Q: How do I put air holes in my RPM wheels?

A: RPM Wheels don't have air holes for a very good reason. We feel the best place for air holes is not in the wheel but in the tire itself. Think about this for a moment - What is the typical environment your vehicle is run in? Dirt, rocks, dust, mud, water... Do you clean your wheels and tires with soap and water? All of these things can get into your tire if the air holes are in your wheel. The problem is - how do you get it back out? If the tire is glued to the wheel like it should be, then removal of dirt, water, rocks, etc., is next to impossible! Now, if the air holes are in the tire instead of the wheel, the debris will naturally be flung to the outside diameter of the tire when it rotates and debris will extract itself naturally. Therefore, RPM recommends three equally spaced holes (approximately 1/8" in size or smaller) placed in the center around the diameter of the tire. You can use a Dremel tool, X-Acto Knife, or other sharp object to get it done (preferably prior to gluing the tire to the wheel) and by placing the holes in the tire, not the wheel, you won't have to worry about possibly voiding your RPM breakage warranty if you make a mistake! Please use extreme caution when using drills, Dremel tools, or cutting objects such as an X-Acto blade!

If you still insist on placing holes in your RPM wheels, be sure to do it before mounting the tire to the wheel. We recommend a drill no larger than 1/8" maximum in size (3/32" maximum for 1/18th scale wheels). Additionally, RPM does not recommend any more than three air holes per wheel. Find a place in the center of the wheel where a hole will not come in contact with any internal part of the wheel such as a spoke, pin or hex drive surface, etc. If your drill hits anything like that, you will have successfully voided your RPM warranty so please be careful and think about where the drill will end up when it breaks through. Mark your locations with a Sharpie pen and double check that the hole will not interfere with any other part of the wheel. Use extreme care and drill your holes with a drill press or drill motor in a safe place on a workbench or other place where the drill won't end up corkscrewing through and hurting you or anyone around you. Once you have the air holes drilled, you can then mount your tires and have fun!

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