My T-Maxx FLM Build!

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Well its been about three years since I originally bought this T-Maxx and it got a few minor upgrades in the beginning but sat in pieces for about two of those three years.

Finally after this long the truck breaths new life and let me tell you it has been a headache....I originally was going for an Unlimited Engineering build but after finding out the parts were no longer made, rare and expensive if you can find them I decided to go with Fast Lane Machine products. Come to find out I waited to long and they stopped producing many of the T-Maxx parts. Fortunately for me you can still find them in a few select stores and on eBay.

So with no further a-due I will present my build thread!

Not my first order of parts for the T-Maxx build but this is the main order of parts...So pretty and shiney!

I started off with the ultimate hybrid diffs that come with 1/8th scale buggy diffs. They are fairly simple to figure out how everything goes together but there was still some guess work involved. The cups that come with the buggy WILL NOT work with the extended arms. Your axles will not reach far enough into the cup. FLM includes the parts to swap out the cups so that you can use any standard cup. So don't screw up like I did and have to deal with the mess of your diff fluid after you realize you will need to change them out. I filled them up with Racers Edge 50k diff oil and finished them off with Racers Edge diff grease. Both seem to be of very good quality and they are pretty cheap off there website.

There is a small ring that comes with the diff cases, I am not sure which side it is supposed to go on so I guessed. I put it on the RING side of the diff.

Next up I did my already upgraded Traxxas Big Bore shocks. I am running RC Raven dual rate springs and prettied them up with FFRC shock boots!

more to come.....

 

[Nitro4910]

Looks like you have a good start.

The FLM Ice/Hyper BB chassis is very hard to find nowadays, seems like FLM has abandoned the T maxx.

 

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I used Lunsford Titanium hing pins and come to find out the bottom pins from there kit are a tad to short for the bottom hinges.

To remedy the problem I used the included steel hinge pins from the FLM bulkhead kit.

Since I was not sure how everything was going to fit drive line and transmission wise I went ahead and did a mock up assembly to see what I was going to need or not need.

The motor mount holes in the chassis ended up needing to be dremeled further back toward the bulk and over toward the exhaust a little for the spur and clutch bell to line up properly. The rear center driveshaft had to be cut and made shorter as well. Also the tranny case had to be dremeled down a little bit on the exhaust side so that it sat flush in the chassis. These pics are the final results!

I didn't get a lot of pictures of this process as it was a frustrating and nearly full day ordeal trying to figure out what I wanted to do and how I wanted to make everything fit. I was going to change out the spur gear shaft with an upgrade kit Traxxas makes for the 2.5 transmission. It would not fit in the aluminum case I have without needing to do extensive modifications so I opted to dremel the chassis motor mounts out instead.

After all this was done I had gotten the axles in the mail and decided to see how they fit. I put them on and this is when I figured out that the cups on the diffs would not work. I then changed everything out (again didn't get pics) and did a final build on the front and rear bulks!

 

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Now I can finish the final measurements and placement of the servos, battery, receiver box etc.

I decided to go with the Ofna Violator 145cc tank and the Ofna 145cc fuel tank mounting posts. The throttle/brake linkage setup was fairly easy to figure out but took some adjustments and building a few different linkage setups. I put a two "Z" bends in the brake linkage so that it would clear the tranny and moved the brake post link to the opposite side so it would clear the spur gear. I also picked up an RDLogics "One Piece Pipe" that I plan to use the header from and figure out how to mount a Ripple Tuned pipe I grabbed off ebay.

I had to eliminate the battery box due to the fuel tank and servo location so I was going to loose my RX switch. I decided to drill and cut out the side of the RX box and mount it there. It actually looks like it belongs there, I was very happy with the results!

I went with a Dynamite 1600mah 6.0v hump pack and zip-tied it with some foam padding underneath to the chassis. I have since changed it to velcro straps and am now mounting it to the inside of the shock tower.

Truck is finished and ready for tires, I originally purchased some Axial Beadlocks withe Big Joes used from a member on here.

I started the T-Maxx up this day and was having alot of servo play. The traxxas servo was constantly trying to find its neutral position. Even after adjusting the End Points it still was way to finicky.

The truck has sat since from then up until yesterday. I got my Geode "Beadlocks" in with some Chevron rubbers to wrap around them. I also changed out the throttle/brake servo with a traxxas digital waterproof servo. The throttle/brake play was eliminated and the truck is now ready to be broken in!

 

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Parts List:

FLM Chassis
FLM Center braces
FLM Center skid plate
FLM Hybrid bulkheads
FLM Bulkhead braces
FLM Shock towers
FLM Aluminum servo mounts

RC Raven Dual rate springs
RC Raven steering servo skid plate

FFRC Shock boots
FFRC 1/10th aluminum servo clamps

Traxxas Big bore shocks
Traxxas Steel axles
Traxxas Digital waterproof 2075 Servo
Traxxas Digital 2070 Servo
Traxxas Geode "beadlock" wheels 3.8"
Traxxas Chevron tires 3.8"
Traxxas Splined 17mm hexes

Ofna Violator 145cc Tank
Ofna 145cc tank mount posts

RDLogics "One Piece Pipe"
RDLogics Aluminum 2.5 Tranny case???

RPM Front upper and lower arms
RPM Front knuckles
RPM Tru-Track rear arms

Ofna Picco JL Red-Dot .26 Max
Ofna Picco .26 T-Maxx motor mount

MIP 2.5 splined CVD's with two 5mm center drive hubs
Dynamite 6.0V 1600mah 5-cell hump pack
Robinson Racing 2.5 Forward only steel gear set
Motor Saver Airfilter
Dubro Red Fuel line

I will post some pictures of the updated servo and battery setup later, along with some pics of the break in and hopefully bashing!

 

[Phins Fan]

Nice build! Screw the pics we wanna see some video carnage when you finish the break in and start bashing!! Or do you think she will be a shelf queen?

 

[Mn Monster]

great build !!!! well done ~!

 

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Thanks guys ;-) I am very proud of the way it turned out! So far I am 4 1/2 tanks in, still has monster pinch. I broke the pull start while trying to start it after a minor wreck. I hit the curb and ripped the pillow ball out of the knuckle.

Luckily the cord broke right where the knot was so I pulled it apart and ran it back up through and put a knot in it. Pulled the plug and emptied some of the fuel out of the head. Started back up on the first pull!

I will finish breaking it in tomorrow, the power is starting to show and I am still running fairly rich on the high needle. Low needle is set just about perfect and the idle is nice.
@Phins Fan - Yeah I would love for it to be just a shelf queen but I like to play with my toys. I am just gonna be more cautious with the T-maxx and use my nearly finished Savage for my all out basher! I am throwing a Picco .28 in the savage so it should rip alot better than the T-Maxx! I also still have a Revo that has been bashed on quite a bit. It's down right now unfortunately and I don't know when I'll get it back up and running.

I got a short video today on the beginning of the third tank, got it uploaded to photobucket but its sideways and the quality is really crappy. My GF took it with my phone....

 

[Snook Man]

Nice assembly.

If you have the correct torque control slipper upgrade kit there is no reason it should not fit that transmission housing without any modification. I use the 2.5 style transmission almost exclusively and the RD logics or any other aluminum housing I have seen will work with the 2.5 slipper upgrade kit, it’s just a simple swap of the input shaft/gear set and then install the slipper and new spur.

 

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Nice assembly.

If you have the correct torque control slipper upgrade kit there is no reason it should not fit that transmission housing without any modification. I use the 2.5 style transmission almost exclusively and the RD logics or any other aluminum housing I have seen will work with the 2.5 slipper upgrade kit, it’s just a simple swap of the input shaft/gear set and then install the slipper and new spur.

Well I don't know and can't figure out who makes the case I have. I got it as a package deal with the Robinson Racing gear set off ebay about 2 years ago. I recently bought the upgrade kit from the local hobby shop and it is the correct one. The problem I was going to have is the pin for the slipper plate to sit in sat just a hair to far back. It caused the slipper plate to grind on the tranny housing. So I would have had to ground off some of the material around it and I wasn't sure how much I would have needed to take off for it to fit properly. I will eventually get rid of that case I'm sure as three of the six screws are stripped out and have red loc-tite holding them in place.

 

[Snook Man]

Hmmmm, it looks like the RD tranny housing but I would have to see it in person to be sure. The only time I have run across that issue with the slipper plate rubbing the housing is if the stock 3.3 slipper shaft and slipper is used on the 2.5 housing. It then will rub, but the slipper upgrade is made differently to prevent that issue. The correct slipper kit comes with the big cupped/convex spur and should fit without issue unless the design of the tranny housing is far different than most others I have used.

 

[nikko508]

Nice build, it reminds me of my FLM maxx when I put it together and it was all shiny no scratches, now it looks used..... But its still holding up.. to bad FLM is slowing down the Tmaxx production.

 

[Racer 1966]

Looks super sweet! So is the RDLogics pipe a direct fit for the Picco?

 

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Hmmmm, it looks like the RD tranny housing but I would have to see it in person to be sure. The only time I have run across that issue with the slipper plate rubbing the housing is if the stock 3.3 slipper shaft and slipper is used on the 2.5 housing. It then will rub, but the slipper upgrade is made differently to prevent that issue. The correct slipper kit comes with the big cupped/convex spur and should fit without issue unless the design of the tranny housing is far different than most others I have used.

Yeah bro I'm not sure cause I used the parts that came in the kit and the slipper plate rubbed. I also tried the slipper plate from my 3.3 tranny and it fit exactly the same. I know the spur gear in the kit was freaking huge but it still uses the same bolt pattern as the new spurs. I may pull it out again and re-check it cause honestly I would rather go with the new gen RR slipper and use the Revo spur. Either way though the old 2.5 RR slipper works just as good and fitment is pretty good compared to others I have seen with it being WAY off.

Nice build, it reminds me of my FLM maxx when I put it together and it was all shiny no scratches, now it looks used..... But its still holding up.. to bad FLM is slowing down the Tmaxx production.

Thanks! Got a pic of yours? I'm really OCD though after a bash session I usually break my stuff down and scrub everything.

Looks super sweet! So is the RDLogics pipe a direct fit for the Picco?

Yes it does! The RDLogics pipe is a direct fit, it fits in the same exact space as the Resonator does. Dynamite also makes a pipe and head combo like that one but it looks like its cheaper made. The pipe they make looks bigger though and I am not sure if its tuned. I have a ripple tuned BB pipe to put on it but not sure how I'm gonna make it work with the head since its a slip on and not coupled.

I still want to get one of those BB header adapters from you but since I had found this pipe I decided to hold off. When I get my Revo back out and running again I will pick one up.

 

[nikko508]

Go to my profile and take a look at mine, I use the ice extended chassis and it came out very nice, had the same problem with as you with the eng mounting I had to make an adapter plate to fit my eng but all and all I'm happy with it. What I like is the truck is bullet proof, It seams like I can't break anything no matter how hard I bash it.....

 

[MudSlinger33]

Sweet maxx! I would be cautious driving that thing too.

 

[wacmartin]

That TMAXX looks real solid and custom! It's a nice looking truck, but a custom painted body would complete that beauty.

 

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Oh yeah a body is in order for it but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the paint job or body type yet. I wanted to use the stock body for getting it broke in and tuned.

Which speaking of tuned, I got it broke in and tuned today! It's still running slighty rich with temps sitting around 215...230 with lid on. I could go slightly leaner but to be honest not sure if I want to. This thing is a f*cking beast with this motor. Can we say out of control? Peg the throttle and the truck slides sideways trying to get traction. Wheelies out of control as well.

Unfortunately while I was tuning it today it was dieing every so often and the pullstart string broke AGAIN. I fixed it when I got home and annoyed the neighbors in the apartment complex running it to see if she would actually stay started. Did really good this time, didn't die once...I think I just have the idle slightly low as the manual is asking for 1.5mm gap.

I will try to get a video of her running friday as that should be my next time out playing.

 

[dub c]

Traxxas 3.3 pull start will hold up better than the ofna. And it also has a longer string. Also as your picco loostens up you will be able to close the idle gap a bit.

 

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Traxxas 3.3 pull start will hold up better than the ofna. And it also has a longer string. Also as your picco loostens up you will be able to close the idle gap a bit.

Yeah I was going to put the 3.3 pullstart on it but the extra mm of length on it will not let my engine fit in the mount. So I pulled the string out and wrapped it around the ofna pullstart and rebuilt it. Much better string, I couldn't use all of it but I got enough on there to give plenty of pull!

Freaking sucks though today is raining its ass off and I am not one for taking my toys out when its wet. WAY to much of a mess to clean up after. :\