Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

I have been out of the crawling scene for about 6 years and have just this week started to get the itch to crawl again. I searched the web for quite a few hours looking for the most capable MOA crawler to buy and customize to it's fullest potential.....but after many hours of searching, I've come up empty handed. It seems that the days of the true comp crawler have ended and have been replaced by these "scale" looking "rock racer" rigs. While I'm sure these vehicles are a blast to drive around the yard and maybe over a small rock pile or two, they are not anything that I would consider comp ready. Apperantly Axial released the XR-10 MOA comp crawler to much success, but for some unknown reason decided to abandon the serious competition scene in favor of the "scale toys" that I see all over the web. Sure, I could shell out 3-4 hundred dollars on Berg axles or Bully axles, but I'm on a budget here and I here that Berg has discontinued their axles as well.

So what is someone looking to get back into the competitive 2.2 crawler scene to do at this point? Settle for a "shafty" rig? Pray to the gods that someone is willing to sell their "slightly used" XR-10 axles? Try to modify Redcat racing axles into something that resembles a comp crawler (only with inferior parts)?

What happened in the last 6 years? Has competition crawling gone the way of the Dodo? I sure hope not, as I, like many of you, has had a blast on the rocks with the most capable machines that the industry could produce. So if anyone can please tell me where it all went wrong, or if I'm just living in the past, let me know now, so I don't waste any time and/or money trying desperately to convert some scale rock racer toy into an actual competition rock crawler.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

There are tons of folks running MOA here, and dozens of threads. Comps every weekend...
There are some killer shafty rigs that are closing the performance gap, too.
Scale, which isn't really my thing, is one of the biggest attractions to the entire RC world,
Most businesses aim to make money, and so scale is much bigger business.
There are several MOA axles for sale, both new and used. It is becoming more of a custom item, rather than buying a kit, most folks get a chassis, some axles, and take it from there.
To get the level of performance you want is not cheap. Everyone wants the best possible thing at the cheapest possible price, and that is rarely possible in any field.
There are several current sporty rigs that could pull lines that the pro champs of 6 years ago couldn't do.
Seems like you want, "the most capable machines that the industry could produce" at the price of a redcat, which seems unlikely...

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

I've bought 3 used xr10's off this form and tons of parts to make a few more. You just got to keep an eye out and also do some digging around. It dont hurt to know how to modify stuff to work it takes a bit of work but its fun as hell. "thumbsup" Its only money and time. :)

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Bully 2 from RC4wd is your only out of the box option for axles these days. Otherwise it's like what was said above and wait for some xr10 axles to come up. The XR10 was discontinued almost 4 years ago if my memory serves. But the used parts and some new replacement parts are still available.

I wouldn't knock competitive scale crawling until you've tried it. MOA rigs can pull some amazing lines but you'd be astonished to see what technology has done for competitive scale crawlers. From chassis', to tires, to weight, it's just blown up. I've beat high end sportsman rigs with a lightweight wraith I built a couple years ago. There are very few obstacles these purpose built scale comp trucks can't find a way over. Its just the crazy upside down through a vertical crack stuff that is more challenging than with an MOA. Frankly, the challenge with the scale rigs adds an element of fun. Especially when you pull a line that was hard for an MOA rig to do.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

DLUX - nuff said.

'mic drop'.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

No.

Exceed MT is the cheapest and fully RTR. They are Berg based and if youre on a serious budget, its the route I would go.

OG Berg axles are still available. I will get you as many as you want, new. Problem is that they are outdated. $200 for those axles is not worth it anymore. Better options are out there.

I, Dlux, sell two kinds of axles that can be ready to go out of the box or in parts. The replacement cases or the super lites.

The MOA world is about to get much better in the coming weeks to!

Check the Bibles at the top of the Berg, XR and Bully forums. They should give all the info a new guy could want.

Also, if you search around, plenty of used cars or axles can be purchased.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Driving a line a MOA rig can't with a scale comp rig? Using a winch to drive said line doesn't count...

MOA comp crawling is alive... Google Dluxprouduts or look in classified adds..
I'll sell you some stock berg axles..

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

I just built up a UGC Fastback shafty over the winter, with mostly parts I had laying around....because I got the itch for comp again (Ive been all scaler for the past few years.) Hell a few of my buddies were talking about doing a local point series this summer. Build it and they will come, basically people tend to build up rigs as long as they see others have them.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Never said a line a moa rig can't make. Just said some lines they've struggled....and no winches either.

Like I said. There are crazy things an moa can do that a scaler never can, but I've been very surprised to see what has happened with scale comp purpose built rigs in the past couple years. It definitely brings more people into the hobby than the traditional moa rigs like xr10 or berg

I wasn't even thinking of the cheap entry level moa rigs from China. But they are available.

I suppose if you wanted to, you can still buy a clodbuster and make a crawler ;)

Btw -dlux fab makes some amazing parts. I use his axles and knuckles in most of my rigs. Scale and moa! Only one guy in our club has his berg axle housings but that rig does really well!


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Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Let MOA die.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Thanks alot for all the informative replies. After much research, I've decided to go for the Axial Wraith and I'm going to add the optional dig unit from them as well. It's a shame that the 2ch radio will be wasted, as I have to upgrade to a 3ch radio for the dig unit. I'm also upgrading to a RC4WD 55 turn crawler motor and Pit Bull rock beast 2.2 tires. Any suggestions on pinion count with this setup, looking for serious crawling ability, no racing.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Why would you say such a thing?

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Thanks alot for all the informative replies. After much research, I've decided to go for the Axial Wraith and I'm going to add the optional dig unit from them as well. It's a shame that the 2ch radio will be wasted, as I have to upgrade to a 3ch radio for the dig unit. I'm also upgrading to a RC4WD 55 turn crawler motor and Pit Bull rock beast 2.2 tires. Any suggestions on pinion count with this setup, looking for serious crawling ability, no racing.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

If you decide to go comp the dig unit is not allowed at most comps.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Even with Crawling comps I'm kind of a throttle junkie in my scale rigs and my XR10. When in doubt...throttle out :mrgreen:
For that reason, I'd recommend at least a 35T motor on 3S lipo. You can crawl exceptionally well and have the wheel speed for certain obstacles. The stock pinion/spur ratio is 4/1 so you'll want to get a smaller pinion or bigger spur.

If you can still find it, buy the spawn wraith "kit" version. It has universals and Aluminum body shocks. The tires are lame for crawling but if you are getting pitbulls you'll be happy. Crawler innovations foams FTW. I believe the spawn has the new 32p spur gear so going down to a 10-11t pinion would be good option to bring the ratio down.

I can't express the value of a Holmes Hobbies BRXL esc, but understand that a more budget minded one may be preferred. The Castle sidewinder setup for brushed mode isn't a bad option. Some of the cheaper Chinese esc's work but you don't get the smooth operation of the holmes.

If your local club runs SORRCA Class 3 rules, you can use dig with a small penalty. If they run a USRCCA trail class, I don't believe dig would be allowed.

In our local club here, we allow dig only on sportsman rigs that want to run in the Pro class with MOA rigs.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Thanks for the info! I think I'll get a smaller pinion until the stock spur gear wears out, then upgrade to steel internals at that time. I will be running Lipo as the power source. I think I read somewhere that the dig penalty is only givin to you once, but you can then use the dig as often as you like after the first dig penalty, is that correct?

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Also for the price of buying all of that stuff new, you could probably find a low end used MOA rig, or a very capable used sportsman class rig.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Comp crawling was never a thing around here.. Scale however, we have comps with 100 people showing up. It's way more fun than comp crawling, and you'd be amazed the terrain you can conquer with a scale rig.

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

**** that

Re: Where have the comp crawlers gone??
 

Right

The 2.2 Class 3 rigs are pretty fun in comps or if you have the terrain.
They can have dig or 4ws and be very purpose built... now days people are building them near sporty style.

Scale Rigs General Tech - 2.2 Scale Rigs at RCCrawler.com

EDIT: IMHO, Wraith's are kinda boring... there's only so much you can do to a Wraith as a platform.
Even for 2.2/Class 3 rigs I prefer the SCX10 chassis (or similar)... well, this year I'm running a modded Bomber for C3.
Since you were going to build/upgrade a rig anyway... you should just buy a set of used loaded XR mod axles or AR60's and the style chassis you want and go from there.

Check out the 3 rigs in my sig, each class built off a SCX10 chassis.