Suggestions needed: Is the Summit a good crawler?

Destroy · #1 03-23-2009, 01:40 PM

Hi all,

Looking to maybe getting a RC car again. I've owned one before and know that tearing around the streets and gravel gets old real quick to me. Looking for something different and more versatile. Then I saw crawlers.

Seems crawlers are very slow all the time though, correct? That might get boring.

Then I came across the Traxxas Summit. It has 2 speeds and locking diffs on the fly. Pretty trick and cool stuff. But from what I've read so far, some of the crawlers are darn trick too; some have front and back steering with on the fly diff locks too?

Is the Summit any good for true slow crawling? I don't see it doing true rock climbing like the above trucks in many vids.

I've looked at the Summit in the store and that thing is a heavy tank. Not even sure I want something that heavy and big. The weight really kind of put me off and it didn't even have batteries in it yet!

Alternatively, any suggestions on what RC crawlers/trucks for a newb like me to look at if I want to crawl and speed around once a while with the same vehicle?

thanks for any help.

ironoutlaw · #2 03-23-2009, 02:01 PM

the axial rtr run is a good truck it has some speed and you can also lock the front diff if you want to crawl , the summit is a big truck but if you want something to go everywhere then i would think the summit would be the truck

chewie · #3 03-23-2009, 08:24 PM

im waiting to see someone convert the axial into a monstertruck..

Sorcerer001 · #4 03-24-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

im waiting to see someone convert the axial into a monstertruck..

Take a look at a stock Wheely King.

Sorcerer001 · #5 03-24-2009, 01:23 PM

If you've never messed around with a purpose-built crawler before, the Summit would likely blow your mind. Crawlers typically do JUST that - crawl. Sure, you can toss a hot motor at an AX-10 and make it scream, but it'll never handle that great as it's not designed for high speed. Typical top speed of a crawler is probably under 2 mph. A fast "trail truck" may tear it up at 15-20 mph. The Summit is really too large to run in the same manner as a 2.2 or 1.9 crawler, but that doesn't mean it can't crawl. It has a few more bits and pieces that'll get hung up on the rocks, and the independent suspension could be considered a disadvantage. But again, if you've never run a hardcore, purpose-built crawler, you probably won't know - or care about the difference. The Summit is just a wicked truck. Selectable two speed, selectable lockers, the ability to crawl AND sky it out over jumps?! Get a Summit, buy a more serious crawler down the road if you decide you need to specialize. As you're just getting back in to the hobby, having a "jack-of-all-trades" vehicle is probably your best bet.

toymaker · #6 04-05-2009, 08:42 PM

I have one and love it! Independent suspension works great with no problems and plenty of travel. The tires work ok but could use just a little more bite. Probably made that way to be a bit forgiving. The Summit is big and would probably run in the Super class. Low range is ok but I found better control swapping down to a 13 tooth pinion gear(I run all stock electronics for now). It's cool to unlock the diffs and tool around in high gear as it beats the snails pace between obstacles. I personally will never crawl competitively so I'm happy with it the way it is.

Destroy · #7 04-05-2009, 10:21 PM

Well I bought an ARTR crawler and love it.

The Summit is just such a tank of a beast. Still looking for good vids of it doing some quality crawling.

Interested in seeing if someone mods a Summit to do crawling better. Tall and soft tires would be the first thing I would think that are needed. Not even sure if anyone makes that large a size?