How to: Drive Better "TIPS"

[run2jeepn]

I figured I'd start a thread on Tips and little tricks to make us all better drivers. Some here know these, but there is something we all do that maybe could help someone else out. At out last comp there was a guy that flipped on his lid a few times and just let off the gas. And this is what gave me the idea.

Now post up a few words telling us you tip and if you can a Short Video just showing that one Tip or Trick.

I'll start it off with these:

How to Save a Roll Over:
Now when you come up to a tall ledge and you may flip over backwards. Before you start to climb. Think of where you may land and whats in the way. If you start climbing the ledge and the front tires start coming over backwards on you. You have 2 choices.

1. Either hit reverse and bring the tires back down. But some guys ESC have a delay or a double tap reverse. So that doesn't always worked like planned.

2. Or as your front tires start to lift and go back. If you center you steering and just stay in the throttle. You will flip over backwards, but the front tires will hit one more time. And if you stay in the Foward throttle they will fling your rig back on all fours. Now having a nice arounded body like a VW Bug will help, but it can be done with any body. The key is to keep the momentum going foward.

Now you can try the quick reverse first and if that doesn't work. Quickly it foward on your way over. Now this doesn't work 100% of the time. But practice makes perfect. it's better then taking points b/c you had to turn your rig back over.

Here is the Video showing how it's done.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p...rrent=Flip.flv




How to climb a ledge using front Digs:

Now this one takes a little more practice. Also every ledge is different. Now this works for those ledges that may flip you over.

1: As you pull up to the ledge climb it as you would any other. Now as your front tires start to crest the top. Disconnect the rear axle or kill the rear motor. By doing this. This stops the rear tires from pushing you up and causing the front to lift up. Now as you are digging with just the front tires. You front end should start to pull and you will see you front part of you rig squat and dig for traction. Now as your rig starts to pull up and climb over the ledge. Return the power to the rear tires and they will follow right up the ledge.

Here is a short Video showing How it's done. Now after a few tries you start to be pretty smooth with it and others won't even notice what you did.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p...t=DSCF2149.flv






How to: Make a tight turn while dropping of a ledge.

Now this uses Front digs aswell.

1. As you drop off the ledge. Go at an angle and point the rig the way you need to go. But not to much of an angle or you can end up just rolling off of it. Now when going at an angle each tire will drop off the ledge one at a time. Now the last tire thats left. Should be on the same side you are turning. If you need to turn left. The left rear tire should be the last one on the ledge. When you have that. Disconnect you kill the rear motor and turn you wheels the way you need to go. Front burn the way you need to go. That one rear tire will act as a pivit point for the whole rig and it will turn on a dime. Now the tricky part is to not turn to far into it and roll. This one takes some practice aswell.

Here is a short Video showing how it's done.

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...t=DSCF2268.flv

http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w...=Tireswing.flv

http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w...t=DSCF2293.flv





Now post your Tips and Tricks and teach us all how to drive better. I have more, but I want to see what you have....

[Cloak]

Even without the dig, that last one works well for making a tighter turn anyway. If you have a tight turn to make around a rock, pass it with the front and turn into the rock letting the rear tire grab ahold. It will force you to turn just like the dig guys.

Then when you've made most of your turn, turn away from it and you will (with practice) drive right away or the tire will come off the hanging point and you'll go straight towards your intended direction.

[SVEN]

Walk the course before you drive. Try to see which gates will be a challenge and focus on how you will overcome those obsticles.

Try to think outside the box on tough gates. Don't assume you have to go through a gate the same way everyone else does.

Sometimes it costs fewer points to straddle a gate and take a 10pt penalty, than to try the gate and end up with 20 pts and no progress point.

Look at gates to come, not just the one you are attempting. I usually look at least 3 gates ahead to see if I can just make fewer reverses (even reversing through some gates).

Practice driving in reverse. It is a great tool to have. Being able to back through a bunch of gates, rather than trying to turn yourself around (adding more reverses) to drive forward.

Make your reverses count. There is no limit to how far you can reverse (unless there are boundaries). If you can't get through the way you are trying, back up as far as you can and try a different line. There's no reason to take 10 tiny reverses when all you need is one big reverse.

If you have dig and you can't quite make a turn. Don't just back up, use the dig when you back up and the rig will turn sharper.

Tire Placement! Watch your tires constantly....ALL of them.

For those driving 2.2 clods, watch your center axle. It will get hung up easily on small rocks or you'll be saying, doh! a lot (main reason I switched to a tlt).

[run2jeepn]

These was a gate set up at the last comp. Sorry for the crappy Paint pic. But it should show you what I'm getting across... The first gate had you entering in a rock valley the turning up hill into and over a gap to the next gate. It was giving everyone problems. Just about everyone took the gate you rolled and few times on the 2nd gate. Now instead of clearing the first gate and being way off camber for the next. Just go straight through it and make a big turn and line youself up for the next gate. Now this may not apply for every gate or some of the Clubs rules. Check you rules before trying this in a Comp. The Blue line show the intend way and the Red line show the other way.

[Rckcrwlr]

Sven,
You hit it right on the head with the 2.2 Clods. I built a PC. At first, was not excited about it but man once you start running it...I think it is the most challanging for me to run. Not only do you need to watch tires but also the low hanging axle cases. Yesterday I got hung twice, one had to be a reposition. I love the test of skill.

R2J,
Great write up. I will be passing this link onto the newbies in our club. It helps to see it.

Thanks
John

[Unholy]

Originally Posted by run2jeepn

These was a gate set up at the last comp. Sorry for the crappy Paint pic. But it should show you what I'm getting across... The first gate had you entering in a rock valley the turning up hill into and over a gap to the next gate. It was giving everyone problems. Just about everyone took the gate you rolled and few times on the 2nd gate. Now instead of clearing the first gate and being way off camber for the next. Just go straight through it and make a big turn and line youself up for the next gate. Now this may not apply for every gate or some of the Clubs rules. Check you rules before trying this in a Comp. The Blue line show the intend way and the Red line show the other way.

Just for you we will start setting up out of bounds lines!

[SVEN]

Originally Posted by Rckcrwlr

Sven,
You hit it right on the head with the 2.2 Clods. I built a PC. At first, was not excited about it but man once you start running it...I think it is the most challanging for me to run. Not only do you need to watch tires but also the low hanging axle cases. Yesterday I got hung twice, one had to be a reposition. I love the test of skill.

R2J,
Great write up. I will be passing this link onto the newbies in our club. It helps to see it.

Thanks
John

Those pumpkins held me back quite a bit in competition, even with a linkless stick chassis. I never realized how much of a disadvantage it was until I started driving my tlt. The breakover of a 2.2 stick clod is great, but a course is not all verticles.

[Defender]

Nice write up, and good looking YJ in the background.

[Norcal crawler]

Originally Posted by Defender

Nice write up, and good looking YJ in the background.

I was thinking the same thing.

I don't know if this is a real tip or not, but when you are climbing a steep rock hill that is just one big rock, (like you would find out in the red rocks and stuff) if you get stuck going up, turn your wheels back and forth really fast. If it works, your tires will find a spot to grab and you will go right up. But don't stay turned one way for very long, or the truck will start turning, and probably flip back down.

[Harley]

This really doesn't apply to a ton of comps but it may depending on your environment.

Wet spots
Water is not always slick. Sometimes a wet spot can offer much more traction then a dusty or dry line. If you notice people struggling with an area or you are having trouble with a climb and can find a wet spot give it a try.

[jwcustomwurks]

Originally Posted by Harley0706

This really doesn't apply to a ton of comps but it may depending on your environment.

Wet spots
Water is not always slick. Sometimes a wet spot can offer much more traction then a dusty or dry line. If you notice people struggling with an area or you are having trouble with a climb and can find a wet spot give it a try.

you said wet spot

[WheelChair]

Moss on the rock offers KILLER traction....



Crossing up the axles puts more force on the two tires than you can put equally to all four.

With twice the weight on a tire, It puts out HUGE amounts of traction, more then if all four tires were in contact with the ground.

It also lowers the CG at a given angle of climb.

Smaller Contact Patches = More PSI on the tires tread surface for bite!

[SVEN]

Originally Posted by WheelChair

Moss on the rock offers KILLER traction....



Crossing up the axles puts more force on the two tires than you can put equally to all four.

With twice the weight on a tire, It puts out HUGE amounts of traction, more then if all four tires were in contact with the ground.

It also lowers the CG at a given angle of climb.

Smaller Contact Patches = More PSI on the tires tread surface for bite!

What is 'crossing up the axles"? Never heard of it before.

[Unholy]

Originally Posted by SVEN

What is 'crossing up the axles"? Never heard of it before.

One axle like / and the other like \ ... so they are "crossed up" and look like X .

[TxCruzr]

Originally Posted by SVEN

What is 'crossing up the axles"? Never heard of it before.

like having the front driver tire stuffed and the rear passenger tire stuffed, so that if you were looking at the rig from the front or back, the axles would look crossed like a big X

[phishead1101]

I got some of these tips from Raytard........

1. SLOW SLOW SLOW!

2. You can also use your front tires in some situations to move your entire truck. Turning the wheels left to right over and over may have enough wiggle to reposition your vehicle with out back ups.

3. Practice! The only way to know what your rig is going to do in certain situations is to practice, study and dial in or fine tune your truck. In competitions it always helps to know how your truck is going to "act" on a certain obstacle before you even attemt it!

4. Watch what other people are doing, If some one chooses a bad line then you will know not to take that line. Or it may even give you inspiration for choosing a line that no one has attempted.


Hope this helps...


ETRC RULES!

[run2jeepn]

Here is a few more...Got these from a new Video with Bender Driving...Hope you don't mind...Pretty much both of these have been covered above, but with Video showing how it's done seems to help some of the slower guys out.


1: While sidehilling or where ever you can get this to work is fine. Wiggle your tires back and forth and watch you truck move. Here you can see Bender use it a little. He still had to back up, but I think he could have kept it up and made it. But then agian his rear end was sliding a little to much. It may have cuased it to roll off. Again Practice, Practice and Practice again...Can't do to much of it...

http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w...heelmoving.flv




2: This nefty little move is pretty easy to do. Just have to think and look a few gates ahead. By taking only one Reverse Bender was able to back through one gate and lined himself perfect for the next gate. Instead of making 2-3 reverses to make a sharp turn.

http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w...ent=OneRev.flv




I'll try to keep this updated with more Tips, Tricks and Videos as I find some good footage on them.

[Kev808]

Good write up, This should be a "sticky" Tips & Tricks

[Mikekx65]

all these tips and trick are really helpful but i have a question i have a nylint crawler yes laught all u want but is ther a way to do the dig thing where you can shut off power to the rear is this possible with a nylint??

[Unholy]

Originally Posted by mikekx65

...is ther a way to do the dig thing where you can shut off power to the rear is this possible with a nylint??

The concept is the exactly the same as a clod, so yes.

You would need to have a three channel radio though, so you would have to do the hobby grade electronics swap... That's pretty easy for a 1:18 Nylint... but tough on a 1:6.