clm77
RCTalk Rookie
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 39
- Points
- 43
Hello, all. Not long ago, I decided to return to RC racing, for a multitude of reasons. Sensibly, I got on FB marketplace and located a truly bitchin' buggy that's pretty much ready to rip with very nice electronics and the whole nine yards. Then I went to my nearest racetrack and observed the action. The reality of how small a chance I would have of shaking off the rust without destroying a bunch of nice parts, while trying to get a 2wd buggy powered by a 6.5t motor around the track smacked me square in the face. With a quickness. I needed a plan b...
So I thought about last time I raced a little. I decided I wanted a short course truck. The last one I had was an HPI Blitz, the one with the cool white plastics. I started looking for a kit, and found... not much out there. I kinda wanted to keep it on the inexpensive side. The Slash "kit" was there, gross electronics and all, for a cool hundo less than an AE 6.4sct kit. I have been trying on a personal level (bigger picture, as a human) to not take everything so seriously, and just relax and have fun. So, I decided to try a Slash. Now, I have known for some time about the nature of the Slash. Last time I was racing, when I saw a Slash on the track, I would assume that shortly I would witness it barrel-rolling into someone else's rig, or mine, which would break, then the (usually pimply adolescent driven) Slash would make haste toward the next corner and repeat the process. So I knew that I had a challenge before me. But, we can turn it into plucky but competitive underdog, can't we?
I ordered the "kit", and a few upgrades. Then a "few" upgrades turned into a LOT of upgrades. At some point, I realized that I would have been money ahead if I would have just bought the AE kit. But the plucky underdog appeal guided me. Then the packages began to arrive, and I started assembling the thing. That's when the frustration really began. Not because of assembling it, I enjoy that perhaps more than driving one. The instructions are decent, clear, and logically laid out & ordered. No, the frustration came about because all the previously held beliefs about Traxxas "kits" immediately began to be proven true, before my eyes & by my own hand. The plastic is of poor quality and doesn't hold any measure of torque, nor is the line between "snug" and "uh-oh" consistent or readily discernible.
Worse yet, the upgrades. I stayed away from the generic stuff, common sense. First order of business was an lcg chassis, obviously. No problem there. The upgrade box got so full, I soon realized that I had two Slashes worth of parts, if only I were to buy a couple more things. So I did. Then, upon completing the major assembly of the "stock-ish" lcg Slash, I started assembly of the upgrade-laden blingwagon. Man, really? RPM arms don't fit on the Proline transmission (integral arm mounts)? Ok, take the stocker apart a little, test fit on the OEM transmission... fit ok there. Grr. Dremel time. Took a little bit of material off the forward end of the arm mounts, carefully. Ok, fit is acceptable now. What's the rattle? Oh, the slipper clutch assembly is laying in the dust cover like candy in a piñata. Grr. The STRC front bulkhead and shock towers are quite nice, no complaints there. The Traxxas bellcrank assembly is also a decent bit of kit. The nyloc equipped hinge pins, not so much. Thread the nut on deeply enough to meaningfully engage said nyloc, the arms bind. Grr. The Traxxas brand-name caster blocks & steering hubs? Pretty sloppy, honestly. I think I had a clapped-out gold-tub rc10 back in the day that was tighter. The Traxxas brand-name turnbuckle kit? Two-thirds fit properly, had to go back to the well & order a pair of rear camber links because the provided units are at least 10mm too long. Grr. Honestly, the stocker front end feels better in the hand. Grr. Worst of all, the MIP CVD kit was shipped without the stub axles or instructions. To be fair, I have reached out to MIP & they offered to comp me a pair of stubs, but still... Grr.
This evening, I went to install the Traxxas GTR shocks. Which were clearly stated to be compatible with the 2wd Slash. The lantern-shaped insert in the lower mounting point on the shock, the correct terminology is escaping me at the moment, sorry. It doesn't fit in the RPM arm or the OEM. GRRR.
TLDR; I should have bought the Associated 6.4sct kit. I don't even intend to use any of the electronics that came in the box, 16awg motor wires, seriously? Why oh why have I done this to myself? Light me up, everyone. Might as well have some entertainment outta this misguided adventure....
So I thought about last time I raced a little. I decided I wanted a short course truck. The last one I had was an HPI Blitz, the one with the cool white plastics. I started looking for a kit, and found... not much out there. I kinda wanted to keep it on the inexpensive side. The Slash "kit" was there, gross electronics and all, for a cool hundo less than an AE 6.4sct kit. I have been trying on a personal level (bigger picture, as a human) to not take everything so seriously, and just relax and have fun. So, I decided to try a Slash. Now, I have known for some time about the nature of the Slash. Last time I was racing, when I saw a Slash on the track, I would assume that shortly I would witness it barrel-rolling into someone else's rig, or mine, which would break, then the (usually pimply adolescent driven) Slash would make haste toward the next corner and repeat the process. So I knew that I had a challenge before me. But, we can turn it into plucky but competitive underdog, can't we?
I ordered the "kit", and a few upgrades. Then a "few" upgrades turned into a LOT of upgrades. At some point, I realized that I would have been money ahead if I would have just bought the AE kit. But the plucky underdog appeal guided me. Then the packages began to arrive, and I started assembling the thing. That's when the frustration really began. Not because of assembling it, I enjoy that perhaps more than driving one. The instructions are decent, clear, and logically laid out & ordered. No, the frustration came about because all the previously held beliefs about Traxxas "kits" immediately began to be proven true, before my eyes & by my own hand. The plastic is of poor quality and doesn't hold any measure of torque, nor is the line between "snug" and "uh-oh" consistent or readily discernible.
Worse yet, the upgrades. I stayed away from the generic stuff, common sense. First order of business was an lcg chassis, obviously. No problem there. The upgrade box got so full, I soon realized that I had two Slashes worth of parts, if only I were to buy a couple more things. So I did. Then, upon completing the major assembly of the "stock-ish" lcg Slash, I started assembly of the upgrade-laden blingwagon. Man, really? RPM arms don't fit on the Proline transmission (integral arm mounts)? Ok, take the stocker apart a little, test fit on the OEM transmission... fit ok there. Grr. Dremel time. Took a little bit of material off the forward end of the arm mounts, carefully. Ok, fit is acceptable now. What's the rattle? Oh, the slipper clutch assembly is laying in the dust cover like candy in a piñata. Grr. The STRC front bulkhead and shock towers are quite nice, no complaints there. The Traxxas bellcrank assembly is also a decent bit of kit. The nyloc equipped hinge pins, not so much. Thread the nut on deeply enough to meaningfully engage said nyloc, the arms bind. Grr. The Traxxas brand-name caster blocks & steering hubs? Pretty sloppy, honestly. I think I had a clapped-out gold-tub rc10 back in the day that was tighter. The Traxxas brand-name turnbuckle kit? Two-thirds fit properly, had to go back to the well & order a pair of rear camber links because the provided units are at least 10mm too long. Grr. Honestly, the stocker front end feels better in the hand. Grr. Worst of all, the MIP CVD kit was shipped without the stub axles or instructions. To be fair, I have reached out to MIP & they offered to comp me a pair of stubs, but still... Grr.
This evening, I went to install the Traxxas GTR shocks. Which were clearly stated to be compatible with the 2wd Slash. The lantern-shaped insert in the lower mounting point on the shock, the correct terminology is escaping me at the moment, sorry. It doesn't fit in the RPM arm or the OEM. GRRR.
TLDR; I should have bought the Associated 6.4sct kit. I don't even intend to use any of the electronics that came in the box, 16awg motor wires, seriously? Why oh why have I done this to myself? Light me up, everyone. Might as well have some entertainment outta this misguided adventure....
Regardless, you’ll have a ton of fun with the slash, and there’s never a shortage of people for the class. 
