RE: Official Losi 26cc 5IVE-T Thread
...No, it won't. If it did, then explain why my F150 doesn't torque steer, but my mom's minivan does. My Ford has a longitudinally mounted engine, my mom's van does not, they make the same power.
My CEN torque steers like mad with power going to the front wheels. But when I disable the front axle and revert it to RWD? Voila, no more torque steer, drives straight as an arrow! Reason being is that steering slop allows the wheels to turn independently of what the servo commands them to, so when powered, they tend to make it pull. Remove power from them and suddenly they straighten right up. Literally. I've also noticed my NTC3 has a tendency to merge to the left a little on power, but again, it's slop in the steering. The wheels can move about three or four degrees before the servo saver straightens them out, so engine torque turns them that much to the left.
Longitudinally mounted engines do not create torque steer, what does is worn, sloppily built or poorly designed front drive systems. If you have equal length driveshafts, the suspension geometry is good, and the steering linkage and servo are strong and tight, then you won't get torque steer. Try it with your flux, yank the driveshaft going from the spur to the front diff and nail the throttle. I guarantee it will not torque steer. In all likelihood it will start spinning the back wheels incessantly on every surface you run it on, but it won't torquesteer.
As for what you see in crawlers? That's torque rolling. A poorly designed steering system will cause the vehicle to steer itself under that as well, but a well designed one will not. And I doubt Losi is one to half-ass the steering linkage that badly.