ASK The Cubbster – Fridays Are Always More Fun

“Crawler Or Monster Truck

I have written twice before but never made it on Big Squid. Maybe third time is the charm oh great Cubby?

Ok, so I have $400 and don’t know exactly what to buy. I like the speed of a monster truck, but all my friends are into crawling right now. What should I do?

Danny W.”

Cubby- So hello there Danny. I do remember one of your previous questions, but it was on some hardcore drift issue or something, so I had no clue on an answer. 🙂

However, I do have a great answer for you on this one. Believe it or not, this is becoming a bit of an issue now days, as some bashing buddies jump into the slow paced world of crawling. When this leaves some of their buddies with 12S powered monster trucks in the dust, it can be weird.

Here is what you do. If you have never tried one before, please do, cut the check on a new scale crawler. First off, you never know, you might really enjoy the extra realism and camaraderie of the scale community. Secondly, even if you end up not liking it, it will help you become a better hobbyist. Every genre is different, to be a well rounded life-long hobbyist, it is good to try as many different forms as possible. Yes, even those that you don’t particularly enjoy. Which, for me, would be rc motorcycles. They suck to drive, but I try them every few years just to keep up on the scene/tech.

On the other hand, maybe you’ve tried crawling and simply find it too slow. If that is the case, monster truck all the way bro!!! Buy a new truck, throw some stupid power into it, then find the nearest ramp and send-it!

Have fun, go fast, and shoot me pics of whatever you bring home.

“Sir-Bounce-A-Lot

Hey Cubby here is my question this week. I have a used Slash 2 wheeler and it bounces a lot when I land from a jump. Cash is kinda a problem for me any ideas on how to make better need to be cheap.

Frank C.”

Cubby- Ummmmm, well, hola there Frankie. I do get all sorts of questions, but seriously, thanks for taking the time out of your day to shoot me an email.

So… you have a bouncy Traxxas Slash 2wd and want to fix it on the cheap. Hummmmm…..

If money were no object, a set of Pro-Line Powerstrokes are perfect for the application and are highly adjustable. However, you can certainly do a few things on the cheap to change the way your truck lands.

First off, you told me your truck was used. The first thing I would do on a used truck would be to check the shock shafts. If a shaft gets bent, even just a little bit, it can cause massive amounts of binding in the shock. This can result in some pretty intense bouncing when landing from big jumps, so that is the first thing I would check. If you have a bent shaft (or shafts), the cost of repair is Zero! You can bend them back. However, if they bent once, they will bend again, so the long term cure is higher-end shock shafts, which can run you some bucks. Oh and, during your shock inspection, check out the springs. Stock springs are typically a good thing on a Slash, but they may have been replaced by springs far too soft, or hard, for the Slash (which could also make it bounce in a strange way).

OK, after you have checked the shocks to make sure the shafts are straight, now it is time for a full shock rebuild. The truck was used, so lets do a fast/easy service on the shocks to make sure they won’t be leaking oil anytime soon. A shock rebuild in the rc world would mean taking the shocks completely apart, then installing fresh seals and oil. Shock oil is quite affordable, as are replacement seal kits for Traxxas shocks. You may be looking around the 10 dollar mark here. Oh and, use some Associated 30 weight oil during the rebuild bro. Oh and, be sure and look at the stock pistons. Make sure they are the proper type and not excessively worn.

After that, your shocks should be nearly as good as new. Go out and sky that thing and see how she lands now. 🙂

Have an insane question? Need an even crazier answer? Have a burning rant gurgling deep inside your soul that simply must be exposed to the masses? Email me- thecubreportrc at gmail dot com.