Traxxas Slash 4WD Durability???

[sikeston34m]

Hey Guys. I'm thinking about purchasing a Traxxas Slash 4WD and need to know a few things.

How tough are these trucks and how well are they holding up?

I've been looking at the VXL systems and know there is room for improvement.

I really intend to replace the motor and the ESC. I want to run 4S, 5S, or 6S, depending on the mood I'm in at the time.

ESC of choice will be the Mamba Max Pro. Motor of choice will be the Medusa 36-60mm, in either the 1500kv version or the 2000kv version.

What are the available gearing options? Is 48 pitch gears used in the stock setup? If so, can this be converted to 32 pitch or maybe even Mod 1?

Just how much power can this drivetrain handle?

How tough are the diffs?

What hex does the wheels use? 14mm?

Sorry for so many questions, but any feedback or experiences you can share, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

PS..........I'm just about tired of replacing diffs in my E Revo and this looks pretty inviting to me.

[junkman]

A couple of those I can answer. I have 2 a pe and a rtr. I normally don't treat my stuff like crap, but I had sold the rtr to someone who beat the crap out of it, then bought it back cheap, so I have continued to beat on it, no maintenance whatsoever, plug a pack in and bash. The stock gears are 32p. The only thing broken so far is 1 rear hub carrier, and a couple popped off shock caps. I havn't had any problems with the axles everyone was breaking, although a couple have a little wobble to them. They don't run too bad in stock form on 3s, they might could use a little more top end, I have been lazy and havn't messed with the gearing but I couldn't see really wanting to take away from any of the bottom end it has. It does get pretty hot, but havn't burnt anything up with beating on it for a solid 25 minutes or so. I said in the other post I think running a blitz body has had a lot to do with the durability. The body is big, and covers over the wheels well so when it goes cartwheeling down the road, or landing from a 15ft fall on its lid it has walked away. I can't really comment on how the diffs would hold up with more power, but when you consider the small tires and lack of traction, I don't see you having much problem with it. I know your pain with revo diffs. The hexes are only 12mm but havn't stripped any yet. In my opinion it is a helluva basher, it is nice to have something to beat on rain or shine, minimal wrenching. I have kicked around putting a little taller tires on it to gain a little more ground clearance but thats about it.

[sikeston34m]

What size is the Battery Compartment on these?

[skellyo]

Originally Posted by sikeston34m

What size is the Battery Compartment on these?

Roughly 49-50mm wide x about 170mm long.

[reno911]

I have the 2200 castle neu and the MMM ESC in mine. On 4s it dominates the open short coarse class. A member here sells adapters to mount losi 8 shocks which help dramatically with the extra weight of a heavy motor and battery. Ditch the battery bar thing, dremel some slots and run battery straps for larger packs. The diffs are the same as the e-revo so your good there, look up kingheadz bearing adapter, you will need this after you melt the plastic one. You can use mod one gears, but the stock 32p is pretty good. As for durability I would grade it A+ since I have not broken anything since ownership except some bent stub axles and melting that little adapter on the spur shaft. My next ups are some new racing tires and wheels. Here is a picture of it with it's old motor the 2650, which was pretty good on 3s and sickly on 4s. Oh and on 6s this thing is kind of squirrely, but stupid fast.

[Bondonutz]

I have 2 PE's and run them on the track only, they are holding up awesome ! Not a broken part yet.
The weakest point is the drive axles, using the slipper rather than the CD will help avoid damage.
I'm running both of mine w/MMM and 1509 2Y on 3s, Low temps and great power and run times.

[reno911]

My new set up is similar but I tossed the rx box and mounted my transponder in that spot, and the 2200 comes out a bit further. I also upped for the Traxxas aluminum motor bracket, and drilled two extra holes in the motor plate so the heavier motor has more support compared to just the two screws. If you want I could throw the rx box in the mail your way if you decide to go this route, I'm not using it.

[Overdriven]

I had a PE and just sold it to finance other projects. I liked it alot, just wasn't the right truck for me. In the 2 months I had it I replaced 5 rear axles due to bending. And I found it didn't take very much to bend them either. A traction roll or two, sliding gently into track piping, etc and they were bent. So my advice is stronger rear axles from FLM, Tekno, etc. Other than that, and the stock motor getting a little hot on 3s (stock gearing) its a great truck. For the battery hold-down I agree with the strap idea. I managed to get away with using the balls of rod ends for spacers and longer screws, while unthreading the post a little in the front for my big 3s 6000 pack.

Edit: I also found the stock PE body to be thin and wonder how long it would last compared to the Proline version I used on a 1/8 buggy, which went through hell and is still holding up great.

Curious, what is your intended use? As A basher, after a couple months, I'm still up in the air about it. With stock sized tires, it's really not that much more capable then a 2wd, IMO. Which means a E-revo replacement, it's not.

[BrianG]

I too was in this boat a few months ago. Even knowing about the axle issue, I went to the LHS with the sole intention of picking up one of these, but after talking to a couple other people there who have them (and the issues they were having), and seeing what you get for the price, I ended up walking out with the Losi Ten-T instead. Not the same kind of vehicle to be sure, but haven't been disappointed in my decision in the slightest.

[TexasSP]

But stock tires pretty much suck on everything.

[sikeston34m]

Originally Posted by asheck

Curious, what is your intended use? As A basher, after a couple months, I'm still up in the air about it. With stock sized tires, it's really not that much more capable then a 2wd, IMO. Which means a E-revo replacement, it's not.

Yes, I'm a basher.

I love the E Revo, and have been really abusive to mine. LOL

The rear diff needs replaced again. How do I bullet proof that without running a really loose slipper?

[sikeston34m]

Originally Posted by TexasSP

But stock tires pretty much suck on everything.

The Best stock tires in my opinion are the E maxx tires and wheels. Not the ones that come on the brushless version. Just the plain ones that come on the brushed version. Good Grip.

If a person went to a more aggressive, better gripping, tire and wheel on the Slash, that would worsen the driveshaft problem. Wouldn't it?

Does this truck have a center diff?

The rear diff needs replaced again. How do I bullet proof that without running a really loose slipper?

What's going out, case, spider gears, or ring? About the only thing I do is strip the ring gears, doesn't seem to happen very often though. I normally only run 4s, but generally around 50mph. I would say my slipper is loose enough to work, but not to much. I've never seen a trully bullet proof setup, and the cost to go even better, seems higher then just keeping a spare on hand.

If a person went to a more aggressive, better gripping, tire and wheel on the Slash, that would worsen the driveshaft problem. Wouldn't it?

I personally have not had any driveshaft problems, even running a HV 4.5 on 4s, I run Losi Zombie 320s, they seem to soften things up a little, without adding to much height. My slipper is a little loose, but I didn't feel like I wanted wheelies. The center diff is optional.
Mine's a little different , that might play into my opinions.

[Overdriven]

I doubt motor torque or slipper setting have much to do with the axle issue. On RCTech it was speculated the axle issue is related to suspension travel, weight and the hardness of the axles used. Axle is the same hardness as a 2wd in a heavier 4x4. Also users who did the Losi shock mod (or other longer shocks) said the axle issue went away. The theory is when the shock bottoms out, the downward load is transfered to weakest link, being the axles. But like I said, I bent more than one sliding the rear into things that shouldn't have bent them. And they always bent right at the hole for the hex pin, at least it was easier to dremel off the bent part so the bearing wasn't destroyed getting it out. And I believe Traxxas has an axle that's supposed to fix the problem. Haven't seen in at the lhs yet, but supposedly they'll send a set if you actually used the product registration card instead of throwing it away.

My fix was going to be finding the right bearings to use older style Maxx shafts in the stock carriers. But I wanted something different and never got around to it.