introduction

If there is one thing I have noticed in today’s quality kits coming forth is the lack, or seemingly lack of effort put into the tires found in them. Soft details, improper tread pattern, oversized, undersized, or any combination of the above. Sometimes it makes me scratch my head wondering why the rest of the kit is excellent, yet the tires are just ho-hum. I hate to say it, but I was a little let down with the tires on the Trumpeter Centauro when I opened the box. So I decided I would wait for aftermarket replacements before jumping into the build of my kit. I didn’t have to wait too awful long, as LionRoar has released a set of resin replacement wheels.

the contents

What you find in the nice sturdy box when you open it are two small zip-lock bags, each containing four tires. These are designed as a direct replacement set for the Trumpeter Centauro 8x8 RCV. They are cast in a light gray resin with excellent detail on the hubs when compared with the kit parts. The resin tires are slightly larger, both in width and height, than the stockers, and feature a slightly different tread pattern as well. Comparing the pattern with pictures of the real items I found online showed they were a near perfect match. Where the kit tires have plain sidewalls, the resin items feature the manufacturer’s logo on them (in this case Michelin). There will be a slight bit of clean up on these where the pour plug is, but should only take just a few minutes and a few passes with a sanding stick or pad once removed from the pour plug. The one page instruction sheet clearly shows the modifications to the kit suspension arm needed to mount the tires. It involves removing all of 2mm of the shaft on kit part A45. All 8 wheels are cast well and show no voids or bubbles in the resin. The tires are labeled as being Battle Style, what ever that means. I looked online at several differing vehicles and could not discern a difference in one from the next in regards to the tires. Others may know more.

conclusion

So there you have it. If you would like to swap-out the kit items for a nice set of resin wheels that look better (and appear to have better overall details and dimensions), these could be the ticket. Overall a nice addition for the Trumpeter kit.