New to RC crawling

[perohijo]

Hello guys.
As the title here states I'm new to rc crawling, although I still own a training airplane that I only used for a bit cause I lost the remote.
I bought a TRX4 Traxxas defender, although I met some guys using Axial on the beach. I already started some mods on my defender, but I don't want to go on a buying frenzy without having the right info. I bought the exact same type of tires and rims thinking that I was getting a different kind, so they are sitting on my shed. I replaced both, front and rear axles with metal ones, since all the info I got so far indicates that the defender is top heavy and prone to tilt easy, which I found to be true by myself jeje. I also replaced the rear and front body posts to a more sturdy metal and carbon fiber, and got metal rock sliders. I really would like to know what type of tires and rim set should I get fo the best grip and looks. I have seen several videos stating that it is very important to get the right foam, not too hard or too soft. Also, how heavy should I get my rig? I just don't want to keep on adding without the right info.
Thanks for your help and I'm sorry if I asked too much on my first post.

 

[Goro Majima]

What you have is a nice looking rig and you are already familiar with it's capabilities. You have the right mindset of needing to add weight down low to make up for the top heavy body. Metal axle housings are good for durability and added weight in the correct spot but they also catch onto edges instead of being slick like plastic (I'd keep the metal on for the body weight sake).

Tires, the best looking while being able to perform is probably a Proline Krawler or KM3 and mate then with a dual stage foam. You can do a heavy wheel to add weight, but me personally I don't like to add weight there. It's a plus for crawling though. With that said, you could add brass parts to the axles and perhaps some steel driveshafts.

Another method is you can remove some parts of of the body to lower the center of gravity, but perhaps you want to keep the parts on it for the looks I'd suggest the aforementioned route.

 

[perohijo]

What you have is a nice looking rig and you are already familiar with it's capabilities. You have the right mindset of needing to add weight down low to make up for the top heavy body. Metal axle housings are good for durability and added weight in the correct spot but they also catch onto edges instead of being slick like plastic (I'd keep the metal on for the body weight sake).

Tires, the best looking while being able to perform is probably a Proline Krawler or KM3 and mate then with a dual stage foam. You can do a heavy wheel to add weight, but me personally I don't like to add weight there. It's a plus for crawling though. With that said, you could add brass parts to the axles and perhaps some steel driveshafts.

Another method is you can remove some parts of of the body to lower the center of gravity, but perhaps you want to keep the parts on it for the looks I'd suggest the aforementioned route.

Thanks for the info! I was thinking about the brass but I saw some guys saying that it could be a bit too much although I'm thinking about replacing the motor for one with more torque, any suggestion? I will try some brass and see how it goes, and I will try the proline crawler tires as well. Thanks again!

 

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

The best thing you can do is look at other TRX4 build threads. Plenty of good, long, in-depth ones on here. OSRC comes to mind. That’s what I do every time I get s new truck, still to this day lol.


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[Goro Majima]

Thanks for the info! I was thinking about the brass but I saw some guys saying that it could be a bit too much although I'm thinking about replacing the motor for one with more torque, any suggestion? I will try some brass and see how it goes, and I will try the proline crawler tires as well. Thanks again!

To make the Defender perform while keeping the body untouched, you would have to add weight down low in order to overcome the weight up top. Brass isn't always a key upgrade, but it is essential when you want to keep the body scale as it helps offset the weight between low and high.

Now, if you don't mind trying to lighten the body and sacrificing scale, then you can really go to town and drop the body down.

The stock 21T Titan isn't a bad motor and it's already a 550 size also. Perhaps you can do a smaller pinion gear and swap the ESC for a HW 1080 for more consistent lower speed control.

Also on the Proline tires, if you do more trailing than on the rocks, go with the G8 compound. Otherwise, the predator compound is softer.

 

[dCowler]

Welcome! Lots of mod ideas around