Build Thread Double Vision - Beer's Traxxas Drag Slash

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Now that the DR10 is hitting consistent 2's I'm switching my focus over to this brand new Drag Slash.

I'd like to get to know this chassis before I push lower into the 2's so that i have a grasp on each chassis and an idea of which one i would prefer as I try to progress towards Sub 2's

Ill be starting out this week with some baseline passes, using the out of the box pinion and the in the box option pinion.

After that I'll be doing a video (maybe series) on the cheapest way to get this thing sub 3.

This build will also consist of a build video series, simalar to the DR10.

 

[Cheetah928]

Super cool man! I basically run a drag slash just with different tires and gearing, and let me tell you, it's a blast! I just am scared for when I make it hit 88 miles an hour!

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Super cool man! I basically run a drag slash just with different tires and gearing, and let me tell you, it's a blast! I just am scared for when I make it hit 88 miles an hour!

88? Sheesh thats pro outlaw territory lol

 

[Littlemotor]

88? Sheesh thats pro outlaw territory lol

That’s “back to 1955” territory sir.

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Well…. Didn’t expect a PB today..

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

One thing I’m not sure of is my G’s and top speed are lower than my previous PB. I’ll have to do an overlay of the two and see what’s going on. Maybe my GNSS is cooked

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

A bit of a rough morning with the Drag slash today. I had an issue with the steering not wanting to return to center so I swapped out the servo and still having issues. Its hitting perfect but once the front wheels settle back down it wants to dart left or right and then any slight steering correction breaks the back end free and the thing starts barrel rolling lol it has an incredibly large turning radius and on top of that I'm using the NB4+ with a ch1 curve to lighten the steering response, but the back end just doesn't want to stay put. But if I can get it to lanch straight and then settle down and keep going straight, then it would be making some absolutely beautiful passes.

On top of that, I'm not able to set the wheelie bar to a sweet spot. At the 2nd lowest level and with the big wheels its still wheelieing with the front tires about 1-2" off the ground. Then at the lowest position with the small wheels the bar is dragging on the ground for the full pass. Looks like it will need an aftermarket bar with fine tuning adjustments.

@DavidB1126 you're pretty familiar with the slash chassis right? Any idea why the steering wont center back? Thinking I might need a metal bellcrankwith the servo saver delete.

 

[DavidB1126]

To be fair, I don't know fully. But the steering rack can be binding, or the servo saver just being sloppy. Idk alot about servo savers integrated into the steering rack but the stock Traxxas white servo savers on the servo, those are very sloppy and just junk. Idk if Traxxas still uses them in their newer models. On both of my trucks I run Drag Slash Hot Racing aluminum/CF rack, and TLR 22 aluminum servo horns. (Note if you do go with the TLR horn you need to redo the threads for the drag link hole as it's a different thread pitch than Traxxas hardware, and/or use a different screw, If I remember @Suburban_Hooligan used a different screw for it. ) But also to be fair, mine are just set up for off-road, does have some play and give in the system. They drive fine and straight for me.

If this were a TT02, I'd tell you to get rid of the car.

On my Pro4 SC10, the rack has a servo saver integrated in it. Isn't the best but it drives straight but sometimes I just can't get it to turn more. On power and off power. Weird. (Lots of understeer)

Could just also be just the servo. Stock Traxxas servos are junk. Especially the 2056 and 2075 with plastic gears. The 2075R with metal gears is ok. I run that one in my slash for like 5 years now and it still takes a beating. I run it on 7.4v too lol. But it's just plainly slow.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

To be fair, I don't know fully. But the steering rack can be binding, or the servo saver just being sloppy. Idk alot about servo savers integrated into the steering rack but the stock Traxxas white servo savers on the servo, those are very sloppy and just junk. Idk if Traxxas still uses them in their newer models. On both of my trucks I run Drag Slash Hot Racing aluminum/CF rack, and TLR 22 aluminum servo horns. (Note if you do go with the TLR horn you need to redo the threads for the drag link hole as it's a different thread pitch than Traxxas hardware, and/or use a different screw, If I remember @Suburban_Hooligan used a different screw for it. ) But also to be fair, mine are just set up for off-road, does have some play and give in the system. They drive fine and straight for me.

If this were a TT02, I'd tell you to get rid of the car.

On my Pro4 SC10, the rack has a servo saver integrated in it. Isn't the best but it drives straight but sometimes I just can't get it to turn more. On power and off power. Weird. (Lots of understeer)

the holes in the horn are a standard 4-40 thread. pretty much any RC that uses standard hardware uses 4-40 thread pitch.

 

[DavidB1126]

Ah ok I remember now. Good to know I'll put it in my notes.
Its just because when I first upgraded to that TLR horn I used a stock Traxxas screw and it just stripped out totally so I had to redo the threads. Maybe they just changed the manufacturing on them in the last couple years.

 

[Finesavageboy2]

A bit of a rough morning with the Drag slash today. I had an issue with the steering not wanting to return to center so I swapped out the servo and still having issues. Its hitting perfect but once the front wheels settle back down it wants to dart left or right and then any slight steering correction breaks the back end free and the thing starts barrel rolling lol it has an incredibly large turning radius and on top of that I'm using the NB4+ with a ch1 curve to lighten the steering response, but the back end just doesn't want to stay put. But if I can get it to lanch straight and then settle down and keep going straight, then it would be making some absolutely beautiful passes.

On top of that, I'm not able to set the wheelie bar to a sweet spot. At the 2nd lowest level and with the big wheels its still wheelieing with the front tires about 1-2" off the ground. Then at the lowest position with the small wheels the bar is dragging on the ground for the full pass. Looks like it will need an aftermarket bar with fine tuning adjustments.

@DavidB1126 you're pretty familiar with the slash chassis right? Any idea why the steering wont center back? Thinking I might need a metal bellcrankwith the servo saver delete.

I had that same problem with my slash 2wd. i would hit the curb with the wheel and it would knock it off center. I had to mess with the steering trim every run. I also had a servo saver delete. I eventually bought a servo saver for it and haven't had that problem since I don't think. honestly I've barely driven it since putting it on. Idk maybe it worked, maybe it didn't.

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Even after replacing the servo with an AK70, it still wants to keep turning the direction it was last steered lol I've had great luck with the AK70s, never had trim or centering issues. Thats why I'm thinking its probably a traxxas part causing the problem. I guess I'll have to do a full teardown and see if theres any stiff spots in the bellcrank

 

[luke66]

Take out any and all servo savers and get an aluminum steering rack. Plus you may have some slop in your steering links? Also check for slop in the hubs. I have a decent amount of slop in the hubs that I’ve been too lazy to deal with in my Slash MM lol

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Take out any and all servo savers and get an aluminum steering rack. Plus you may have some slop in your steering links? Also check for slop in the hubs. I have a decent amount of slop in the hubs that I’ve been too lazy to deal with in my Slash MM lol

Yeah I think I'll get the aluminum bell crank, it looks like it eliminates the integrated servo saver.

I'm actually rather impressed with the rigidness of the front end past the bell crank. Very little play compared to my dr10

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Almost forgot to post the video here lol

 

[WickedFog]

Almost forgot to post the video here lol

What is the difference in weight between the two cars?

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

What is the difference in weight between the two cars?

Thats a pretty good question... I imagine the dr10 is quite a bit lighter with the body, smaller esc & motor, and smaller wheels and tires. Ill put them on the scales and check.

Ultimately I've come to the conclusion that the velineon esc just delivers more raw power, rather its through undisclosed timing or other parameters I'm not sure. But I think a lot of the stock class guys are running the velineon system because so.

The reedy system is flat out embarrassing, and the spektrum system just doesn't seem as popular for stock racing.

Think I'm gonna do a vxl outlaw build with it

 

[WickedFog]

Thats a pretty good question... I imagine the dr10 is quite a bit lighter with the body, smaller esc & motor, and smaller wheels and tires. Ill put them on the scales and check.

Ultimately I've come to the conclusion that the velineon esc just delivers more raw power, rather its through undisclosed timing or other parameters I'm not sure. But I think a lot of the stock class guys are running the velineon system because so.

The reedy system is flat out embarrassing, and the spektrum system just doesn't seem as popular for stock racing.

Think I'm gonna do a vxl outlaw build with it

Have you changed the pinion and spur on the DR10, or just done pinion swaps?

I saw a post a long time ago where someone said the sweet spot for the stock DR10 is a 26t pinion and 78t spur. So maybe measure the rollout of your stock tires and calculate the final drive based on those gears and try to find something close with whatever tires you're using now.

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

Have you changed the pinion and spur on the DR10, or just done pinion swaps?

I saw a post a long time ago where someone said the sweet spot for the stock DR10 is a 26t pinion and 78t spur. So maybe measure the rollout of your stock tires and calculate the final drive based on those gears and try to find something close with whatever tires you're using now.

Just pinion swaps but I have a 76t sitting in the parts bin because I had abput maxed out the motor plate with that 24t. But I might throw it on and redo the ratio calculation just to move that little bit of motor weight more forward.

Ultimately I think It would depend on the motor right? That 26/78 wouldn't work well with my 8.5t if theyre running like a 4.0t. Because I was severely slower on a 24/84 in this video which is a shorter gearing than 26/78. But i might be heading that way when i put the 4.0 in

Edit: just seen that you said stock dr10. There's no way that reedy system has enough ass to push a 26/78 132' any faster than 4 seconds. They must have been speed running unless they were running stock class with a vxl. That i could see.

Ultimately theres just too many factors. From what i've heard you could have two of the same cars, build the same, and each of them are going to require different setups just because of all the tiny variances that add up kit to kit