Brushless Radio Controlled Cars
News, reviews, tuning and hop-
Traxxas Ruslter VXL Stadium Truck Review
Kit Review Tuning and Hop Ups Images
Torque RC .com 2011
Where to start...
The Traxxas Rustler has been around for a good while now so there are a whole heap of hop ups out there on the market. Stock the truck is fast enough but maybe not as strong as it could be, especially if running higher powered LiPo packs.
A good place to start is with the suspension which can be a weak area if you do a lot of jumping or run on rough ground. RPM do a full range of upgrades for the Rustler to add strength to those weaker areas. Front and rear shock towers along with suspension arms will take care the corners. Bumpers and a gearbox guard are also available and worth consideration.
The electronics, while good, have been known to overheat when running the most high powered batteries. Traxxas do a cooling fan for the ESC that helps keep temperatures in check.
Road racer...
The Traxxas Rustler comes capable of running 3S LiPo batteries and can hit speeds of over 65mpg with ease. Traxxas state this is possible out the box in reality you will want to make a few modifications to your truck before making repeated high speed runs.
Most importantly get your gearing right, this is clearly displayed in the manual, the correct gearing and then setting up of the slipper clutch will preserve the life of your transmission and keep ESC temperatures in check.
The chassis won’t need much attention, maybe stiffer springs / shock oil and a lower ride height will aid control but isn’t essential. A good set of on road tyres is on the other hand. Traxxas make the Anaconda tyre (pictured) but others are, of course, available. Tape the tyres and you will stop excessive ballooning at high speed and maintain better control of your truck.
Off road racer...
So you have the hop up bug and want to turn your Rustler into the ultimate off road stadium truck. Luckily there are no shortage of option parts to make your truck faster, strong or just look better. You can go the whole hog right up to a carbon fibre chassis, not that you need to go that extreme.
Generally speaking you will want to make your car either light or strong and handle better. Assuming you have made the suspension upgrades mentioned above shocks are a good place to look at next.
Traxxas make aluminium shocks that offer superior control and smoother running than the stock plastic shocks. Fit these along with the aluminium castor blocks and axle carriers and you will remove all slop form your truck for better controlled, more predictable, handling.
Aluminium track rods and steering arms are also available to help decrease the weight just that little bit more.
To race your truck you might want to look at an aftermarket servo to give you a quicker, stronger steering response when on the track.
