Traxxas Sledge 1/8th scale monster truck

[slick2500]

Did you say kinks? I've killed the driveshafts and every piece of stock aluminum on the truck except the center brace and hexes. My stock hinge pin retainers smile at me.

The ruler is on the bottom. The chassis bows up in the center. Follow the bottom edge left and there's a bump up (if the chassis was right side up it would be a dip), that's where the motor mounts. What you don't see in the picture is the chassis is also twisted.

Traxxas got the diffs and handling right, everything else I can fix.

View attachment 328834

Meh Arrma didn't do much better with their stock aluminum parts and their EXB parts aren't all that either.

This was my Kraton EXB after a head on collision with a Sledge.

 

[razorrc]

Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the SLEDGE!

 

[RC Steve]

I was admiring just how tough my truck is and all the wild landing it drove away from then realized it didn't look right. The roller was sitting upside down on top of a sheep dip tank drying after a bath. The chassis plate, side rails, and the skid plate didn't all follow the same line. I put my glasses on and flipped the truck over, I heard a clang. It was a broken CV. On closer inspection I was amazed the truck could move under its own power. I'd just gotten back from a drive and didn't notice anything wrong with the truck other than it was a little squirrelier than normal.

It's put back together and we'll see how it drives tomorrow.
Last drive with stock ESC/motor. Castle 1717 1650kv motor (already own a Monster X 8s) and a KC RC motor mount are on order.

 

[Steveoarrma517]

Just from the pictures it looks too much like a Kraton....BRING'EM TO COURT ARRMA!!!

edit: Or let Arrma bring the Nero back...

Yup? Tits for tats.

 

[RC Steve]

Looks a lot like an ET48 to me, Tekno should take them both to court !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bustedaw11]

Meh Arrma didn't do much better with their stock aluminum parts and their EXB parts aren't all that either.

This was my Kraton EXB after a head on collision with a Sledge.

View attachment 328844

View attachment 328845


View attachment 328846

View attachment 328847

That'll buff right out

I was under the impression the EXB chassis were a world of difference, I guess more hype then truth?

 

[slick2500]

That'll buff right out

I was under the impression the EXB chassis were a world of difference, I guess more hype then truth?

Didn't take much to bend the exb chassis. The M2C has taken much worse and it's still straight.

 

[KnowAir]

Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the SLEDGE!

HaHa!! I say the Sludge owner was just lucky that day..a millimeter or two different could've easily had the Sludge in pieces instead.
Just wasn't ur day @slick2500 .."it happens"
I feel the Arrma and TRX 6s rigs are fairly equal based on our "impact testing" at my place. Arrma's pins bend, TRX pins break..bent pins and axles can be straightened and reused though, compromised for sure, but usable.
Some say pivot ball suspension sucks, I have no issues with them myself but if true, then the E Revo REALLY sucks since it has them at all 4 corners. They do pull out of the arms too easily as well. Never had an Arrma pivot ball pull out of the arm, hub yes, but not the threaded portion into the arm.
Not putting TRX down, I own a few and enjoy them plenty. Just my observations.

 

[RC Steve]

My only real complaint with 6s Arrmas is undersized ring gears and tiny cross pins (hubs and diffs both). All my 6s Arrma I consider undependable. If the V6 deals with these issues I'll be getting another Kraton, if not then I won't. I'm done with Arrma gear issues.

I break the back sides off LSD gears often enough so I maintain a supply of them.

 

[slick2500]

My only real complaint with 6s Arrmas is undersized ring gears and tiny cross pins (hubs and diffs both). All my 6s Arrma I consider undependable. If the V6 deals with these issues I'll be getting another Kraton, if not then I won't. I'm done with Arrma gear issues.

I break the back sides off LSD gears often enough so I maintain a supply of them.

I've never really had many issues with the stock diffs aside from the screws wanting to back out of the stock diff cups....... I've broken like 3 outdrives and maybe 4 pins over the years. I don't count the time my motor locked up while I was full throttle and it grenaded all 3 of my diffs as idk what woudl have survived that.

My biggest complaints with the Arrma 6s rigs are the chassis bracing being integrated into the wing mount and the amount of slop in everything. If they are going to continue with the current wing mount design, the screws that attach it to the gearbox need to be changed to M4 screws and it needs to attach at at least 2 other spots on the shock tower.

 

[RC Steve]

Yep, I forgot about that. If I tail land my truck I lose the support of my rear chassis brace. I run 3DRC wing mounts so my rear braces are just cosmetic anyway. No one can convince me that connecting a brace to a piece of rubber does anything structural.

 

[RC Steve]

The Sludge 6-8s compatible, the final chapter.
It's the toughest and best handling monster truggy I've owned to date.

 

[razorrc]

The Sludge 6-8s compatible, the final chapter.
It's the toughest and best handling monster truggy I've owned to date.

What chassis are you running?

 

[Matt05]

The Sludge 6-8s compatible, the final chapter.
It's the toughest and best handling monster truggy I've owned to date.

View attachment 332483

Full run down of your build would be great to see. I go back and forth on wanting one.

 

[RC Steve]

M2C chassis, hinge retainers, 10mm offset hexes (matched to 0 offset wheels), carbon shock towers, complete driveshaft kit F/C/R.
KCRC motor and diff mount, ESC fan.
Hot racing shock caps.
RPM bumper, Traxxas chassis skid plate.
Integy chassis bracing.
Yeah racing 33kg servo.
Castle MX8/1717 combo, direct connect sensor wire.
Arrma Backflip 6s wheels.
Traxxas machine cut ring gears F/R.
Diffs 10/500/30
Shocks, front 60wt/1.45 spring, rear 50wt/1.48 spring.
C blocks, steering blocks, hub carriers, and hinge pins are stock and have outlived the stock chassis, hinge retainers, and shocktowers.

I drive the truck almost exclusively on medium size dirt parks. With this diff setup the truck goes in and out of high powered corners very similar to a Tekno ET48.3. I'm very impressed with the truck's handling, I wasn't expecting this from a monster truck. As far as durability is concerned, as it sits now it's the toughest truck I've ever owned.

I really liked how the stock truck drove but the aluminum is a bit soft for big air jumping. The truck is under gear out of the box. Upping the pinion to a 16-17t really brings the truck to life. Out of the box the wheels are out of balance causing the a-arms to wiggle when the truck is airborne. All trucks have their RTR issues and these are the Sledges. Never broke a hinge pin and am still running the original spur gear.

 

[RC Steve]

I forgot to mention, at some point I plan on getting it a rubber wing mount for the Sledge. I have 3DRCs on all my Arrma and their worth there weight in gold.

 

[Armarookie43]

Didn't take much to bend the exb chassis. The M2C has taken much worse and it's still straight.

I've done quite a few 20ft high jumps with the K6S XL and the EXB Mojave chassis in it is still straight.

 

[RC Steve]

It's freaky how tough M2C chassis are. Every 6s Arrma I own sits on them.

 

[cazrack]

Waiting for my used sledge to get to me so I can contribute to this thread.

 

[RC Steve]

You're a bunch of amatures!! If you're going to light a Traxxas on fire you mix gas with petroleum jelly, it sticks better. If any of you decide to give it a try please post it.

Use a chemical fire extinguisher to put it out, NOT WATER.