My Exceed RC MaxStone 1/16 thread. Input welcomed!

[high plains drifter]

Thanks RG!

As much as I love the new tires, I feel like they're one of the primary drawbacks running on soft terrain. They simply don't have the necessary "bite" to propel the rig forward. Even on a minimally steep grade, the tires are breaking loose and spinning. Of course that immediately causes the rig to sink down... further sealing it's fate as "stuck". This negative attribute seems only made worse due to all the weight that I've added to the skid-plates in conjunction with the heavier wheels. I believe that reducing weight and running tires with a more aggressive tread pattern is the solution... or at the very least, a step in the right direction.

Conversely, I believe that these new tires and wheels are very beneficial on harder surfaces like the hard-packed clay and downed trees simply due to that softer compound and additional weight. It seems that this little rig really can crawl well but it desperately needs the right tires and ideal weight to accomplish this.

As much as the torque-twist is still evident ( since I haven't done anything yet to the shock travel/ compression), I don't feel that it hindered the rig much... at least not in the conditions that I was running her in yesterday. Imho lower gearing is not going to hurt this rig at all but again, in soft dirt, I don't think that the gearing is going to be as beneficial as reducing weight and choosing the right tires. Another note... Having some weight up front doesn't seem to be as much of a hindrance as having too much weight in the rear. To add to this theory, it seems that ( again... on loose/ soft terrain) there may be a distinct difference between static weight ( on the chassis) and rotational weight ( on the wheels). I'm not sure of this but it seems that the rotational weight on the rear-end of this rig is most assuredly it's downfall in loose conditions.

We're going to go back out to that same spot today and I will have the more aggressive stock tires and lighter-weight plastic wheels back on so that I may determine if my suspicions are confirmed.

 

[RGunn]

HPD, since I am long on experience with RC offroad racing (also helis, planes, boats), but brand new to RC crawlers, my thoughts are mostly based on what seems logical to me, or what I have read from studying the 'crawler' part of the hobby.

Having said that, I have read a lot that has been written from the competition crawler guys/gals. It seems that many of the comp. crawler folks want the back of the rig light. There seems to be a 'happy medium' between added weight for rear traction, and keeping the rear weight light enough that the front tires can more easily pull the rig up and over obstacles. Of course, I am referring to rock pile navigation. Working dirt like the 'trailing' crowd does may be all-together different???

I have not added any weight to the wheels as I don't think heavy rotational mass is the way to go. Perhaps I am wrong being new to crawling, but for now I am staying away from wheel weights.

My pair of minis are working so well on rocks right now I am hesitant to change much more. After I lower the gear ratio just a little more they will rock 'crawl' about as well as I can expect without massive modifications to further lower COG. And, I don't wish to invest any more cash in my minis as they are just my rc crawler learning vehicles.

For best performance, a person's setup may have to be aimed specifically at the kind of use their crawler is mostly going to run in. And then, just accept less than best performance when driving over other types of terrain???

At any rate, the learning part of any new facet of the rc hobby is always the most fun part of it for me!8) How about you?

 

[high plains drifter]

Absolutely the learning and experimentation fuels a large part of my enthusiasm! Once I've unlocked most of the doors, the thrill often times subsides. For me this applies to all aspects... initial buying decision, operating procedures, modifications, etc. I genuinely like that there are so many aspects to consider in regards to geometry, physics, components, materials, etc... as well as with various types of terrain. That to me is what continues to keep this such an interesting hobby with a great opportunity to keep learning. Seems that there's always some variable that lends itself to the fun!

I continue to take notes from other people's expertise and experience so even though you have your rigs dialed in pretty well, I hope that you'll continue to chime in and offer your thoughts and wisdom. I know as a community of like-minded enthusiasts, that this type of interaction is vital to us all. Back in the day when I was running stadium-trucks, there was no internet so sadly I was left scratching my head and feeling uncertain about modifications, theories, assumptions, etc, etc. I guess many of us older guys were in that same boat and I'm sure that's part of the reason that I have such appreciation for forums like this and for people that come here with a willingness to help others. Continued "Thanks!"

I'll post up again about how she did today being back on the stock tires & wheels and then it's on to getting these shocks dialed in. Also I hope to have the new shell painted up and mounted before too long.

 

[high plains drifter]

So... With the rear weight reduced ( lightweight OEM plastic wheels/ OEM tires/ rear skid-plate removed) I took her back out to the same soft loamy dirt pile that earlier in the week, she performed horribly in.

Today she did MUCH better! Still struggled in the really loose stuff but what an improvement the more aggressive stock tires made! Not night and day difference but certainly a noticeable contrast to be sure.

I'm going to try to get the shocks dialed in better but I can definitely conclude that if you're going to be running this little crawler in various types of terrain, that it's essential to have at least a couple different sets of tires.

Pics for no reason...

 

[RGunn]

HPD, good info. and thanks for the neat photos. You have a good eye for composition.

Goes to show ya that just because a tire, or tire brand has a good reputation that is doesn't automatically mean it's going to work better in all conditions over stock tires.

There has to be a 'happy medium' on weight & weight distribution for any crawler. Finding that 'best' weight and, or, weight distribution is needed to achieve the best overall performance.

We ran our two minis for 2.5hrs on our indoor rock pile last night. I think we are about as good as we are going to get (except for gear ratio) for our crawlers. They could surely gain better overall performance by changing more things to really lower the COG but I am not going to do anything more in that direction with these particular crawlers.

 

[high plains drifter]

Thanks so much, RG!

I'm sure I'll be playing around with the weight for a while longer but also that's a good point in regards to weight distribution. Not always about too much or not enough, but capitalizing on where that weight works best.

BTW I've probably said it before but I love that indoor crawl course that you constructed. Looks like a blast to navigate! Also 2.5 hrs sounds fantastic. I really need an extra battery! Thanks again and please post up results of the gearing change!

 

[high plains drifter]

Figured I'd put these pictures in this thread... why not?

Started building my backyard crawl course today! This will be for 1/16 and 1/24 which is proving a challenge to accommodate both lol! Only put in less than 2 hrs but really made some progress. Still a long way to go but I'll be bringing in some top-soil, sand, gravel, and rip-rap tomorrow. I'm also going to add quite a bit more to the course in terms of various diameter logs, couple more cinder blocks, steep grades, off camber areas, etc, etc... Once I've got everything more or less in place, I'll water it several times to get everything seated and packed down.

Certainly nothing exciting but I'm having a lot of fun with it and the's a LOT more building to come!

 

[RGunn]

HPD, good stuff, I'm sure it will be fun and will teach you a lot about your crawlers.8)

My advice is to not build your course too permanent. I can tell ya from my experience having a homemade 'rock pile' that you will get bored with the layout sooner than later and will want to change it up some. I'm on my fourth layout design since December.

I got my new spur gears yesterday (from UK) and will be changing my gear ratio. Will be a few days until I get to it but I'll report when it's done.

Shoot a pic or two of your minis on the course!8)

 

[high plains drifter]

Interested to see how the gearing goes for you!

Yep! I learned just from setting up and constantly re-configuring my indoor courses, that things indeed need to change in order for the driver to remain entertained and challenged. I'll definitely continue to keep that in mind as I work on this outdoor course. Thank you for the input!

I'll be sure to get some pics and maybe video of the Ambush ( my buddy's) and the EMS16 crawling through the great outdoors!

 

[high plains drifter]