Since it’s Steer By Wire it could Crab Walk — right?

[JBee]

Dude!! You bet me to it. Another point for the CTOC meme king! lol

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[Jhodgesatmb]

My understanding is that over a certain speed the wheels move in unison to improve handling. I would imagine it would be simple to program the truck to do this at lower speeds if one wanted to show the truck doing a "crab walk" for a Youtube video and zero other utility!

Joe T. showed some video at GigaAustin a month or so ago of a Cybertruck doing a shallow-angle crab walk. It could probably do a steeper angle crab walk but it really has a very limited value..

 

[CyberGus]

Joe T. showed some video at GigaAustin a month or so ago of a Cybertruck doing a shallow-angle crab walk. It could probably do a steeper angle crab walk but it really has a very limited value..

It seemed like a broken RWS rack

 

[JBee]

Did anyone ask about current or upcoming Crab Walk ability for Cybertruck?

There's quite a few advantages to SbW and 4WS, especially for freeway speeds and trailer sway prevention.

But to answer your question, being SbW means that crab walk is only a few lines of code in the firmware away, and easily done OTA at any point.

How useful or effective it is at low speeds is however debatable.

For hitching up a trailer the 4WS will help even with out of phase steering. The only time it would help is to tuck a trailer close to one side, and to get it out from there. But by the time you have switched over you'd have done it with the normal steering.

The rear steering angle also limits rather than improves parallel parking, and otherwise it's more useful for trailer sway control and safe lane changes as Pilotpete described. It also helps with poor traction situations, or punctures etc, in that you will have better steering authority overall.
It also tracks better offroad, meaning that you have less resistance in sand and snow as the rear follows the front better up to certain steering angles. the limiting factor is the rear angle here though.

Offroad it might come in handy time to time for moving parallel away from a cliff face etc, but otherwise the switching between modes, and understanding how it move differently, is not something anyone will get the hang of quickly.

I actually use our crab steering on a 10ton telehandler/tractor all the time, but mostly to offset the front and rear track so that it lowers ground compression of agricultural land, or to swing out the back to get the rear mower closer to the fence whilst mowing edges. Sometimes I use it with the front shovel, to clear stuff off the side of the road whilst driving straight down the road. You get used to it after using it for hours on end, but for intermittent use it will be more of a hassle rewiring your brain than much use at low speeds. It's another skill, like being able to reverse park a double articulated semi.

But at all other times it's in out of phase "opposite" angle mode to reduce turning circle, it can turn in under 12m like that despite wearing huge 5ft tyres. That is except towing (up to 28tons) and on road use were we switch the rear axle steering off, and just use the front, as this is way less sensitive.

"Technically" it is also without a mechanical linkage to steer, but rather purely hydraulic. So more "steer by hose" than "steer by wire".

 

[JBee]

It seemed like a broken RWS rack

Yep like on the crash test video, it was no longer "in control".

 

[charliemagpie]

Also useful for certain parking or lane changes. Tesla has made it integral with the software for most situations. But the opposite of crab is also most useful because it reduces the turning radius by a lot.

There's also another good reason for steer-by-wire also. Steer-by-wire makes it easy to create right-hand-drive Cybertrucks for overseas markets like Australia, because Tesla only has to move the steering wheel assembly inside. Nothing outside the interior even needs to be changed. Many times much easier to manufacture.

- ÆCIII

Need to remove the 120v, /replace with 240.

Move BAW to the other side, so the driver gets a full sweep.

 

[JBee]

Need to remove the 120v, /replace with 240.

Move BAW to the other side, so the driver gets a full sweep.

It already has 240V, you just get rid of the 120V plugs and swap them for Aussie shaped ones connected to the 240V.

The BAW will work still from where it is. The driver won't notice much of a difference from the inside as the uncleared area is hidden behind the passenger sunvisor as it is.

 

[charliemagpie]

It already has 240V, you just get rid of the 120V plugs and swap them for Aussie shaped ones connected to the 240V.

The BAW will work still from where it is. The driver won't notice much of a difference from the inside as the uncleared area is hidden behind the passenger sunvisor as it is.

Good point, considering the Sunvisor, it might be ok. But the Jury still out.

 

[CyberJagg]

Did anyone ask about current or upcoming Crab Walk ability for Cybertruck?

What’s the big deal with the Crab Walk thing anyways? How many times are we really gonna use this feature beyond the party trick?

 

[tcmeyers]

What’s the big deal with the Crab Walk thing anyways? How many times are we really gonna use this feature beyond the party trick?

Maybe in a tight parking space to move the door clearance from one side of the truck to the other? Zig then zag

 

[Eye of Elon]

Speaking of not so useful fun features. Since the the yoke has force feedback, it would be great if we could use it on racing games on the big monitor.

 

[scottf200]

I didn’t know that. I think I heard that rear wheel steering (to reduce turning radius) only occurred at lower speeds. So, for lane changes it just kind of slides in?

See this informative video that I've posted before:

 

[tmeyer3]

I've never really understood the point of the crab walk thing. Even if it could do it, I'm not going to take the time to find some menu item, confirm I want to get crabby, slide like a cool guy, then turn it off just be on my way. No, I'm just gonna crank the wheel and go around whatever it is my way. I much prefer automatically adjusting rear wheels to reduce my turning radius without me knowing it's happening. I realize they aren't mutually exclusive, but if it required some "mode" to use crab walk, who would really use it in a real situation other than showing it off?

 

[RadoRage]

As a previous long time Quadrasteer Owner, I was very excited when the CyberTruck announced 4WS. Hands down one of the top best features of the truck (for those who have never driven one, it will change your views on truck maneuverability).

Only thing I was a little disappointed to hear was a max of 10 degrees for rear turning. My Silverado was capable of up to 15 degree rear steering (12 in towing mode), and it made it feel as nimble as a Honda Civic.

My guess is that this is likely due to restricted space in the wheel wells (probably related to the battery pack) and aerodynamic concerns to keep numbers lowest possible, to not allow for a higher degree of turn.

 

[JBee]

The limited RWS angle does not help much for any crabby maneuvers so in the CT they are not very useful, and might not ever make it past QC.

I'm just glad we don't have to justify against the "diamond steering" nonsense anymore.
In fact a lot of items have now been debunked. We should make a list.

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