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--CATEGORY-- General Information General Electric General Nitro HPI Savage Losi LST Sportwerks Mayhem Traxxas E. Rustler Traxxas E. Stampede Traxxas N. Rustler Traxxas N. Stampede Traxxas E-Maxx Traxxas T-Maxx Traxxas Revo --ARTICLE-- Ball Joints Brake Upgrades Bumper Adjustment Cut Wheels/Tires Exploded Views Forward Conversion Frequency Access Installing a Failsafe Metal-Gear Servos MIP CVD's Motor Head Swap Motor Swap Pullstart Conversion Receiver Pack Rerouting Fuel Line RPM Arms Servo Savers/Horns Shocks Shock Mounts Slipper Clutch Slipper Pegs Spare Screws Spur Gap Steel Spur Steering Bellcrank Throttle Bellcrank Throttle Return Spring Upgrades Work Stand |
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UpgradesIncreasing DurabilityThe T-Maxx has a huge selection of aftermarket parts available for you to spend your cash on. Some people throw every aftermarket item in the book at it which is fine, if you have a budget that allows it. However not everyone can afford to do that, and a lot of what is on the market doesn't have much of a benefit other than just looking nice. So what I've done is split some of the most benefitical upgrades into three catagories. These catagories are durability, performance, and a miscellanious catagory. I've also listed several choices for several items, so you're sure to find one that fits your needs. Even though I'm providing links to online hobby stores for illustration purposes, please note that this is not the only location to purchase these parts. Often your local hobby store would often make a much better route for you to buy any upgrades from. There are two items you'll need to consider when reviewing this list. One, the items on this list are not given in any particular order that you should upgrade by. Other upgrades you have made, may make one item a better choice before another. So the order in which you should upgrade could possibly be different from someone else. So you'll have to determine what the best approach for your T-Maxx will be. The second thing is, that this list was written with the 2.5 T-Maxx in mind. However, some of these upgrades will work fine with the .15 T-Maxx. The 2.5, is the current model of the T-Maxx that Traxxas is producing, and I felt that I needed to narrow the topic of upgrades down somewhat as it's such a large area to begin with. I also figured that anyone running the older .15 T-Maxx already had a good handle on upgrades to begin with.
Body Posts/Shock Towers Probably the best item in this catagory for the money is made by RPM. I can't really say enough about their products. Aside from the fact that the RPM posts and shock towers are incredibly strong, RPM will replace it free of charge if you do manage to break it. There are aluminum alternatives out there, but I feel that you are much better off running RPM parts as much as possible. Not only are they extremely sturdy, but they are also still flexible. Aluminum just bends, and will not spring back the way an RPM part will. You'll find a list with both styles of parts below.
Bulkheads Along with the suspension arms, the bulkhead takes on a large amount of force during an impact. So the bulkhead can be an item that is frequently broken when the T-Maxx crashes or lands a jump wrong. You'll find a large selection of aftermarket bulkheads in many colors in the list below.
Bumpers One of the most often used bumpers, for the T-Maxx, is made by RPM. Aside from the fact that the RPM bumper is incredibly strong, RPM will replace it free of charge if you do manage to break it. The RPM bumper also comes in several different colors, making it easy to match your T-Maxx. If you would rather go with an aluminum bumper you'll find plenty of options and colors for them as well.
Some of the bumpers above come with replacement bumper mounts, while others may be sold separately. Some of the bumpers above use the stock mounts. Below is a listing of the bumper mounts that are available separately.
CVD Axles and Driveshafts CVD's will greatly strengthen your driveline by allowing you to eliminate the plastic output yokes. The CVD's are a lot better than the stock pieces,in my opinion, due to the fact they allow you to rid yourself completely of all of the stock u-joints. The stock u-joints can sometimes be a pain to install, or remove, and the CVD's make it much easier to work on the drivetrain.
Failsafe A very wise investment to make early on, is to invest in a failsafe. A failsafe will help prevent a runaway truck due to low receiver battery strength, interference, or loss of signal. It does this by return the throttle servo to a predetermined position when any of those conditions occur. However, for the best protection against a runaway truck you should use both a failsafe and a throttle return spring. For more information on failsafes, read my section on Installing a Failsafe.
Fuel Filter Another very wise investment to make early on, is to invest in a fuel filter. A fuel filter will help prevent dirt and other small objects from finding their way to your motor where they can do damage to the piston and sleeve. Any dirt that finds it's way to the motor can quickly shorten it's life. For more information on this, read my section on Fuel Filters.
Lower Chassis Braces Replacing the stock plastic braces with rigid aluminum ones is a good way to beef up your T-Maxx and eliminate chassis flex. There are several options in this catagory to choose from.
Metal Gear Servo One of the weaknesses of the stock T-Maxx is the steering servo. It lacks torque and prone to breaking if it suffers much abuse. A good metal gear servo will take much more abuse, and typically offers much more torque than the stock servo. More torque means the servo can turn the tires, and keep them turned while cornering. More torque is a necessity when running larger than stock tires, and still can be very helpful on stock-sized tires. For more information on this, read my section on Metal Gear Servos.
Roll Cage If you're looking for the ultimate item to strengthen and protect your T-Maxx, a roll cage might be just the item you're looking for. The metal bars encase all of your truck's components to provide the best level of protection for the most extreme of bashers.
Shocks With the weight of the T-Maxx, the shocks should be addressed in some manner for optimum durability. You have several routes you can take, the cheapest being strengthening the stock plastic shocks. As long as you haven't stripped the threads off of your plastic shock bodies, two pair of aluminum shock caps will make your shocks as durable as many of the aluminum shocks offered, in my opinion. Plus does so for a fraction of the cost. For more information on that, read my section on Strengthening the Shocks.
Another option is replacing the shocks with aluminum ones. This is a more expensive route to take, but in addition to strengthening up the suspension, you can really make your T-Maxx stand out from the crowd. Prices and styles for aftermarket shocks vary considerably, so before you spend the money make sure you're going to be happy with the ones you choose. I run a set of Integy Silver MSR4 Piggyback shocks on my T-Maxx and feel they do an excellant job for me. For more information on aftermarket shocks, see my section on Aluminum Shocks.
Suspension Arms The T-Maxx is a heavy truck. So when you hit something head on parts will often break. One of the more common items to break is the suspension arms. Once again, RPM offers a very good upgrade for this part, that is tougher than the stock Traxxas piece and if you do manage break it, RPM will replace it. They also come in several colors, one of which is dyeable, if that is something that interests you. For more information regarding the installation of the RPM Suspension Arms, see my article on RPM Suspension Arms. If you would rather go the aluminum route, you'll have plenty to choose from in that department as well.
Suspension Pins Replacing the stock screw-type suspension pins with the e-clip style pins has a couple of benefits. One is that you don't have to worry about pins that work their way loose while you're running your truck. The other benefit is that with the e-clip on both sides of the pin, the suspension part is trapped in place which helps the overall strength of that particular part. You can go with stainless steel or titanium pins.
Temperature Gauge While a temperature gauge isn't necessarily something that will beef up your T-Maxx, it can play a role in how long your motor will last. Making sure to keep your motor running at an acceptable temperature will help you maintain a long lasting motor in addition to one that performs well. I would avoid on-board, wire-loop type gauges. Their readings are not very accurate and can actually hinder you from staying in the correct temperature range. Below are some of the frequently used handheld temperature gauges.For more information, see my section on Temp. Gauges.
Throttle Return Spring A throttle return spring can help prevent a runaway truck in the event your truck loses power to the receiver, loses power to the servos, or runs out of radio range. However it is not a substitute for a failsafe, as it won't protect against radio interference. The best way to protect yourself against a runaway truck is to use both a throttle return spring and a failsafe. For more information on throttle return springs, read my section on Installing a Throttle Return Spring.
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