Crawl Day Prep

By: Jason Matthews

(White Rose Hobbies RC Manager)

Additional product suggestions added in italics by Rachel Albright

       Every comp day starts with some excitement, nerves, and the thrill of your tiny truck driving. You could be bringing you home a trophy today. Prepping your truck with the right gear is essential. I run SORRCA (national) comps and take weeks prior to a comp to do a complete overlook on my rigs for each class. Each class has its own set of rules and regulations (This is true for SORRCA Lite Competitions as well. There are multiple classes, each with their own set of rules and regulations). Always read the rules and regulations for each class you intend to run. Now that you’ve read those, time to look at those rigs.

        What’s under those bodies? I’m a stickler for Shift RC Servos. Not only are they reliable and durable, Ryan Rodriguez, Owner of Shift RC, has been amazing answering customer questions. These servos provide smooth and perfect transition steering (At the shop we have a great selection of servos, time and time again we recommend the Powerhobby 729 servo). Now, if you have Shift RC’s Servos, you might want to combine it with their Servo Winch. The speed on this is mind-blowing! Not only is it fast, but it can be easily mounted on the chassis without interfering with the wiring. The winch itself can hold a decent supply of string. I use SuperShafty Winch Line. It’s strong and you get roughly 15 ft to a pack (Check out our lines of winches and winch accessories HERE). On to the “brains” behind the truck; ESC (electronic speed controller). Personally, I have the Silent Assassin sold by Josh Neuman. This is a must have if you have a Holmes Hobby Revolver motor. The Silent Assassin will “silence” the noisy revolver motor. Yes, I run the Holmes Hobby Revolver too. This motor gives a lot of torque (Every crawler rig has their own ESC/motor combo, finding the right combo for you rig is often accomplished by trial and error or word of mouth for product references). If you want the tires for grip, Proline Trenchers 4.75 for class 2 and 4.19 for class 1 (Keep in mind, the each crawler course has different challenges, and terrain calling for various styles of tread and grip). The #1 chassis I always run, Corrupt Carbon Works.
        Now that I’ve made sure all my gear is intact and ready to go, time to pack the truck up! I always take my tool kits: TRAXXAS, MIP and Power Hobby. Any extra car parts, including screws, e-clips, etc., backup batteries are also included in my tool box. It’s always a good idea to have an extra set of tires with different tread or softness/stiffness. I also keep my CowRC glue and grease in my box for repairs. All in all, I basically take my hobby room on the go.
       Once I reach my comp destination, I immediately pick a spot out and setup my table. I use my CowRC magnetic mat along with my Proline rubber mat as my base. Then I will setup my DuraTrax pit stands, one for each car. I start unloading my tool box with my essential tools. I recheck my rigs from the drive, ensuring everything is still good. Double checking for any loose screws, loose scale items, etc. It’s off to Registration and Tech. Here, officials will look over the rigs to make sure they are within the rules and regulations of each class I choose to run. After passing Tech, I wait for the fun day to begin!