RD Logics T-Maxx 2.5 CVD's

Introduction

CVD style axles and driveshafts are often used in place of the stock plastic, sliding units. They are a much stronger solution than the stock units, and the shiny steel looks very good when installed on a T-Maxx. There are many different CVD assemblies you can purchase, available on the market. All of them vary considerably in overall quality and assembly. The pieces offered by RD Logics, even when first opened, show what kind of product results when a company tries their best to put out an exceptional product.

The driveshaft set comes with two driveshafts, two output yokes, and a brake retainer. While the axle set comes with two axles and two output yokes. So keep in mind that when completely outfitting your T-Maxx with the RD Logics parts, you'll need to purchase two pairs of the axles and one pair of the driveshafts. Otherwise you may find yourself disappointed when only half of the driveshafts show up on your doorstep.

For anyone concerned about the added weight that their truck will receive due to this conversion, I've taken the time to do some weight comparisons. Each pair of axles and hardware weighs 2.9 oz. The driveshaft set weighs 2.9 oz as well. The stock axles weigh 2.2 oz, while the stock driveshafts weigh in at 1.3 oz. So when making a complete swap for your T-Maxx, you'll gain 3 oz. This is a minimal amount of weight gained considering the amount of improvement, to the strength of the driveline, you'll experience.

These CVD's also address some of the shortcomings I've seen from several other manufacturers. The first thing most people will probably notice is the sharp looking silicone boot that covers the joints. This helps prevent dirt and dust from entering the joint and causing premature wear. Many manufacturers do not offer this on their CVD's and you must fashion your own boot out of heat-shrink tubing or something similar.

As nice as the silicone boot is, it's not the best thing that RD Logics did with their CVD's. They also helped prevent pin-slippage from occurring. This is a common problem with many versions of CVD's I've seen on the market. What happens with pin-slippage is, over time, the pin that holds the ball joint together will work loose and slip out. A grub screw is supposed to provide proper tension against this pin to prevent this from happening, but since the pin is round and the face of the grub screw is flat, it's ineffective. When the pin slips out it will often catch on a suspension arm or other object and immediately stops the axle or driveshaft. This often causes the area around the pin to break.

RD Logics has solved this dilemma by flattening an area of the pin for the grub screw to tighten against. Since this area is cut into the pin slightly, it prevents side to side play in the pin while providing the grub screw something solid to tighten up against. Combining this solution with thread lock, provides a very secure joint. While this procedure has been used to modify many sets of CVD's through the years, RD Logics has made it standard on theirs.

I also like the fact that these pieces are designed to use the stock output yoke pin. I've run across several other CVD sets that have a different thread pattern than the stock pin does. This means that you have to use their grub screws or included hardware. Traxxas may have had problems in the past with basic grub screws, but the pin that's currently being used is the best connection solution available and it's nice to see it being used.

RD Logics CVD's also come pre-assembled. I like the fact that I can get to work installing them immediately, instead of first needing to assemble the CVD joints themselves. It drastically cuts down the time needed to install the parts on your truck.

Part One:	Introduction
Part Two:	Installation
Part Three:	Testing and Final Thoughts
Part Four:	Longterm Follow-up