kawood100
RCTalk Basher
The Slash. Let's give it credit here. Without it, a whole sector of the hobby wouldn't exist.
While some scoff at it (as I did in the beginning) it's one of the toughest things made. (one of them)
So, for fun I thought I'd put down a nifty list of things one might do to it... and make it near bulletproof.
Near... that is. Nothing is bulletproof.
(if someone posted something like this, or it's unwanted.. by all means someone remove it.)
This is for those that run in the dirt. Street runners & sheltered carpet folks that experience no dust might not relate to some of it... or any of it.
This was written after an entire summer of weekly races, all day long, battery after battery, breaking & fixing... which lasted hours on a real dirt track. (means it applies to a lot of folks.)
Regardless of what one reads on the internet, actual experience is way better.
From what I've seen, I think a lot of dudes out there with yet anotheer "sick" yootoob video saying "this review" or that... are really just driving in a field showing off. They don't address much other than how shiny it is or how fast it is. Maybe they jump it, maybe the drag race it with friends... bash around... but I don't see many putting them to a test of hardcore racing in the dirt, continually... with others... where it takes a toll.
It's what I like to do... race it.
Part of my goal here was finding out the weak points to address which keep it moving right along resulting in a reliable thing. The Slash, is one of the toughest hands down.
Having run RC cars for some 40 years, only recently to just go with the Slash out of pure fun and the real look of them, here's a list of things I do to it keeping it in good running order.
If one gets into RC racing (or anything) you choose the thing that's at the forefront of it all with parts availability and advice.
So...
1. Nothing worse than noticing that whole wheel about to go weird on you mid run. (usually the rear too...) By wheel, I mean the whole lower arm and the wheel. Why? The screw in lower arm pins. (pretty sure Tamiya pioneered that honestly... the freaking Thundershot had them.) Solution: Hinge pin kit. ST-RC makes a hinge pin kit for it, so does RPM so I'm told. This keeps the lower arm pins from backing out over many runs. Hint: install them so you can take them out easily without taking things off just to get to them to make some repair.
2. A decent servo. With the blizzard of things on the market now... hey, just get one with steel gears and a tad faster (or the same rate... too fast makes some folks drive worse). If not faster, at least steel gears. It'll do just fine. Anyone at the hobby shop with "some experience is bound to sell you what they use.. I promise. Of note: The stock servo saver is actually your friend here. They don't blow up all that often (unless you hit a lot of things driving) It stops other things from breaking and the stock unit, works great. Want a better one? Get one... but wait until you bust several stock ones before you do. (could be a driving issue)
3. Aluminum Bellcranks. Traxxas is fine, or others and it's pretty to look at... But if you just want some of the slop gone, just put bearings in the stock ones. (same bearing as the little one in tamiya Grasshopper transmissions & other cars). Swap out the center plastic connector for a stub with 2 rod ends on it... same length as the original plastic one. (One might have to "shave" a hair from the ball end used for clearance though) There's something to be said for the flex which translates down the line to "NOT breaking"... keep reading... flex is your friend.
... but not on this next one...
4. Driveshafts. With the power one CAN find these days, those stock shafts don't last all that long under bigger power setups. They're good of course for a while. Traxxas Heavy duty ones are great, but you may need to modify the upper control link location to the top hole on the tower (which changes geometry and HEY, they did set it up out of the box to do really good ok?) and maybe shave a hair from an area or two. They also tend to bind a tiny tiny bit initially but works just fine.
Other solutions: MIP, a company that's been around as long as me, makes 2 kinds. The cheap version works wonders. They've handled the Juststock setup and Venilion setup (2s) for a whole year without showing signs of any issue. part# 08106. (putting them together takes a sec.., but they ain't broke yet and you can DIE the little plastic cups that are the backup pin holder! That's rad. They have a stock dog bone at the trans end, and C-CVD's on the outer. They're simple and work. (remember that spacer in the shock, or you're gonna wear the inner dogbone, FYI) MIP's Xduty ones, even better. (and heavier, just make sure you put them together right or you're gonna smash your bearings... look for the crush tube and use it... find the specs online... the kits don't tell you how to put them together)
Another I found, listed as: HD Steel Rear Universal Drive Shaft (2) for Traxxas 1/10 Slash 2WD & Nitro Slash by Integy. (here: https://www.integy.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=40986&p_catid=142) For some 40 bones, these go in without one modification and work beautifully and there's a bunch of colored ones too. I'm sure there's others like Tekno... but steer clear of the barrage of things claiming to work. Get what works, and be done with it. Get colors if you must, but looks don't equal performance or reliability.
5. Drop the rear body mount one hole on the tower. Running it in stock config runs the body higher and... does affect CG slightly, and flight. The tires are supposed to go up in the fenders on compression and yep... hit the underbody.
6. Tires. Proline Badlands, Trenchers and Gladiators are really good for dirt tracks that are maintained & moist... Badland tires go any damn-where and are awesome as they are. The stock tires are good for testing basically. But... If you want the stock tires to hook up better, get really nice nail clipers and slice off every other row of knobs on them. Horizontally on the rear, and vertically down the middle making outer ribs in the front. It helps.
Note I didn't say RPM Lower arms yet? Why? Because from what I can tell... (and 40 Years of watching it) they're no stronger than stock. Lots of folks just break stock things bashing & think for some reason, they must have them now. You broke, because you hit something hard. You'll break an RPM one on the same hit too. (yea, I know... they're colored and I MUST MATCH dammit!. I guess if you spend time showing your underside a lot, then it's cool right?)
Note I didn't say RPM bumpers? Why? Because they offer less protection for yer body on the outer edges. Keep the stock stuff in place. The flex of that original front bumper and it's pieces really helps you from wiping out the front bulkhead. (yea, I know... but RPM's are colored and I MUST MATCH dammit!)
7. That fiberglass brace up front between the arm hinges... Keep it there. (or get the metal one) That's what keeps your bulkhead from giving the finger and blowing apart when that unknown gnarley hit happens. Note some other brands doing it too? Why? Because it saves the bigger item.
8. Rear bumper, lower right side (where it slides onto the bottom black frame portion (or the frame on the LCG) keeps popping down... hooks the ground... flips you over on The launch of jumps? Drill a hole in it, put a tiny screw in it. That'll keep it from ever moving again.
9. Lube hole. (totally optional) Drill 1 tiny hole in the top of the spur gear cover. (um.. take it off first buddy) One tiny screw in there (barely, don't hit the gears) will allow you to lube it quickly... a little dab of something is always nice. Note, don't do this to the transmission case... if you've maintained it, the stock slash tranny will do super for a good while.
10. Running height. If you Race, or want it to handle well... Truck should sit, with rear driveshafts level to the ground at full load. Any higher, it'll roll more often. Front end should sit slightly higher but not much. (red springs work quite well for all around performance)
11. Shocks. Don't spend the money on aluminums (or gold things, or unobtanium coated this... or that). Just keep the stock things clean & serviced, they'll last a good while. (put dust covers on em folks) Dirt, is dirt. It gets into things no matter what you do or what you have.
12. Bearings. God, check them. The minute you run in water then let it sit... those tiny balls will rust and lock up. This will affect battery life, performance... and wear out other parts even seizing the bearing on whatever it's attached to... then it's more money. Perhaps a micro-oiler... just a drop on each keep them moving along for a good long time. Protection? Find the thinnest bit of felt... put them there and you can protect the bearing far longer.
13. Look at the spur & Pinion gears often. They take the huge beating... keep em clean, keep it smooth and gear lash at minimum, and lined up... they'll last longer. If there's weird wear.. the sound of it changes. That'll tell you that alignment isn't right... or point out a problem. If it's uneven wear... that's the key to knowing the motor bearings are about done for (well, or the motor is loose). If the motor bearings go, (more modern motors) it goes so far out of alignment it'll burn your spur gear off in about 3 laps.
Note: Velinium motor guys... recent versions of the motor (black plastic end cap one) have questionable bearings. Watch them. They switched to the bearing dimensions identical to the ones used in the wheels but is all metal. (really bad design btw... the balls are smaller than normal ones in more reliable motors) Easy to fix though... unless the bearing blew up in the motor and turned the balls into dust... that's another story. (one I know how to fix too)
14. Oh that dumb look... Ever buy aftermarket bodies (stock too) only to hit something and find the body has popped up & over the front bumper? It looks stupid yes... but also causes a parachute effect. It'll make the truck fly strangely if it's a fast truck... and actually lift the front end a little at speed making steering... less. To fix: Get a grasshopper bumper (like 4 bucks), and whack off the edges. Bend it just so... and screw it to the back side of the front bumper. It acts like a hook keeping the body from popping up. That'll solve that issue. (looks cool too) Or... Any L-shaped bit of flexible plastic works too. (perhaps a murdered HPI jumpshot bumper... they're super soft and bendable... you're just making an L shaped piece that hooks to the bumper to keep the front where it's supposed to be)
15. Wheel hexes: Sure, the aluminum ones are neat... but if you don't let your wheels come loose... the stock ones don't tend to fail. Nobody sees them anyway unless you're doing manly talk on how many expensive pointlesss parts you have. Rears... typically don't need them either. But if you must, sure get them... when the wheel nut comes loose it'll strip out the hex on the rim faster than the stock plastic one. (I hope the hex goes first.. the wheels cost a bit more.)
16. Glam VS Performance: Ok, so there's all these neato aluminum things... shock towers & such. While great, they make things more rigid in those areas... but busts other things in other unwanted (and more involved) areas. I'd steer clear of aluminum shock towers in the off road environment. One good hit there, (and the tower doesn't give)... blows up the bulkhead. Keep it flexible, it lasts longer. The reason the thing is bulletproof is the flex in the whole car. It's supposed to be flexible. Take that away... and down the line something else suffers.
17. Consumable items: These are things you WILL break, and should keep on hand. This is where RPM comes in. Bearing carriers, front & rear. Get some spares. Don't get the aluminum ones just yet... because when you do... something else will suffer when that big hit happens. (e.g. Bent pins, busted Lower arms... you know the drill... go BUY RPM ARMS that'll fix it!. It's cheaper to break the Bearing carriers and replace... than replace what breaks when those are unbreakable.
18... that slipper clutch... Learn how it works, adjusted right keeps you rocketing along instead of just spinning your tires. (unless you like doing donuts... lock it up by all means and have at it.)
19. Cooling. Slice in half one of those cheap Heat sinks... It'll fit. Some cooling, is better than none.
20... that LCG chassis. Yes... if you're gonna race I'd get one. The rest is up to the driver, not the car.
Sorry.... pics aren't in order at all!
While some scoff at it (as I did in the beginning) it's one of the toughest things made. (one of them)
So, for fun I thought I'd put down a nifty list of things one might do to it... and make it near bulletproof.
Near... that is. Nothing is bulletproof.
(if someone posted something like this, or it's unwanted.. by all means someone remove it.)
This is for those that run in the dirt. Street runners & sheltered carpet folks that experience no dust might not relate to some of it... or any of it.
This was written after an entire summer of weekly races, all day long, battery after battery, breaking & fixing... which lasted hours on a real dirt track. (means it applies to a lot of folks.)
Regardless of what one reads on the internet, actual experience is way better.
From what I've seen, I think a lot of dudes out there with yet anotheer "sick" yootoob video saying "this review" or that... are really just driving in a field showing off. They don't address much other than how shiny it is or how fast it is. Maybe they jump it, maybe the drag race it with friends... bash around... but I don't see many putting them to a test of hardcore racing in the dirt, continually... with others... where it takes a toll.
It's what I like to do... race it.
Part of my goal here was finding out the weak points to address which keep it moving right along resulting in a reliable thing. The Slash, is one of the toughest hands down.
Having run RC cars for some 40 years, only recently to just go with the Slash out of pure fun and the real look of them, here's a list of things I do to it keeping it in good running order.
If one gets into RC racing (or anything) you choose the thing that's at the forefront of it all with parts availability and advice.
So...
1. Nothing worse than noticing that whole wheel about to go weird on you mid run. (usually the rear too...) By wheel, I mean the whole lower arm and the wheel. Why? The screw in lower arm pins. (pretty sure Tamiya pioneered that honestly... the freaking Thundershot had them.) Solution: Hinge pin kit. ST-RC makes a hinge pin kit for it, so does RPM so I'm told. This keeps the lower arm pins from backing out over many runs. Hint: install them so you can take them out easily without taking things off just to get to them to make some repair.
2. A decent servo. With the blizzard of things on the market now... hey, just get one with steel gears and a tad faster (or the same rate... too fast makes some folks drive worse). If not faster, at least steel gears. It'll do just fine. Anyone at the hobby shop with "some experience is bound to sell you what they use.. I promise. Of note: The stock servo saver is actually your friend here. They don't blow up all that often (unless you hit a lot of things driving) It stops other things from breaking and the stock unit, works great. Want a better one? Get one... but wait until you bust several stock ones before you do. (could be a driving issue)
3. Aluminum Bellcranks. Traxxas is fine, or others and it's pretty to look at... But if you just want some of the slop gone, just put bearings in the stock ones. (same bearing as the little one in tamiya Grasshopper transmissions & other cars). Swap out the center plastic connector for a stub with 2 rod ends on it... same length as the original plastic one. (One might have to "shave" a hair from the ball end used for clearance though) There's something to be said for the flex which translates down the line to "NOT breaking"... keep reading... flex is your friend.
... but not on this next one...
4. Driveshafts. With the power one CAN find these days, those stock shafts don't last all that long under bigger power setups. They're good of course for a while. Traxxas Heavy duty ones are great, but you may need to modify the upper control link location to the top hole on the tower (which changes geometry and HEY, they did set it up out of the box to do really good ok?) and maybe shave a hair from an area or two. They also tend to bind a tiny tiny bit initially but works just fine.
Other solutions: MIP, a company that's been around as long as me, makes 2 kinds. The cheap version works wonders. They've handled the Juststock setup and Venilion setup (2s) for a whole year without showing signs of any issue. part# 08106. (putting them together takes a sec.., but they ain't broke yet and you can DIE the little plastic cups that are the backup pin holder! That's rad. They have a stock dog bone at the trans end, and C-CVD's on the outer. They're simple and work. (remember that spacer in the shock, or you're gonna wear the inner dogbone, FYI) MIP's Xduty ones, even better. (and heavier, just make sure you put them together right or you're gonna smash your bearings... look for the crush tube and use it... find the specs online... the kits don't tell you how to put them together)
Another I found, listed as: HD Steel Rear Universal Drive Shaft (2) for Traxxas 1/10 Slash 2WD & Nitro Slash by Integy. (here: https://www.integy.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=40986&p_catid=142) For some 40 bones, these go in without one modification and work beautifully and there's a bunch of colored ones too. I'm sure there's others like Tekno... but steer clear of the barrage of things claiming to work. Get what works, and be done with it. Get colors if you must, but looks don't equal performance or reliability.
5. Drop the rear body mount one hole on the tower. Running it in stock config runs the body higher and... does affect CG slightly, and flight. The tires are supposed to go up in the fenders on compression and yep... hit the underbody.
6. Tires. Proline Badlands, Trenchers and Gladiators are really good for dirt tracks that are maintained & moist... Badland tires go any damn-where and are awesome as they are. The stock tires are good for testing basically. But... If you want the stock tires to hook up better, get really nice nail clipers and slice off every other row of knobs on them. Horizontally on the rear, and vertically down the middle making outer ribs in the front. It helps.
Note I didn't say RPM Lower arms yet? Why? Because from what I can tell... (and 40 Years of watching it) they're no stronger than stock. Lots of folks just break stock things bashing & think for some reason, they must have them now. You broke, because you hit something hard. You'll break an RPM one on the same hit too. (yea, I know... they're colored and I MUST MATCH dammit!. I guess if you spend time showing your underside a lot, then it's cool right?)
Note I didn't say RPM bumpers? Why? Because they offer less protection for yer body on the outer edges. Keep the stock stuff in place. The flex of that original front bumper and it's pieces really helps you from wiping out the front bulkhead. (yea, I know... but RPM's are colored and I MUST MATCH dammit!)
7. That fiberglass brace up front between the arm hinges... Keep it there. (or get the metal one) That's what keeps your bulkhead from giving the finger and blowing apart when that unknown gnarley hit happens. Note some other brands doing it too? Why? Because it saves the bigger item.
8. Rear bumper, lower right side (where it slides onto the bottom black frame portion (or the frame on the LCG) keeps popping down... hooks the ground... flips you over on The launch of jumps? Drill a hole in it, put a tiny screw in it. That'll keep it from ever moving again.
9. Lube hole. (totally optional) Drill 1 tiny hole in the top of the spur gear cover. (um.. take it off first buddy) One tiny screw in there (barely, don't hit the gears) will allow you to lube it quickly... a little dab of something is always nice. Note, don't do this to the transmission case... if you've maintained it, the stock slash tranny will do super for a good while.
10. Running height. If you Race, or want it to handle well... Truck should sit, with rear driveshafts level to the ground at full load. Any higher, it'll roll more often. Front end should sit slightly higher but not much. (red springs work quite well for all around performance)
11. Shocks. Don't spend the money on aluminums (or gold things, or unobtanium coated this... or that). Just keep the stock things clean & serviced, they'll last a good while. (put dust covers on em folks) Dirt, is dirt. It gets into things no matter what you do or what you have.
12. Bearings. God, check them. The minute you run in water then let it sit... those tiny balls will rust and lock up. This will affect battery life, performance... and wear out other parts even seizing the bearing on whatever it's attached to... then it's more money. Perhaps a micro-oiler... just a drop on each keep them moving along for a good long time. Protection? Find the thinnest bit of felt... put them there and you can protect the bearing far longer.
13. Look at the spur & Pinion gears often. They take the huge beating... keep em clean, keep it smooth and gear lash at minimum, and lined up... they'll last longer. If there's weird wear.. the sound of it changes. That'll tell you that alignment isn't right... or point out a problem. If it's uneven wear... that's the key to knowing the motor bearings are about done for (well, or the motor is loose). If the motor bearings go, (more modern motors) it goes so far out of alignment it'll burn your spur gear off in about 3 laps.
Note: Velinium motor guys... recent versions of the motor (black plastic end cap one) have questionable bearings. Watch them. They switched to the bearing dimensions identical to the ones used in the wheels but is all metal. (really bad design btw... the balls are smaller than normal ones in more reliable motors) Easy to fix though... unless the bearing blew up in the motor and turned the balls into dust... that's another story. (one I know how to fix too)
14. Oh that dumb look... Ever buy aftermarket bodies (stock too) only to hit something and find the body has popped up & over the front bumper? It looks stupid yes... but also causes a parachute effect. It'll make the truck fly strangely if it's a fast truck... and actually lift the front end a little at speed making steering... less. To fix: Get a grasshopper bumper (like 4 bucks), and whack off the edges. Bend it just so... and screw it to the back side of the front bumper. It acts like a hook keeping the body from popping up. That'll solve that issue. (looks cool too) Or... Any L-shaped bit of flexible plastic works too. (perhaps a murdered HPI jumpshot bumper... they're super soft and bendable... you're just making an L shaped piece that hooks to the bumper to keep the front where it's supposed to be)
15. Wheel hexes: Sure, the aluminum ones are neat... but if you don't let your wheels come loose... the stock ones don't tend to fail. Nobody sees them anyway unless you're doing manly talk on how many expensive pointlesss parts you have. Rears... typically don't need them either. But if you must, sure get them... when the wheel nut comes loose it'll strip out the hex on the rim faster than the stock plastic one. (I hope the hex goes first.. the wheels cost a bit more.)
16. Glam VS Performance: Ok, so there's all these neato aluminum things... shock towers & such. While great, they make things more rigid in those areas... but busts other things in other unwanted (and more involved) areas. I'd steer clear of aluminum shock towers in the off road environment. One good hit there, (and the tower doesn't give)... blows up the bulkhead. Keep it flexible, it lasts longer. The reason the thing is bulletproof is the flex in the whole car. It's supposed to be flexible. Take that away... and down the line something else suffers.
17. Consumable items: These are things you WILL break, and should keep on hand. This is where RPM comes in. Bearing carriers, front & rear. Get some spares. Don't get the aluminum ones just yet... because when you do... something else will suffer when that big hit happens. (e.g. Bent pins, busted Lower arms... you know the drill... go BUY RPM ARMS that'll fix it!. It's cheaper to break the Bearing carriers and replace... than replace what breaks when those are unbreakable.
18... that slipper clutch... Learn how it works, adjusted right keeps you rocketing along instead of just spinning your tires. (unless you like doing donuts... lock it up by all means and have at it.)
19. Cooling. Slice in half one of those cheap Heat sinks... It'll fit. Some cooling, is better than none.
20... that LCG chassis. Yes... if you're gonna race I'd get one. The rest is up to the driver, not the car.
Sorry.... pics aren't in order at all!
