WoodiE’s Top T-Maxx Hop-Ups!

July 23, 2002

Seems lately that a lot of people want to know what other people recommend as some hop-ups for a stock Traxxas T-Maxx. Here is a list of FIVE T-Maxx hop-ups I recommend for any Traxxas T-Maxx monster truck.

  1. Fuel Filter – Take no chances of any dirt or foreign object getting into the gas and into the engine. I recommend the Racers Edge fuel filter.
  2. Air Filter – This is a must. I wouldn't trust the air filter the T-maxx comes with just to run it up and down the street. The smallest piece of dirt can cause havok on a small engine and send you shopping for a new one. I highly recommend the Motor Saver Air Filter. With the increase of air from the motor saver air filter there will also be a slight increase of power. I also believe the air and fuel filter should be installed before even starting your Traxxas t-maxx for the first time. The last thing you want is dirt in an engine.
  3. Titanium Front and Rear Skid Plates – Face it, we bash the heck outta our T-Maxx's. These are to two parts that more times then not take the most beating. Titanium does cost a little bit more, but the strength you pick up from it is worth it and more. aluminum on the other hand bends, and once bent cant be bent back. Bending alum. back only weakens it more. The only advantage I see aluminum having over titanium is all the colors available for aluminum.
  4. Tuned Pipe – Before going out and spending that $100-$200 for a new engine, install a tuned pipe. The stock engine is pretty powerful if tuned correctly. With a tuned pipe you can bet you will see an increase in power. As an added bonus it will even make your Maxx sound cooler! I would recommend three tuned pipes. 1) AE Pipe 2) MIP Stinger 3) CVEC Pipe – though the CVEC pipe is not legal to race with. I personally run the AE Tuned pipe and love it. The sound of my T-maxx now is awesome and the increase of speed is noticeable.
  5. RPM A-Arms – Like the skid plates, the a-arms also take a lot of beating, and are usually the first things to break after a jump or hitting something. I recommend the RPM A-Arms mainly for the fact that you can not beat RPM's warranty. Yes, aluminum looks cool and comes in all kinds of colors, but aluminum also costs a lot more. As I mentioned above, once aluminum bends your done. That means your off to buy another set. This can get very expensive VERY quickly. RPM A-Arms on the other hand comes in Black, Blue, Purple, and Dyeable White. Also if you can manage to break these arms, RPM will send you another set to try to break. I have yet to see ANY company that makes aluminum a-arms have this kind of a warranty. The only company I would recommend next to RPM is Proline. The Proline Suspension Kit offers adjustable shock positions, and makes your T-Maxx wider, which is very nice. But then again, RPM makes rims for the maxx (stable-maxx rims) that also make your maxx wider, and you guessed it also comes with RPM's unbelievable warranty!!!

I highly recommend these as the first five must have T-maxx hop-ups. With these hop-ups, you will cover: performance, protection, style/looks, and life to your T-Maxx. Not very often do hop-ups cover so much. The cost of all five hop-ups will only run you about $175-$200.

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