FNG saying hello...
 

I've been into RC for a while now (mostly Slash and Slayer trucks with an HPI True Scale 510) but I've wondered what all the fuss was about with crawling, so I bought a Duratrax Cliff Climber (as did three of my buds). Got bored with that after the 1st day so I bought a used Axial AX10 with a beat ARTR body - and I might've paid too much but what the heck... Anyway, here's how it's built up now:

Axial axles with stock gearing and sintered lockers and straight rear axle with lockouts from ARTR kit
golden horizon aluminum c's and knuckles
axial tranny with 4340 steel output's
stampede driveshafts with custom rings and axial rings
MFM black widow chassis with center drilled skid
MFM delrin lower links with large revo rod ends
artr upper links with traxxas rod ends
R2j 4 link plates front and rear
Hobbico cs150 steering servo (replaced center plastic gear with metal)
super heavy duty aluminum servo horn
Mcmaster carr black oxide 3mm hardware and nylock through-out
Novak Rooster crawler
Novak Fifty Five motor
2x 1300mah 2s lipo's
Panther Cougar tires
RC4wd aluminum beadlocks
Traxxas big bore shocks
Losi white springs

For spares:
4x basically new Chisels w/foam
4x weighted, stock axial ARTR beadlocks
4x custom siped ARTR hammers
stock chassis plates with inboarded link mounts
edge chassis with R2j skid
R2j bent delrin lowers with traxxas ends
ARTR bent and straight lowers
traxxas steel links
TCS delrin battery axle battery plates
TCS front and rear 4 link plates (polished aluminum)
stock shocks
TCS internal springs for droop setups (for the Edge)
extra MFM "style" chassis with MFM dig drilled skid
stock springs and red maxx springs
aluminum panels for Edge chassis

Now the question is. What do I do with it all? I've been running it in the yard and I really have no idea on what I'm doing, other than arsing about (veddy, veddy slowly) or really what I'm looking for as far as the best setup or is there such a thing with what I have if all I'm doing (for now) is puttering about the yard running over rocks.

Any and all advice welcomed.

Thanks...

Hey hows it going! Welcome:mrgreen: You must have an older set of my links, I'm now making straight and bent links with 3/8" Delrin with 4mm stud and Revo ends. You should come to HT this Saturday for the comp. You'll get all kinds of advise/help.

x2!

it's always good to meet a new/fellow crawler, bring a sign that says "will dance for crawler help" your rig will be pro by the end of the day!

Hi and welcome.

We have competitions almost every week lined up for the next few saturdays. Come out to Hobbytown in Westminster at about 10am. $5 entry fee, first comp of a 4 comp series.

You'll get to meet a great group of crawlers and there are a ton of people that will give you a ton of great advice. All types; from newbies to people that have been doing it since before it was cool. The good thing is that there's a hobby store right next to the comp area, so if you break something, they might have a replacement (or even one of the other guys might have one too.)

You've got a good start, you'll probably want to look into a 3 position 3rd channel capable radio system (if you don't already have one) and a dig. The vanquish dig seems to be the way to go right now. (I run a DNA and am so far satisfied with it.) Dig will help allow you to maneuver better. And all the top guys have one, and they design the courses to be almost impossible without one.

Again, welcome, hope to see you at HT this weekend.

Cool, I'll be there tomorrow. Promise not to laugh if I ask dumb questions and sorry, no dancing - old war wound you see.

understandable! we wont laugh to loud, we have all asked the same questions you are going to ask!

Nice to have met an few of you today. Hopefully I didn't talk your collective ears off and many thanks to Tonylivestoday for also letting me take a few "laps" in his rig.

I think I'm going to like it here... "thumbsup"

Dogsbody, I live in Pine as well, where abouts are you?

666,
I'm just outside of town headed toward 285. Maybe a mile or so up the road?

Do you know Maverick and Charlie?

Nope, I just moved up here a month ago.

Dogsbody,

It was nice meeting you on saturday. Now lets get that rig off the bench and in the comp this saturday. You never know what to change until you have comped it a few times. Than you have to change it based on whether you are running rip rap or natural terrain.

It looks as if you have some great parts to choose from but the most important part is practice driving it. As you probably noticed people will stand around and give you advice while your crawling and eventually you will be able to see the lines and know what to do in certain situations.

Heck I just moved from an Axial based rig to a Bully MOA and I am still trying to figure out when to effectively use my rear burn. ON one of the courses saturday I was in between a rock and a hard place LOL:mrgreen: and Almighty Malachi told me to rear burn and the truck popped right out. WIthout his advice I may have not done as well.

It is great having additional people at the comps. I think you will find many people including myself who have gotten into crawling in the past 6-12 months like myself. Hope you make it out to the comps."thumbsup"

Wish I could make it but I don't have a rear dig and I can't get one in time. I heard mention of a Vanquish dig, is that a decent option? Plus, I kind of want to go the tuber route, I've a TCS Eclipse and Edge chassis sitting on my desk, staring at me. That'll mean swapping everything over and then some.

Hey, I've got a Duratrax Cliff Climber all ready to go! :oops: