Is the stick dead?

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Is TCS's "stick" chassis for the clod out of production? If so does anyone else make a version like it?

If so someone might want to kill this http://www.thecrawlerstore.com/xtreme.html page.

[Mudsy]

I always wanted one of those chassis, but the price tag prevented me from buying one. I went with the pimp cane instead, which is still in production.

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by Mudsy

I always wanted one of those chassis, but the price tag prevented me from buying one. I went with the pimp cane instead, which is still in production.

Yep I managed to find that one already. I'm not really a fan. So did the "stick" officially get the axe or is it just an item that's made to order now? Just not on the site yet? I couldn't find a listing of discontinued items in TCS section here or on their site.

[EeePee]

Pretty positive it's done, and just a few spare parts are available.

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by EeePee

Pretty positive it's done, and just a few spare parts are available.

Well that's no good! I always wanted one similar to your old blue ford. Gonna have to build one I guess. This should be fun

[EeePee]

You could piece one together: http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Stick-Cha...p-1-c-261.html

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by EeePee

You could piece one together: http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Stick-Cha...p-1-c-261.html

I might use some of those parts and make some of my own. Idk I just decided today that I was getting back into rc. One step at a time right

[White Stripe]

220 bucks! Man wonder how much they make on each kit.

[Rok Krawl]

buddy made his own out of some small heim joints on each axle and a piece of aluminum tube he bought from the steel mill. Much cheaper than the 220 kit online. Tapped his axle links into the tube and added a small shock on each axle to eliminate the amount of travel. Must say it does work good. Will climb straight up a recliner chair like ive seen on youtube. It works well climbing over logs out in the field. Back when I was looking at chassis for my clod I was between the stick and the NN chassis. Went with NN due to more of a scale look and I didn't have to cut my body in half.

When I get another set of axles soon Ill make one myself and try it out for a while.

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by White Stripe

220 bucks! Man wonder how much they make on each kit.

About as much as any other chassis manufacturer probably. Metal is cheap, machining and skills expensive. If you can make one every hour then you're rolling in it whether it's a "stick" or 4 link design.

[M1tch]

im running one with dual esc on a stick controller. climbs almost anything.. pricey for what it is tho. my brother is building one with a square tube chassis.

a stick chassis is easy to build really as rok krawl says, just get stuff from diy stores and pick up bits from almost anywhere.

[EeePee]

No one had seen anything like the actual Stick before this. Kevin put a lot of time into researching every piece to get it to perform as it did. And it didn't stop there. He was sending me tester pieces all the time to make it better. You guys always seem to forget that these things don't design themselves and it takes people's time. And time is money.

Nowadays, I don't think that can be said as easily because, well for one, there's so many cookie cutter chassis out there now you can just use someone else's design and tweak it and call it your own. But the Stick was nothing like anything else before it.

[jetboat]

I've built 5-6 sticks for people in 2.2 class and 3-4 supers, in the midwest where we run on rip rap the stick still wins (a stick I built won our last comp). I miss the days when people innovated and you would see 10 different trucks at a comp.

I have a MOA with a reg style chassis and I have my Stick, I have yet to comp my backup rig in favor of the stick everytime (and have the wins to show for it).

Just because TCS doesnt make them anymore, it doesnt mean you cant build 1 yourself. Some aluminum tube from Mcmaster, a 3/8" tap, 1/4" aluminum for the shocks and some heims is all you really need. Tools wise, I have seen it done with a dremel and a hand drill... I use a mill because its what I have but by no means is it needed.

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by jetboat

I've built 5-6 sticks for people in 2.2 class and 3-4 supers, in the midwest where we run on rip rap the stick still wins (a stick I built won our last comp). I miss the days when people innovated and you would see 10 different trucks at a comp.

I have a MOA with a reg style chassis and I have my Stick, I have yet to comp my backup rig in favor of the stick everytime (and have the wins to show for it).

Just because TCS doesnt make them anymore, it doesnt mean you cant build 1 yourself. Some aluminum tube from Mcmaster, a 3/8" tap, 1/4" aluminum for the shocks and some heims is all you really need. Tools wise, I have seen it done with a dremel and a hand drill... I use a mill because its what I have but by no means is it needed.

I'm not what you would call a good builder. My stuff normally falls apart or performs badly. It's kind of sad to see so little innovation now. I've only been away about 5 years but I'm not digging any of the new designs. One chassis is just a bit lower, machined slightly different, or made of something different. I guess that's just inevitable that the hobby would find it's niche like the buggys and stadium trucks before it did, and evolve into the same but slightly different. I guess I'll keep looking around at premade chassis' and keep the idea of building a stick as a backup plan.

[M1tch]

Originally Posted by EeePee

No one had seen anything like the actual Stick before this. Kevin put a lot of time into researching every piece to get it to perform as it did. And it didn't stop there. He was sending me tester pieces all the time to make it better. You guys always seem to forget that these things don't design themselves and it takes people's time. And time is money.

Nowadays, I don't think that can be said as easily because, well for one, there's so many cookie cutter chassis out there now you can just use someone else's design and tweak it and call it your own. But the Stick was nothing like anything else before it.

well although im relatively new to rc and crawling, i like the simplicity of the stick, and that helps when stuff breaks and its easy to fix. i would like to have and could afford a "custom built" (most seem to be a bolt together of favourite parts, rather than any attempt to make or modify parts) crawler with all the best gear on it, but i would rather create my own, as i am with a foff/trail truck. much more satisfying when it eventually works right

as for time is money, the stick chassis is pretty old now so why the high cost of parts? $35 for a piece of tube with some holes in no wonder people want to build there own or look at a more modern design

[jetboat]

take a peak at my old super build
Project: Low Budget Super

shows just how easy it is to build a stick.

[TurboShadow]

Innovation is not dead! Im currently building a torsion 2.2 clod that looks like nothing I have seen before, in fact I am working on adding shocks to it. From what I have read, the lack of shocks is what really seems to hold torsion trucks back. If I cant get it to work I am planning on building a stick-style that looks nothing like the current stick and will have alot less axle swing.

[Rockinrockcrawler]

Originally Posted by jetboat

take a peak at my old super build
Project: Low Budget Super

shows just how easy it is to build a stick.

That's one of the cleaner homebrew sticks I've seen. Maybe the cleanest. But alas I do not have access to cnc machining equipment or even a garage/shed. So for me the option to build is not an option.

[damage 101]

the cheepest up grade ever. work exalent i built one four about 25 bux. him joints 5.00, alum bar 4.50 shocks 12.00. climbing up and over a chiar pricles!

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by damage 101

over a chiar

Here's my old video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mrtDOtrFuo

Almost exactly five years ago!