Upgrade from Traxxas Slash brushed 2wd

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maxforwardspeed

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Hi guys, I've got a slash 2wd that's been running great for a couple of years, but I'm looking for more speed. I see I can convert this truck to brushless, but is that what you would do? Or should I go for a 2nd truck? I still like offroading, so a street car doesn't really fit the bill, just more speed would be nice. If I should avoid the conversation option, what's a good truck I should look into that's ready to run? Thanks!
 
I would take a look at the ARRMA lineup, anything 4WD Brushless will make you super happy:
https://www.arrma-rc.com/en/vehicles/

Something to consider is that brushless motors will produce significantly more power which in turn will make your car far less durable. I would recommend a 1/8 brushless design so you're truly upgrading all the way around and will not be as likely to break.
 
I personally have not tried a different one but I can find one that was recommended to me
Here it is
E4795104-47DF-4B37-8EDC-27B59B028544.jpeg
 
I would take a look at the ARRMA lineup, anything 4WD Brushless will make you super happy:
https://www.arrma-rc.com/en/vehicles/

Something to consider is that brushless motors will produce significantly more power which in turn will make your car far less durable. I would recommend a 1/8 brushless design so you're truly upgrading all the way around and will not be as likely to break.
Thanks!
 
Hobbywing Max10
Hobbywing Max10 G2
Hobbywing 10BL120 G2
Castle SW4
Castle copperhead 10
All of those are my recommended BL combos.
A new car would probably be better. I agree with @bill_delong with anything Arrma. 4wd for off-road is a must. My slash and rusty (2wd) just spins in the grass and doesn't get anywhere.
 
The answer depends on your budget. A new truck can be upwards of $350++ depending on the manufacturer and drivetrain configuration. For a quarter of that you could easily just convert the truck to brushless. I agree with the earlier posters about the 10bl120/4000kv QuicRun system from Hobbywing. It's an incredibly affordable option to get more power into your car. 120amps is more than enough for the Slash. I would reccomend spending another $80 bucks and picking up a 272R Magnum transmission from Jenny's R/C. For a little under half of what a new truck costs, you could easily upgrade yours to be even better, in my opinion.
 
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The answer depends on your budget. A new truck can be upwards of $350++ depending on the manufacturer and drivetrain configuration. For a quarter of that you could easily just convert the truck to brushless. I agree with the earlier posters about the 10bl120/4000kv QuicRun system from Hobbywing. It's an incredibly affordable option to get more power into your car. 120amps is more than enough for the Slash. I would reccomend spending another $80 bucks and picking up a 272R Magnum transmission from Jenny's R/C. For a little under half of what a new truck costs, you could easily upgrade yours to be even better, in my opinion.
Thanks. I'm a little confused on the options with the hobbywing combos. This one has a 3652 motor but 4000kv. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6BPTLZW

And this is a 3660 motor with 3700kv, but officially from hobbywing?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6BFFB96
 
Thanks. I'm a little confused on the options with the hobbywing combos. This one has a 3652 motor but 4000kv. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6BPTLZW

And this is a 3660 motor with 3700kv, but officially from hobbywing?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6BFFB96
Higher KV motors have higher max RPMs, but less torque. Think of it like a 4-cylinder motor. Lower KV motors have lower max RPMs, but much more torque, like a V8. For a 2WD, 3700kv or 4000kv would be fine since your truck is lighter. They would be right around a V6. I like higher KVs for anything 2WD. 4WD need a little more torque because of more power loss through the differentials and more components means its heavier.

Both combinations look like they're from Hobbywing directly.
 
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Hobbywing Max10
Hobbywing Max10 G2
Hobbywing 10BL120 G2
Castle SW4
Castle copperhead 10
All of those are my recommended BL combos.
A new car would probably be better. I agree with @bill_delong with anything Arrma. 4wd for off-road is a must. My slash and rusty (2wd) just spins in the grass and doesn't get anywhere.
Tire tread depth and throttle control. 🤣😁 agree with everything else though.
 
Higher KV motors have higher max RPMs, but less torque. Think of it like a 4-cylinder motor. Lower KV motors have lower max RPMs, but much more torque, like a V8. For a 2WD, 3600kv or 4000kv would be fine since your truck is lighter. They would be right around a V6. I like higher KVs for anything 2WD. 4WD need a little more torque because of more power loss through the differentials and more components means its heavier.

Both combinations look like they're from Hobbywing directly.
Thanks. I don't suppose the Traxxas transmitter can be re-paired with the quicrun esc? Trying to figure out what else I'd need.
 
Thanks. I don't suppose the Traxxas transmitter can be re-paired with the quicrun esc? Trying to figure out what else I'd need.
The transmitter doesn't "pair" with the ESC. It pairs with the reciever. As long as you don't need to change that, you should be fine. You will need to do a throttle calibration after the swap. The instructions will include everything you need to do that, which is a very simple process.

If you buy the 3700kv combo you will need to buy a pinion with a 5mm ID. This will limit you to running 32P pinions since its really difficult to find 48p pinions with a 5mm ID. So you would need not just a new pinion, but also a new spur. I reccomend buying a 50T 32P Spur (TRA6842) The spur is used on the 4x4, but will fit on the 2WD as well. As for pinion teeth, I reccomend starting with a 12T. Check your motor temps (finger test will suffice) and if it's cool after a hard session, go up to a 14T. Then just repeat until you're happy with the speed/acceleration/temps.

The 4000kv uses the same 3.175mm shaft like the brushed setup, so you can reuse your stock pinion.

I would reccomend going with the 4000kv just for overall ease. The swap is literally two screws, and the pinion is just one grub. It's much simpler to stick with the 3.175mm shaft.

I forgot to clarify your question regarding the motors. The numbers before the kv are just the dimensions of the motor. The 3700kv is 3660, it has a 36mm diameter with a 60mm length. The 4000kv is 3652, it has a 36mm diameter with a 52mm length.
 
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The transmitter doesn't "pair" with the ESC. It pairs with the reciever. As long as you don't need to change that, you should be fine. You will need to do a throttle calibration after the swap. The instructions will include everything you need to do that, which is a very simple process.

If you buy the 3700kv combo you will need to buy a pinion with a 5mm ID. This will limit you to running 32P pinions since its really difficult to find 48p pinions with a 5mm ID. So you would need not just a new pinion, but also a new spur. I reccomend buying a 50T 32P Spur (TRA6842) The spur is used on the 4x4, but will fit on the 2WD as well. As for pinion teeth, I reccomend starting with a 12T. Check your motor temps (finger test will suffice) and if it's cool after a hard session, go up to a 14T. Then just repeat until you're happy with the speed/acceleration/temps.

The 4000kv uses the same 3.175mm shaft like the brushed setup, so you can reuse your stock pinion.

I would reccomend going with the 4000kv just for overall ease. The swap is literally two screws, and the pinion is just one grub. It's much simpler to stick with the 3.175mm shaft.

I forgot to clarify your question regarding the motors. The numbers before the kv are just the dimensions of the motor. The 3700kv is 3660, it has a 36mm diameter with a 60mm length. The 4000kv is 3652, it has a 36mm diameter with a 52mm length.
Ok great, thanks for the info! The explanation on the "kv" makes perfect sense, never knew that before. Thank you!
 
The transmitter doesn't "pair" with the ESC. It pairs with the reciever. As long as you don't need to change that, you should be fine. You will need to do a throttle calibration after the swap. The instructions will include everything you need to do that, which is a very simple process.

If you buy the 3700kv combo you will need to buy a pinion with a 5mm ID. This will limit you to running 32P pinions since its really difficult to find 48p pinions with a 5mm ID. So you would need not just a new pinion, but also a new spur. I reccomend buying a 50T 32P Spur (TRA6842) The spur is used on the 4x4, but will fit on the 2WD as well. As for pinion teeth, I reccomend starting with a 12T. Check your motor temps (finger test will suffice) and if it's cool after a hard session, go up to a 14T. Then just repeat until you're happy with the speed/acceleration/temps.

The 4000kv uses the same 3.175mm shaft like the brushed setup, so you can reuse your stock pinion.

I would reccomend going with the 4000kv just for overall ease. The swap is literally two screws, and the pinion is just one grub. It's much simpler to stick with the 3.175mm shaft.

I forgot to clarify your question regarding the motors. The numbers before the kv are just the dimensions of the motor. The 3700kv is 3660, it has a 36mm diameter with a 60mm length. The 4000kv is 3652, it has a 36mm diameter with a 52mm length.
Sorry, I forgot to ask...I just ordered the 4000kv combo, so if I stick with the stock 16T 48P pinion that I have what would be a good spur gear to start with? I see your recommendation on the 50T 32P, but maybe the stock 90T 48P would work?
 
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