored of the bunch, and we were quite pleased to be heading back out to the rocks for another tire evaluation. So, for this review we won’t be rehashing any of the details about our SCX-6, but rather we will be keeping our focus on the traits and performance aspects of the tire.
Speaking of the tires for this article, we are going to dive into a detailed review of the Pro-Line Racing ( PLR ) 2.9” Hyrax rock-crawling tire.
The PLR Hyrax rock-crawling tire is widely popular in the RC community, with a strong reputation for excellent performance on many different surfaces and conditions. This popularity put them at the top of our list for testing, but they are only one of many options in a surprisingly large suite of tire offerings for the SCX-6. |
Years past, tire selection for the SCX-6 was somewhat limited, but over the past eighteen months, more companies have brought to market their own version of a trail and rock-crawling tire. Below is a list of all the SCX-6 tire options which we know of to date.
Having ten* tire options for the SCX-6 is rather impressive, especially considering the relatively small market of the 2.9” wheel size and its uniqueness to the SCX-6. I think it shows a surprisingly robust RC crawler market share belonging to the SCX-6, and hopefully this trend continues.
Up to this point we have reviewed the JConcepts Landmines for this website, but we’ve also been driving the OEM Axial BFG tires as well as a set of the PLR Swampers. This has given us a broader perspective on tire performance for the SCX-6, and those reviews are forthcoming.
With the tire options laid out, it’s time to jump into the ins and outs of the PLR Hyrax, and to start, I think we need to step back and understand just what is exactly a Hyrax?
*There are a few second-tier quality tire knock-offs floating around, but they tend to come and go, so we didn’t include them in this list.
- Axial BFG Mud Terrain KM3 ( OEM for the Jeep )
- Axial Falken Wildpeak ( OEM for the Honcho )
- JConcepts Landmines
- JConcepts Tusks
- Pro-Line Racing Hyrax
- Pro-Line Racing Interco Swamper
- Pro-Line Racing Maxxis Trepador
- Pro-Line Racing Mickey Thompson Baja Pro X
- Powerhobby 2.9" Trail Warrior
- Powerhobby 2.9" Mudboss
Having ten* tire options for the SCX-6 is rather impressive, especially considering the relatively small market of the 2.9” wheel size and its uniqueness to the SCX-6. I think it shows a surprisingly robust RC crawler market share belonging to the SCX-6, and hopefully this trend continues.
Up to this point we have reviewed the JConcepts Landmines for this website, but we’ve also been driving the OEM Axial BFG tires as well as a set of the PLR Swampers. This has given us a broader perspective on tire performance for the SCX-6, and those reviews are forthcoming.
With the tire options laid out, it’s time to jump into the ins and outs of the PLR Hyrax, and to start, I think we need to step back and understand just what is exactly a Hyrax?
*There are a few second-tier quality tire knock-offs floating around, but they tend to come and go, so we didn’t include them in this list.
What’s a Hyrax
While your first guess might be a rock-crawling tire, the name Hyrax refers to a small, furry, short-tailed animal which looks somewhat like an average sized rock chuck, but is oddly related to the elephant and sea cow rather than other rock-dwelling rodents. Found in the rocky, arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, the Hyrax is a tremendously agile rock climber with the ability to scale nearly vertical walls and scamper along rock piles in avoidance of predators. One of the special attributes which enhances the Hyrax’s climbing abilities are its unique feet, more so it’s the rubbery toes on those little feet. The Hyrax’s unique rubbery toes are lined with tiny sweat glands, and these along with their foot's ability to lift in the center, creates a firm grip on the dry, steep rocky terrain of its habitat. More about the Hyrax here: Hyrax Link |
I had the chance to interview Eric Epp, Product Manager for PLR, and he shared this interesting bit of history behind the Hyrax name for their most popular crawler tire.
"Our product development team made a list of all the animals who live on rocky cliffs (Ibex became another crawler tire a few years later!). The Hyrax are known for being awesome rock climbers who have super traction feet. What better animal to name a rock crawling tire after? It's so obscure though, that I'm not sure many people even know the tire is named after an animal. It sort of sounds like more of a high-tech name than being named after a mountain gopher! But the name has stuck and it's become a legendary moniker for so many tires across our product line. |
The 1.9” Hyrax tires were the first, way back in 2016 I believe, and they've been our best-selling crawler tire ever since. Since then, we've brought the same tread pattern to:
Eric's comments were surprising in that I hadn’t realized just how many different versions of the Hyrax exist, but when a product design seems to check all the boxes, why not keep expanding the offerings? It was also refreshing to hear back from PLR directly, especially since I’ve struggled with contacting a number of different RC tire companies over the past few years.
At the conclusion of our discussion, I let Eric know that he would see a draft version of this review before publishing, but if the Hyrax tires under-performed, I wouldn’t hold back from saying so. I had a hunch they put this tire to the test already, but our colossal sandstone is a whole different level than what many crawlers have ever experienced.
- 1.9" Hyrax (PRO10128)
- 2.2" Crawler (PRO10132)
- 1.9" Class 1 Scale Crawler(4.19" OD) PRO10142
- Traxxas UDR (PRO10163)
- SCX6 2.9" (PRO10186)
- 2.8" Monster Truck (PRO10190)
- U4 Rock Racing (2.2/3.0") (PRO10195)
- SCX24 (PRO10194)
- 2.2" Crawler Low Profile (for Capra, etc) (PRO10220)"
Eric's comments were surprising in that I hadn’t realized just how many different versions of the Hyrax exist, but when a product design seems to check all the boxes, why not keep expanding the offerings? It was also refreshing to hear back from PLR directly, especially since I’ve struggled with contacting a number of different RC tire companies over the past few years.
At the conclusion of our discussion, I let Eric know that he would see a draft version of this review before publishing, but if the Hyrax tires under-performed, I wouldn’t hold back from saying so. I had a hunch they put this tire to the test already, but our colossal sandstone is a whole different level than what many crawlers have ever experienced.
Hyrax Details
The Hyrax is a non-directional, aggressively styled off-road tire designed for trail trucks, rock crawlers, and in some cases rock racers. Featuring prominent tire lugs with a staggered symmetrical spacing, the lugs are moderately spaced apart with adequate clearances for rock and mud while providing plenty of contact area for the tread. Similar to other off-road tire designs, the Hyrax features small rock ejectors between the larger outside lug pattern as well as a functional tread pattern wrapping about a third of the way down the side wall. The Hyrax carcass is proportionally thick and firm for this tire size, and I feel it’s better proportioned than some of the 2.2” Hyrax tire’s I’ve worked with in the past. This Hyrax tire feels and looks as if it was a legitimate 2.9” in its design, rather than a reworked 2.2 tire. |
What gives this tire its unique name is the small, wavy siping pattern spanning the top of each tire lug. The wavy siping grooves flex and conform to the tiny imperfections of rock, reminding me somewhat of a gecko’s foot, but I can also see the relation to the Hyrax’s foot ( hence the name). This flexing and conforming takes place as the lug is compressed under the weight of the truck. As the tire rotates, the lugs unload and the siping returns to its original shape.
The Hyrax rubber compound is PLR's G8 series, which runs a bit harder than their ultra-soft Predator compound. The G8 is perfect for this tire in that it will hold up to the higher speeds of the SCX-6’s second gear in the transmission as well as resist wearing away on the abrasive rock surfaces. It’s also a good choice for our hot and dry climate, offering a bit more support than the softer Predator compound.
When considering the attributes of the G8 rubber compound along with the small, delicate tire siping, the question first and foremost is how these two details will come into play considering the substantial weight of the SCX-6. Control and tire longevity are the two big questions on our mind for this review. As for the remaining details, the company and tire names are precisely molded into the sidewall, along with the part number and a few smaller textual details, giving it a lovely scale appearance. The tire bead is well formed and easy to mount on a set of beadlock wheels. The precision of the molding is excellent and somewhat indicative of a well-designed and maintained tire mold, further enhancing the tire’s overall quality. |
Foam Setup
In our previous SCX-6 tire review, we worked with a prototype set of Crawler Innovation foams and found them to be quite impressive with the Landmines, working well to provide a high-level of traction while supporting the weight of the truck. At this time, Crawler Innovations is testing some improvements to their foams for the SCX-6, so in the meantime we opted to test out a set of the 3 Brothers RC Anti-Foams. These “inserts” are 3D printed and come in one piece, with a varying series of voids in the print pattern. This variable-void pattern creates a unique structural support throughout the insert, resulting in a softer / greater compliance near the outer edge of the insert while providing more support near the center. In theory, these will act and feel much like a two-stage foam, but without the worry of rotting away like foam when exposed to water. This is especially important to crawlers driving through swampy or damp areas. |
We’ve tested out a few different brands of 3D printed inserts for our 1.9” crawlers in the past and found them to not have the same level of tire compliance on steep, difficult terrain. The downside to 3D printed inserts is that the void structure acts like a slow spring, and when crawling up step, large rock, the spring-back property of the plastic filament used for the insert is just enough to lift the front tires off the rock and diminish traction.
From our experience, we’ve seen is just a bit of twitchiness in a few 1/10 trucks with inserts when compared to the dead-feeling of properly tuned traditional two-piece foams. It only shows up on exceptionally steep rock where the front tires are just kissing the rock’s face, but it’s for sure present. That said, our SCX-6 isn’t capable of such steep, technical ascents such as 10 Rock or Devil’s Haircut trails, so we figured it would be fun to try them out on our technical terrain with a bit of steep rock crawling.
With our online popularity soaring and a solid three dozen followers on YouTube, we found ourselves paying full retail for these inserts. Actually, we didn't even bother asking for a set to test, we just ordered them up. At a bit over $100 with shipping puts them on par with the Crawler Innovations offerings, and about double the price when compared to a set of 1.9” inserts.
From our experience, we’ve seen is just a bit of twitchiness in a few 1/10 trucks with inserts when compared to the dead-feeling of properly tuned traditional two-piece foams. It only shows up on exceptionally steep rock where the front tires are just kissing the rock’s face, but it’s for sure present. That said, our SCX-6 isn’t capable of such steep, technical ascents such as 10 Rock or Devil’s Haircut trails, so we figured it would be fun to try them out on our technical terrain with a bit of steep rock crawling.
With our online popularity soaring and a solid three dozen followers on YouTube, we found ourselves paying full retail for these inserts. Actually, we didn't even bother asking for a set to test, we just ordered them up. At a bit over $100 with shipping puts them on par with the Crawler Innovations offerings, and about double the price when compared to a set of 1.9” inserts.
Honcho at Badrock Ridge
Heading out to Badrock Ridge, the performance bar was set relatively high based on the results from our testing of the JConcepts Landmine tires. The tuned SCX-6 Honcho had surpassed our expectations with the steepness of the rocks it could climb as well as its overall trail performance, but with a changing of both the tires and foams, it could all go to pot. Our first outing with the Hyrax installed was after a week of intermittent light rain showers, leaving the rock clean and dry with only a few residual pockets of water remaining. While tempting to drive through the water, we always drive around the small pools. Even though the 3Brothers RC Anti-Foams do not rot from exposure to water, these clear pools of water are critical for the local wildlife, and churning up sediment from the bottom is just poor form. Don’t be that guy. |
As the trail became more technical, I started to see an interesting trait with this tire / insert combination.
Unlike the plush feel of the two-stage foams from Crawler Innovations, these inserts were less compliant to the rock, feeling like a much stiffer foam. But, with the heavier weight of this SCX-6, the Hyrax tire lugs were being driven firmly into the rock’s surface, and the fine siping of the tire’s lugs were gripping superbly. Rather than the wrapping feel of a Hyrax’s foot, this combination felt more like the precision footing of a mountain goat with it's sharp, pointy hooves. At times you could see only the slightest tire carcass flexing on the rock, yet there was enough traction to make it to the top. |
Further on down the trail, we opted for a path which had us make a steep and somewhat precarious descent down a heavily eroded chunk of sandstone. Taking this path offered a shortcut to the next trailhead, but it challenges any truck’s ability to go down something steep and off-camber, which is all part of crawling.
We’ve all seen the “bulldog” layout of countless Power Wagons where all the weight is oriented up front, yet for all the difficult climbs they can handle, going downhill frequently results in the truck flipping over. Looking at our SCX-6, the suspension setup and weight distribution is well suited to a wide range of crawling situations, so while I was confident the truck would not flip rear axle over front bumper.
Having the Hyrax tires grip well enough to not send the SCX-6 sliding uncontrollably to the bottom like it’s on a toboggan ride was still in question.
We’ve all seen the “bulldog” layout of countless Power Wagons where all the weight is oriented up front, yet for all the difficult climbs they can handle, going downhill frequently results in the truck flipping over. Looking at our SCX-6, the suspension setup and weight distribution is well suited to a wide range of crawling situations, so while I was confident the truck would not flip rear axle over front bumper.
Having the Hyrax tires grip well enough to not send the SCX-6 sliding uncontrollably to the bottom like it’s on a toboggan ride was still in question.
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The camera angle on this setup was a bit tricky, so I opted to focus on the tires and crop out the rest of the frame.
Not only is the descent steep, but it drops quickly away from the driver’s side in an attempt to flip the truck over on the hood. As we descended the section, there were a few full-stop moments to prevent forward inertia from taking over and the Hyrax tires held. |
As the angle of descent increased, we backed off the drag brake a bit, allowing the truck to roll with a bit of slippage from the tires. We were able to keep all four bits of rubber in contact with the rock, but it took a delicate touch to complete. Another item worth mentioning is the direct-power NSDRC servo; it's one of the few servos which can withstand the forces generated by these steep descents where most of the SCX-6's weight is transferred to the front axle and steering is needed.
Lumpy’s Loop
Swinging over to the next climb, this is a short bit we call Lumpy’s Loop. While not a particularly challenging climb, it’s just slick enough to slide the truck off into a jam or dump you over the edge. Most of our trucks from the fleet can make this climb, so we expected similar success with the SCX-6. That said, the GoPro effect is real, and this rock is steeper than it looks. |
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We ended up filming two clips, one from the bottom and one from the top of the climb.
I feel this helps share a perspective as to the steepness and slickness of the sandstone formation. We were pleased to see the SCX-6 easily handle a number of passes on this rock. |
Creosote Butte
Working along the Badrock trail system, we decided to tackle one of the steeper and more technical branches of the trail which wraps up and around to the top of Creosote Butte. Starting from the base of a formation west of High Line Trail, the path to the top of Creosote Butte is a steep, twisting affair which challenges both the climbing traction of a truck and its sidehill stability.
For this trail run, we set up the GoPro camera and filmed the climb in three separate videos, moving the camera to the ideal spot for each section. We believe that filming these sections does more to demonstrate the truck's performance that just photos. While we favor the simplicity of photos, everyone like videos.
Working along the Badrock trail system, we decided to tackle one of the steeper and more technical branches of the trail which wraps up and around to the top of Creosote Butte. Starting from the base of a formation west of High Line Trail, the path to the top of Creosote Butte is a steep, twisting affair which challenges both the climbing traction of a truck and its sidehill stability.
For this trail run, we set up the GoPro camera and filmed the climb in three separate videos, moving the camera to the ideal spot for each section. We believe that filming these sections does more to demonstrate the truck's performance that just photos. While we favor the simplicity of photos, everyone like videos.
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Heading to what seemed to be a flat wall, we swept the SCX-6 to the far-left side of a rock pile.
The plan was to lean into the right side and let the tires settle in, placing most of the SCX-6’s weight on the passenger side. At times the rear links would catch on the edge of the rock ledge, but surprisingly the truck had little difficult with this section. You can see in the video how the 3BRC Anti-Foams are fully supporting the tire, forcing the tire’s lugs into the rock rather than folding over. |
On this second video, the trail steepens considerably and you can see the slow progress of the SCX-6. The Hyrax were slipping more than before, but there was just enough traction to keep the truck under control and slowly making progress to the top.
Near the end of this clip, you can see how we were fishing with the front tires, looking for some traction to help pull the truck’s nose down and over the small nub of sandstone near the top. |
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The final section of Creosote Butte trail poses challenges due to the sharp edges of exposed rock constantly rubbing the sidewalls of the tires.
Luckily, the steepness of this section drops off rapidly, making the need to twist and turn the front tires much less. As you can see, the SCX-6 makes relatively short work of this section. That said, you'll also note the tires remaining relatively firm throughout this climb. |
Looking closer at the video, the rear tires are providing most of the traction, with a decent amount of sidewall flexing and conformance to the rock’s surface. The Hyrax’s lugs are driving firmly into the rock, and while slipping a bit in some spots, the truck does indeed handle a steep and difficult climb.
As for the front tires, I’m seeing quite a few moments where the tire is only somewhat engaging the rock with very little flexing of the carcass. This results in a loss of traction on these steep sections of trail, but as mentioned before, we still made it to the top.
As for the front tires, I’m seeing quite a few moments where the tire is only somewhat engaging the rock with very little flexing of the carcass. This results in a loss of traction on these steep sections of trail, but as mentioned before, we still made it to the top.
El Arbol Perdido & The Waterslide
Kicking off another day of testing on the far side of Badrock Ridge, we tackled the infamous El Arbol Perdido Trail. As one of our favorites, El Arbol Perdido is a long, steep technical trail starting at the base of a massive sandstone formation and winding its way to the top of a hidden summit. Crawling at a reasonable pace measured against the difficulty of the trail, it takes about 30 minutes to reach the summit. The first section of the climb is a steep, eroded slot etched in the sandstone, gaining nearly 40’ of elevation before cresting to small flat transition and then breaking off to the right. Hiking up to follow your truck during the crawl and spotting the line is a bit sketchy, forcing most drivers to find a spot about halfway up and do their best to balance while ascending the trail. Others just stand at the bottom and hope for the best, knowing that if your truck loses its footing, you’re most likely done for the day. From the top, the deep bellies in the trail result in blind spots, so it’s not practical to spot from above. |
On this day we chose to stand at the bottom, hoping for the best as the SCX-6 carefully navigated the ever narrowing and steepening climb to the top. Slow and steady was the pace, and the Hyrax were able to dig into the knobby sections of rock and find plenty of traction. Near the top, there is a deep belly on the right side of the trail, so you have to jam the front tires into the left-side crack and use the sidewall tread for traction. Otherwise, the front of the truck will lift too high and over you go, bouncing down the trail.
Carefully we navigated that tight spot and before too long we had crested to the top of the trail. From there it’s a moderately challenging trail with plenty of technical terrain, and the SCX-6 cruised along with little difficulty. We stopped from time to time for a photo, but everyone on the trail that day was anxious to head over to the Waterslide.
Carefully we navigated that tight spot and before too long we had crested to the top of the trail. From there it’s a moderately challenging trail with plenty of technical terrain, and the SCX-6 cruised along with little difficulty. We stopped from time to time for a photo, but everyone on the trail that day was anxious to head over to the Waterslide.
Descending from the summit, we followed along the trail until we began our descent into the main chute of the Waterslide.
Driving down the main chute is relatively simple, and the massive drag brake from the factory SCX-6 motor had everything under control. Once at the bottom, we worked our way up a few different lines and were pleased with the Hyrax’s traction on the slick sandstone. It’s an easy section to drive, and the wide, curved chute of the Waterslide allows you to try progressively steeper angles without getting into too much trouble. After a few passes on the main chute, we opted to swing to the right and attack a challenging side-trail up the north side of the rock. Adorned with steep overhangs, grainy surface, and eroded washouts, this trail commands some respect. |
Slow and steady is again the flavor of the climb, primarily due to the need to relocate your position above the truck and look down the rock to spot your line. It’s higher than it looks, with the summit about 20’ off the ground.
The SCX-6 settled into a slow, chugging crawl up the eroded sandstone face. There were plenty of sketchy moments where the tires would slip, resulting in a chilling shudder as the entire truck would slide down the rock a few inches before regaining traction all while a front tire would gently float up and away from the rock a few tenths of an inch. Once the Hyrax hooked up, the motor’s drag brake was plenty strong to hold the truck in place, and a soft flick of the front steering would settle the truck back down. |
Creeping along, we worked our way to the top, hoping the truck would maintain its composure. Of all the trails we had been testing the Hyrax on, this climb had us the most nervous.
Standing above the truck gives you no way to brace or catch it once it starts to roll; it’s all or nothing for this trail. A bit more slipping and clawing from the Hyrax, and we summited another difficult climb. At this point, I was sold. The Hyrax and these foams check the boxes of performance and control. That said, we still had much more trail time ahead of us. |
Easy Street
Headed back out to Badrock, we wanted to try out a side trail called Easy Street, which veers a sharp right away from High Line Trail. This route is popular in that it presents a number of technical challenges to the driver, such as steep lines and a nasty sidehill transition, but nothing approaching the difficulty of High Line Trail. Setting up the GoPro for this run, we chose to film at a wide angle to capture the SCX-6 scaling one of the more challenging sections of this trail. |
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Starting up from the bottom, you can see that the SCX-6 has little trouble negotiating the loose, chunky ledges. Even though the trail steepens quickly, the traction from the Hyrax maintains the truck’s forward momentum.
After settling into the sidehill, the SCX-6 wraps a smooth left-handed turn on the slick sandstone without any difficulty. You’ll note that the top passenger tire does not hook the inside sidewall on the ledge, but rather maintains a soft contact for the truck’s balance while the driver’s side tires prevent the truck from slipping back down the rock face. It was a clean pass on this section of trail.
After settling into the sidehill, the SCX-6 wraps a smooth left-handed turn on the slick sandstone without any difficulty. You’ll note that the top passenger tire does not hook the inside sidewall on the ledge, but rather maintains a soft contact for the truck’s balance while the driver’s side tires prevent the truck from slipping back down the rock face. It was a clean pass on this section of trail.
More Trail Time at Badrock
With the video work complete, we settled back into a routine of running different areas at Badrock a few times every week to see if there was any detail about the Hyrax’s performance we’ve overlooked. We also took some time to cruise around the lower rock formations, debris piles, and natural vegetation. The Hyrax's tread pattern performed quite well in the small loose rock and dirt, encountering no difficulty in any of these areas. Overall, the Hyrax maintained a consistently high level of performance on the trail, and the controlled footing came to be something we relied upon on more difficult ascents. The SCX-6 continued to please with its realistic feel and ability to make its way along a number of difficult paths, and I couldn't find anything about the Hyrax that was worth complaining about. |
Back in the Garage
With the final trail run complete, we put the SCX-6 back on the workbench to take a closer look at the tire’s lugs and sidewalls. Many of the trails at Badrock Ridge are treacherous, littered with small, jagged chunks of limestone and unusual sandstone protrusions sticking out like an old steak knifes. These features can ruin the sidewall of any crawler tire, but for tire damage they pale in comparison to the relentless abrasive wear that sandstone presents to any kind of soft rubber crawling tire. Our rock is like driving across sandpaper, with the steeper angles applying the greatest amount abrasive wear to the tires. While the traction on sandstone is far better than on granite or wet rock, it comes at a price; tire life. On some of the steepest ascents, we would see little bits and ribbons of rubber shredded off the tire come tumbling down behind the SCX-6 as it made its way to the top. |
Looking close at the Hyrax, you can see that virtually all the siping molded into the tire’s lugs had been worn away, yet the sidewalls were all intact and free from damage.
The beads remained firmly secured in the wheel’s beadlock ring, and I could find no other defect in any of the four tires. Judging from the number of trails we had run, I figured we conservatively have another 6 months of use before the lugs are worn down to the tire’s carcass. I do want to remind readers that we've modified the SCX-6's transmission to only have the low gear, and there was no tire-spinning or racing around in the parking lot. All of the tire wear is due to trail driving and rock crawling. PLR’s choice to go with the G8 compound over the softer Predator is most likely correct in that I feel the Predator compound would wear out a bit too quick. |
Final Thoughts
After months of testing in some of the most technical and challenging terrain at Badrock Ridge, I’m confident in saying that the PLR Hyrax off-road tires are an excellent choice for the Axial SCX-6 truck. There wasn’t a terrain or surface we encountered where the Hyrax didn’t perform admirably, and their toughness held up to the highly abrasive sandstone surfaces of our trail network. If there is one area where they came up just short, it’s providing enough traction to help the SCX-6 up the steepest sections of trail. We had to spin a little bit before we made it to the top. G8 is a bit firmer than their Predator compound, and switching to the softer compound would help traction on the steep, slick sections of rock, but I suspect they would have a considerably shorter tire life. |
While I feel it’s important to point this out, the majority of SCX-6 drivers are not encountering or challenging such steep and abrasive technical terrain.
They Hyrax are very good tires and I think the G8 is the correct compound for 95% of the SCX-6 crawlers out on the trail. Throughout the testing, we looked for one specific area where they really shined, and thought maybe it would be their excellent side-hill control, but it’s the well-rounded performance aspect of the Hyrax becoming the attribute which really stood out. Hyrax are the one set of tires which will do well in just about any type of terrain encountered out on the trail all while offering a respectable life span. |
The combination of the 3 Brothers RC Anti-Foams and PLR Hyrax proved to be an excellent setup for our SCX-6. Unlike some of the 3D printed inserts we’ve used in the past, these provided a tremendous level of support for the Hyrax tires, while still allowing for tire compliance to scale some tricky lines.
When the trail becomes quite steep, you’ll see that these foams give up a little bit of performance when compared to traditional two-stage foams in terms of flexible compliance for the front tires.
That said, I like the feel of these inserts combination and most likely will continue to use them from time to time on future tire tests for the SCX-6, especially for all-around trail and rock-crawling tires.
When the trail becomes quite steep, you’ll see that these foams give up a little bit of performance when compared to traditional two-stage foams in terms of flexible compliance for the front tires.
That said, I like the feel of these inserts combination and most likely will continue to use them from time to time on future tire tests for the SCX-6, especially for all-around trail and rock-crawling tires.
Now, should you cough up the $100 for a set of the 2.9" Hyrax for your SCX-6? Maybe so.
I feel that if you drive both gears of the two-speed transmission of the truck frequently, and there is some high-speed playing or bouncing around in your style, then yes, absolutely. The G8 compound's durability is perfect for this. If you're all about the trail truck and spending afternoons out and about on your local trail system, then the Hyrax are a good investment. They crawl pretty darn well. |
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I've included this final video to show just how steep of a line the SCX-6 can conquer with the Hyrax. This incline pushes our SCX-6 to the limit, and you'll note that the front driver's side tire spends most of its time being carried off the rock. Anything steeper, and the truck will flip backwards, thus more traction isn't useful in this situation.
I consider the Hyrax to be a great “do everything” choice. Even if you’re all about slow creeping and pushing your SCX-6’s crawling ability to the extreme, they are one of a few tires you should be looking at.
s.
I consider the Hyrax to be a great “do everything” choice. Even if you’re all about slow creeping and pushing your SCX-6’s crawling ability to the extreme, they are one of a few tires you should be looking at.
s.
Pro-Line Racing 2.9” Hyrax Evaluation Results
Technical Rock: 27/30
Large Slab ( Slick Rock ): 18/20
Tire Construction Quality and Appearance: 20/20
Rubber Compound: 18/20
Tread Life: 4/5
Versatility: 5/5
Total Score: 92/100
Technical Rock: 27/30
- The Hyrax quickly proved to be a proficient tire on the challenging technical terrain. The wide spacing between the lugs allowed for traction on the small protrusions of rock, and the raised sidewall tread pattern was excellent for hooking the edges of the tire on steep turns. At times we needed to fish a bit for traction, but eventually one of the tires would catch and keep us moving up the rock.
Large Slab ( Slick Rock ): 18/20
- During the testing, we were able to knock off several steep ascents on the slick rock, but there were a few times where the truck would slide down the rock, forcing us to pick a slightly different line with a bit more surface texture. We found that the tread pattern favored the technical rock over the slick rock, but the respectable large-slab performance did not prevent us from tackling some of the most challenging trails at Badrock.
Tire Construction Quality and Appearance: 20/20
- We have not always loved the Hyrax tire from Pro-Line, and there is one set of 2.2’s in the shop which have horrifically flimsy beads, making the mounting process a nightmare. That said, these 2.9” are excellent. We can’t find anything amiss or deficient with this version of the Hyrax. Excellent molding, tread detail, proper carcass thickness; there was not a single aspect out of place with any of the four tires we tested.
Rubber Compound: 18/20
- Pro-Line’s G8 compound tends to be on the hard side for crawling on our sandstone, but it holds up well in warmer temperatures and better results the abrasive nature of our rocks when compared to their softer, Predator compound. That said, you do give up some traction on smooth sandstone surfaces. This results in a performance more oriented towards a trail tire rather than a crawling focused tire.
Tread Life: 4/5
- Performance comes at a price, and even though the rubber compound on this tire is the harder G8 of Pro-Line’s two crawler / trail truck offering, the heavy weight of the SCX-6 takes a toll on these tires. Eventually the rock abraded away the delicate siping on the tire’s lugs, but that’s to be expected for such a high-level of performance.
Versatility: 5/5
- If there is a true stand-out trait about the Hyrax, it’s the absolute versatility of this tire. For months we tested and re-tested this tire on many different trails throughout Badrock Ridge, and it consistently performed admirably on every surface. If you want to stick with a single tire for your SCX-6, the Hyrax should be the one.
Total Score: 92/100
Product Details
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Author’s Notes
- We purchased these tires through a dealer a were not provided with testing samples from Pro-Line Racing.
- 3 Brothers RC Anti Foams were purchased at full retail with no indication they would be used in this review.
- Special thanks to Kyle, Greg, and the rest of the crew for their continued support and words of encouragement.
- Thanks to Eric Epps from Pro-line Racing for taking the time to answer some of our questions and share the history of the Hyrax tire.