Independant worse than Solid?

[Bsmooth]

Hey Gang,

Something that i have been wracking my brain on:

I watched a vid showing the clodhopper and a few e-maxxes and on the rocks that both crawled on, the maxxes did better than the clod. Now I don't mean to bash the Clodhopper or it's driver, but could the improved performance of the maxxes been from a slower pace or "better" driving? It also appeared as if the clod was a little over sprung. I don't remember where i got the vid exactly but it shows a maxx falling off a ledge and landing on it's paws So I ask you is the general rule about solid-axle true?

[MaxxZilla]

With what I have seen and done, if a solid axle truck is set up right it will take a even better inde truck to beat it and so on. It just depends on how your truck is set up to do.

[MudBoGGinMaxX]

hmm i crawl with Independent soo every tire will take a rock and flex etc now indepent hasnt failed me yet

[AdamF]

You watched my video of my clod and my friend's emaxxes.

My truck was setup wrong for the terrain we were on. The rocks were medium sized, jagged edged, and lots of deep holes. I had Imex duallies converted to single tires. These tires are extremely SKINNY, shorter than most tires, and it also resulted in a very narrow width. The tires kept getting into holes and getting stuck. Plus I had no foams or anything, so the tires would fold on themselves. The emaxxes both had taller and much wider tires, which were able to get in between the gaps in the rocks and pull themselves out.

Another main advantage the emaxxes had over my clod was the fact that they have a nice big smooth skid plate on the front, where as I have a big ugly steering servo and steering linkages that get caught up on the rocks. The rocks we were on were jagged and everywhere. I kept getting hung up on the rocks because of my steering links. The emaxxes don't have anything hanging in front so they just slide right over the rocks. In the future I may build a skid plate over the steering links, but it would look ridiculous.


My clodhopper is definitely NOT over sprung. If anything, it's under sprung. I cut several coils off the stock black springs, and at full extension the springs pull away from the top coil retainer.


Maybe another factor was my truck being fairly lightweight. It's all aluminum. That's the only other thing I can think of, since my truck is set up just like any other clod, 4 link with almost vertical angles, battery right in the middle of the belly pan nice and low. I have a hard body mounted, but it doesn't weight anything.


I am currently rebuilding my rig with a new, steel square tube frame with much larger tires. (look for my post on this forum) This should give me more weight, so that hopefully, with all that frame weight down low, will give me a lower center of gravity. I'm also probably going to build an adjustable battery mount that will allow me to position the battery either closer to the front or closer to the rear, depending on the terrain.


But my 4 wheel steering did out maneuver the emaxxes rather well. In some places where you HAD to turn a very sharp turn in order to go forward, the emaxxes had to do a 14 point turn and hopefully not fall back down the obstacle, where as I just turned the rear steer in the direction I wanted and steered myself onto the next rock.


Oh, and my clodhopper totally spanked the maxxes on the drag strip


And I WILL spank the emaxxes next time out

[MudBoGGinMaxX]

Oh, and my clodhopper totally spanked the maxxes on the drag strip

what bout the Rocks who won???? thats what i want to know

[MaxxZilla]

I have say maxxes overall are way faster then clods.

[TwistedCreations]

we spanked him on the rocks

both our Maxxes are running 1 motor as he has 2 MM motors in his.As adam said though, his tires were just too skinny,plus his don't have a wide stance at all.he needs to not have his coils cut as it seem to give him a little too much roll when not needed.hopefully he can bring more of a challenge next time

I have a rock playground out in my backyard that he said he would spank. well he drove 40 miles to my house just to work on his clod in my shed while me and doug was out playing since the Clodhopper got scared and wanted to keep breaking. So as far as him spanking the Maxxes on the next time out.......well, that's just funnier than hell

Thanks for that laugh adam,that just gives me the boot up the butt to finish my new tuber now

[AdamF]

Also another factor that I realized, is how the underside of the max is setup compared to the clod.

On the underside of the emaxx, it is rather smooth. Nothing for the rocks to get hung up on. Just 2 skinny frame rails.


Now on the clod, you have 2 big old axles and motors sticking out. The rocks just LOVE to get hung up on the axles.


So overall, yes the emaxxes did better on the rocks than me that day. But it really has nothing to do with "solid axle vs. independent" but rather the way the trucks are designed and set up.

[AdamF]

Go back and CAREFULLY look at the way my clod gets hung up on the axles and the steering linkages, and how the maxx just slides over.


http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/afertig...ng072404.0.wmv

[Rufies97XJ]

Originally Posted by MaxxZilla

I have say maxxes overall are way faster then clods.

Not when the maxxxes are geared down....

[Mnster]

MAXX trucks can do good in the sharp jagged small rocks. A maxx can't climb up stairs or do very large boulder trails. A maxx clearly has less ground clearance then a well built soild truck. Maxx trucks are really heavy and have a lot of drivetain play. I bet if you put the dual tires on one of the maxxes it wouldn't even be able to enter the rocky area in that vid. The vid just wasn't equal fair play small tires and top heavy vs large tires and low. Most of crawling is all in the tires and the balance/clearance of the truck. If you guys still think maxxes are better then why don't they win in real crawling competions. Once Adam gets his truck rebuilt he WILL school all of you. Face it solid trucks are better and maxxes suck.

[Rufies97XJ]

Originally Posted by Mnster

If you guys still think maxxes are better then why don't they win in real crawling competions. Once Adam gets his truck rebuilt he WILL school all of you. Face it solid trucks are better and maxxes suck.

You still gonna say this once we solid axle our maxxes?
Better yet... who gives a shit... its all fun no matter what you drive.
Plus, Its like comparing apples to oranges... both trucks are going to perform better then the other in some areas.

No one here is saying the maxxes are the best. just on that day we did better then a clod. No big deal.
plus the three of us Toy, Adam and myself just got into this hobby... we haven't had the time to build anything for a crawling competition... well maybe Toy has, but he sold it..

[Mnster]

You still gonna say this once we solid axle our maxxes

No because it would then be a solid axle truck. I see it the same way as you. You win some you lose some, some things are better then other things its all a matter of opinion. Everyone thinks they got the best crawler. All trucks are good at certain things and suck at certain things. As long as you have a good time nothing else matters.

[Rufies97XJ]

Originally Posted by Mnster

No because it would then be a solid axle truck. I see it the same way as you. You win some you lose some, some things are better then other things its all a matter of opinion. Everyone thinks they got the best crawler. All trucks are good at certain things and suck at certain things. As long as you have a good time nothing else matters.

Oh... but it will still be an Emaxx...HAHA

Just messing with ya.. bad day here at work.. have to give shit to someone! :P
Good times! HAHA...
Yep... its all about the fun... and the ladies.... and beer...
is it time to go home yet?!?!

[ChevyPedeCrwlr]

I think IFS and IRS are better because everthing has more clearance.
But Solid Axles are Simpler and sometimes stronger. I crawl Indepent and i do fine with my Stampede.

[AFJ]

i cant say which crawls better ( ive never even crawl my txt) but what caused me to get solid truck is how it looks, much better when crawling, wen axles twist, and get almost 90 degrees (stock) its even fun to look at it

[TwistedCreations]

Originally Posted by Mnster

MAXX trucks can do good in the sharp jagged small rocks. A maxx can't climb up stairs or do very large boulder trails. A maxx clearly has less ground clearance then a well built soild truck. Maxx trucks are really heavy and have a lot of drivetain play. I bet if you put the dual tires on one of the maxxes it wouldn't even be able to enter the rocky area in that vid. The vid just wasn't equal fair play small tires and top heavy vs large tires and low. Most of crawling is all in the tires and the balance/clearance of the truck. If you guys still think maxxes are better then why don't they win in real crawling competions. Once Adam gets his truck rebuilt he WILL school all of you. Face it solid trucks are better and maxxes suck.

1st off my Maxx can climb stairs and big rocks all it wants. yes IFS has less ground clearance, but they basically have a smooth bottom which helps out sliding over stuff. as far as drivetrain play and being heavy that's funny mine has no play at all, either does dougs Maxx. That's why you lock them in 1st gear and my son's emaxx only weighs 6.5lbs.alot less than your TXT or his clod

but now why would we want to go and put tiny little ass dually tires on the Maxxes for? those dually tires suck and are about as small as my TYCO R/C yeah the whole vid wasn't fair because Adam doesn't have his truck setup the right way at all. too top heavy,no width at all, and the cut springs make it roll too much along with pencil wide tires.yes i like Maxxes alot better than a clod. but as for winning a comp with it,they could if setup right and if the person knows how to drive it.the is only like 1 or 2 that ever enter a comp and the rest are clod axled. so that's kinda like your same chances at winning a lottery.

but once adam gets done with his new chassis,he is gonna school us??
ROTFFLMMFAO

that's just flat out funny. just because he gets a new chassis doesn't mean anything.you can form a dog turd into a different shape, but it's still a dog turd(clod) but solid axle trucks are better than IFS, i just run both and the way my sons' Maxx is setup,it will go anywhere he wants it too and that's all that matters