[kraegar]

Having done some crawling with different vehicles in RL, I can speak with a little (very limited) experience on independent suspension vs. solid axle. I've only personally crawled in a SA 1980 Jeep cj-7 (lifted, 33" tires, custom leaf springs), and a few older Jeeps. When one wheel gets in the air the solid axle actually forces the other wheel on the ground & holds traction. You don't need to work the brakes in strange ways, just a slight drag break, and you keep on moving. (well, the second time it happens to you that's what happens. The first time you about piss your pants, and screw it up, then someone pulls you out with a winch, and you fix the body work. ahem)

The few times I saw someone with IS suspension out there, if they got a wheel in the air the other had trouble maintaining torque, they'd use traction control and jimmy with their throttle & break trying to double pedal the hell out of it and work through the same spots. (lots of winches involved, and usually some wood planking to help them drive out)

I think the idea's cool for the summit, but it isn't a crawler (and traxxas hasn't said it is, really). If I hadn't bought an e-revo in june, I'd be signing up for a summit now. It does have some amazing suspension travel, but what differentiates it from a crawler is what would happen when you reach past the limits of that travel, and notice the video never shows that (one wheel totally in the air, slow crawl speed, with any sort of precision). Still fun? yeah, I think it would be as a basher.

- Tony