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Preventative Maintence

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MaxxBlack

RCTalk Champion
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Location
Ohio
RC Driving Style
  1. Bashing
Now that I have my Tmaxx 3.3 running much better and its to cold to even go out the door decided I wanna do some PM. Planning to tear down the entire truck relube diffs. trans oil shock etc.

Couple questions. Are the diffs sealed? I do have the newer model but have no clue what year. Would like to run a high weight oil if possible.
Next questions whats best to use for lubing the trans?
Going to rebuild the stock shocks unless I can find a inexpensive set of big bores would 40 or 50 weight oil be better for just bashing?

Anything else I should plan on doing while I have it down? Engine has already been torn down cleaned and sealed
 
If you have the 4908 or 4907 model (extended chassis) the diffs are sealed.

No lube is required for the stock nylon transmission gears (I don’t recommend any type of grease or lubricant on them either). You can inspect the internal OWB and 2nd gear primary bearing and lube them if needed.

50 wt oil is fine for the stock ultra shocks but if you go much higher the caps will tend to pop off.

Shim diffs and replace any bearings if needed.
 
The weight of your diff oil will depend on how you want the diffs to act. Heavy oil will "tighten up" the diff action and make the rear of the truck tend to powerslide easier. I like to run heavier diff oil because traxxas diffs are only 2 spider diffs and they just can't be tuned like a quality multi-gear diff.
 
What would be a good weight oil to run? Also where would I go about getting shims? Checked tower but couldnt find any....

As for the trans sounds like there really isnt much to do here.
 
I would run the tranny til it breaks. Parts are cheap and you're running a 3.3, not a big block.
I like 50wt diff oil, but on some trucks I put ofna diff lock up front with 50 in back.
 
If you have the 4908 or 4907 model (extended chassis) the diffs are sealed.

No lube is required for the stock nylon transmission gears (I don’t recommend any type of grease or lubricant on them either). You can inspect the internal OWB and 2nd gear primary bearing and lube them if needed.

50 wt oil is fine for the stock ultra shocks but if you go much higher the caps will tend to pop off.

Shim diffs and replace any bearings if needed.

Can anyone tell me more about shimming the diffs? How,why?
 
I would not suggest shimming the diffs in a t-maxx that's running a 3.3 engine or other small block.....You can, but it's really not worth the effort IMO.

Shimming diffs basically means your putting shims between the bearings and gears to help tighten up the gear mesh. It's a great idea if you're adding power to a rig, but on a 3.3 t-maxx it's not needed. You will go through pinion bearings though, so checking the diff bearings is always a good idea.
 
ok, i was kinda wondering for my revo actually although were in the tmaxx forum. Can and or would it be worth doin in my revo?
 
I highly recommend shimming any diff if it needs it whether it’s a small cc engine or a BL electric running lipo.
It will prolong the life of the gears and allow the diff to run smoother.
Think of shimming the diff as setting the spur gear and clutch bell/pinion mesh. If it isn’t correct, something will most likely happen sooner or later.
3.3 diffs are cheap enough to replace, but why not use a couple cents worth of shims if needed.
If you can move the pinion in and out of the housing or slide the output shafts from side to side with approx 1mm of movement then the diff probably needs shimming.
 
I agree with snookman on shimming any diff. I have had diffs break teeth due to not shimming when i should have and the mill was a 2.5R on my revo and a .19T on my tmaxx at the time which is pretty much compared to a 3.3 in power. If your breaking them down for maintenance anyways why not shim the output pinions? Its easy and will help get the most life out of your ring and pinion gears.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. When putting the oil in do you fill the case or just the gears etc. I looked up a how to for shimming the diffs and they wernt real clear on that part. Also would I better off getting alum. cases or sticking with the stock plastic?
 
If you want a lube for plastic gears you can use Dupont Teflon Multi-Use Lubricant. It is a dry lube. It goes on wet and then drys and leaves a coat of Teflon on the gears. This is the same stuff that bicycle racers use on their chains because it does not attract dust and dirt. You can buy it anywhere. Hardware, Mejers, Walmart, Home Depot.
 
Plastic ones are fine unless you just want to spend the money for aluminum housings. As far a oil goes remove the ring gear from spider gear housing and fill it to rim then stick ring gear back on and evenly tighten all four screws.
 
Not something I would of thought of but good idea. Probably won't even open the trans tho. My main concern is the diffs I don't think they were ever tore down. The guy Ibought it from just let his kids bash it. Granet he did have another with over 700 into it so Icould be wrong.
 
By all means do what you want with your diffs. I'm not against shimming them at all, it just depends on how serious you are about your t-maxx. I've had diff carriers break, but some of my spare ring and pinion sets have well over 10 gallons of use on them.
 
By all means do what you want with your diffs. I'm not against shimming them at all, it just depends on how serious you are about your t-maxx. I've had diff carriers break, but some of my spare ring and pinion sets have well over 10 gallons of use on them.

I havnt decided on whether to shim them or not. Really depends how they feel when I tear into it. If its ridiculous with play then yes if not....well they will probably get lubed and stuck back in. :hehe:
 
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