rear steer,Digs,Difflocks,winchdown. uses and preferences?

[spoo76]

Ok I already know what

Dig
diff locks
rear steer and
winch down are

I would like to know how you would prioritize these. what is MUST have and what would be something you could live without.

Also please tell the good and bad points of each if any and how you find them useful

for example I know winch down can be used to lower your ride height and give you better center of gravity. if you get hung up you can let the winch out to bring your ride height back up. I would imagine keeping the front down would help with steep hills to prevent a rollover as well

with a dig you can lock the front or rear for sharp turns
I think Ive read some lock the rear to help avoid rollovers in some cases as well

Im not sure when you would need leave them unlocked to be 2wd front or rear

rear steer is self explanatory though Ive never seen a reason for crab walk

remote locking diffs i understand can help you turn sharper when unlocked but I cant see any reason to have them unless you are in a class that doesn't allow dig or rear steer

Ive searched around and read bits and pieces but havent seen any in depth discussion let alone all in one place

so again how would you prioritize each, how & when would you use them,pros & cons ect

[Kraqa]

your close on some items but your lojic of what you want to do with it coudl be off.

why are you askign about all of these? do you want to have the lastest and greatest toy or do you have a purpose in mind.

Rear steer will give your rig what seams to be a more versatile turning ability. but really i find people **** around with it and end up doign more harm then good.

a "suck down winch" is a gimic in the RC world and i wouldn't wast yoru time. your logice is rig but honestly that 3rd channel is better suited for somethign else.

a dig will lock one axle causeing it to anchore to the ground and you can pivot off it for sharp turning. out of them all i woudl go with a dig. it can also be used to help climb steep ledges and in down hill decent.

go with a dig and let the news **** aroudn with the other gimics that wast time and are a distraction.

[spoo76]

The reason for asking is just to know. though I've been on the forum for a while I'm new to crawling and lack the experience and technique others may have.
I dont do any comps so in my case nothing is "needed"
just a scaler with a winch for fun.
I wouldn't mind a comp style rig as $$ allows, and after having issues with 2 sellers trying to get a Tq4 i took it as a good thing and ordered a hobby king 6ch to cram in my old Tq3 case.

and where am i "off" on what i could do? seems like what you've said is similar to what i had thought.
Personally I always felt dig was more useful than any of these just knowing you are turning on a point and can unlock the axle in some cases.

Im sure there are cases i haven't thought of where each may be usefull.

[spoo76]

Also Ive seen some rigs with front dig. I understand that can help you on a line by locking the front and pivoting on it. but is that really even useful?
again not something i Plan on purchasing but I may one day build a ghetto dig or use spare parts to try for myself

(edit).. I can see rear steer and rear dig being useful in the case of the losi micro. that thing has a huge turning radius for its size lol

[yjdavid]

of those, dig is the most useful in almost every situation.

and I too don't understand how rear steer only gives the illusion of "more versatile turning ability" if I could make a 4' circle without it and a 2' circle with it, I'd say that's real.
on my super I have found that rear steer is really nice to have in addition to being able to dig front and rear to get in to some really tight spots that without the combo of both, there is no way I would have been able to do. some really good driver may be able to though ;)

[Kraqa]

a dig can allow you to make that 4' circle in one spot.

rear steering is an ilusion it is good for kicking your ass end around an opbstacle but really the dig is waaay more usefull.

there si no doubt that rear steering can be used and used well. a vehicle with it willl be more capable. how do i knwo this? i have been competing in ta rear steer rock buggy for 3 years (1:1 vehicle)

a dig in an RC is much more usefull. trust me.

[adamargue]

A dig dose help a lot with steering but winch down suspension helps crawl up those steep inclines. And it looks freaking sweet on a scale rig. I have a axle truss set up on my rig for the front four link and I just attached A loop to the front of it to winch down the front and when I don't need it winched down I can unhook it and use my which to get my rig unstuck.

One good thing I see with catwalking is when u come off a obstical goofy and u need to just move a little side ways but not completely turn ur rig. I like it and use it a lot on my rig .

[ram_tough]

My List:
1. Locked Diffs - Unless building a rock buggy/racer, you want locked diffs for your RC crawler. Constant power to the ground.

2. Dig - In a 2.2 class rig, dig will be most beneficial. It does allow for the tightest turning radius in most situations. Also for shaft driven rigs most dig units allow for free wheel, which allows the front tires to "do work" and let the rear be neutral during steep climbs.
P.S. 'Front Dig' locks the rear wheels, and 'Rear Dig' locks the front

3. Rear Steer - Rear Steer is used most on Super Class rigs with WB anywhere between 16"-18". On these longer rigs the rear steer can be used to guide and aim the back end of the crawler into more desirable positions on the rocks; to clear a gate, avoid a hole, or get more grip. On most other rigs, scalers, 2.2s, and 1.9s, the WB is much shorter and the rear steer is not needed as much because the rear axle will more closely follow the front.

4. Axle Winching - It has been used in RC crawling, however its effects can be achieved in other ways. Weight can be added to the wheels or batteries/etc placed forward on the chassis. This can give you more forward bite and better climbing ability with less set-up and electronics.

[spoo76]

Thanks for the updates, if anyone has more to add feel free

adamargue by catwalk Is that the same as crabwalk?

Didn't even think about how rear steer could help the larger rigs avoid a gate.
see this is why i ask, I've never done it to know lol

and again to make it clear. I'm not basing any decisions off this because i don't comp. perhaps one day
its more for general crawling education.
Though I will likely try out most of them for the hell of it, other than remote locking diffs it can all be done with spare and extra parts