New Crawler Guy,New Truck

[kkipp9]

I am totally new to the crawling side of this hobby. I have been doing the bashing and racing thing for quite awhile though. I have my SCX10II kit together and finally got the body painted (hate painting bodies). I have run a few packs through it and I am looking for advice on what to do next. It is stock except for the servo horn and a cheap plastic set of Axial bead lock rims. I plan on a trail run today just for fun. Where I need advice is on what to do next to the truck. With my inexperience in crawling I will more than likely not notice improvements all that much because my skill is that of a child in the crawling lane. I am looking for advice on parts that need to be replaced because they are just placeholders in the kit and holding me back or that will break. What is something that I should look at first? Tires, wheels, foams, bumpers (considering not using bumpers when I turn it into a Honcho style truck) I am just looking to gain skill without being hampered by OEM parts that I am not aware of now.

Thank you for your help.

[ElChupacabra]

There isn't a lot available for that truck yet so I'd say just run it and if you break things replace them. Watch for threads popping up about new parts. They've already started a little bit. There will be tons of aftermarket support for that truck very soon. Tires better suited to your terrain and style of use are always a good thing to look into. I can't speak the quality of those kits tires first hand but the concensus seems to be they're not terrible. The foams are probpably limiting the tires capability. Most people run Crawler Innovations foams in all their tires. I certainly do. Best advice is to drive the truck as often as possible and the limitations of any given component will become clear… Welcome to the slow lane.

[kkipp9]

I have another question dealing with the drag brake. Right now I have my ESC set to 216% crawler brake. Is that a good idea? I am running a 13T Crawlmaster brushed motor.

[ElChupacabra]

Originally Posted by kkipp9

I have another question dealing with the drag brake. Right now I have my ESC set to 216% crawler brake. Is that a good idea? I am running a 13T Crawlmaster brushed motor.

That's not unreasonable if you're only rock crawling 100% of the time. If you're just trail running you'll probably want to adjust that way down. Somewhere around 50% or so is a good starting point and tweak from there. The exact number will depend on a lot of variables and mostly you're personal preference. I have friends who like 100% drag on a trail rig but that would drive me nuts.

[Col_Sanders]

The kit is pretty solid. From a durability standpoint there really isnt anything that you NEED to do do immediately.

The stock tire/foam setup is pretty good on rock and trails, but if you do mud or lots of loose dirt you may want to swap to something else. The stock bumpers (especially that ginormous shovel up front) and huge body hang up quite a bit. Axial has another plastic bumper available that fits the body pretty well and doesnt stick out too far.

213% on your drag brake is a bit much but if you like it, run it.