PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

Well actually it is on order. So what I was wondering is this: What should I do to this truck, or will it be fine to run stock? I haven't owned an RC truck(or car for that matter) before, but I do fly RC planes. Tuned pipes: Does this come with a tuned pipe? Should I get one? I noticed MACS makes one for this truck, I do like my Macs tuned pipe that I have on my plane. Should I get a tuned pipe, and what kind of power difference will I see. I think I saw that someone recommended getting a different servo for the steering? Is the stock servo weak? I know these are a lot of questions, but I want to have as good of an experience as possible.
Thanks for your time!

hagur

Congratulations on your T-Maxx.

The T-Maxx has a tuned pipe as standard, as almost all nitro trucks do. I believe the standard pipe is pretty decent. However, there are always better-than-standard aftermarket parts, and that goes for tuned pipes like everything else.

I don't think you need to think about a new tuned pipe right away. I think it's an upgrade you can think about later. Maybe some T-Maxx 2.5 owners can recommend an aftermarket pipe for the car.

Servos .... I don't know how the stock servo is. Generally we want the steering servo to put out as much torque as possible, to swing those big tires easily in the rough terrain we usually drive in

Hitec makes a damn good servo which has a whopping torque of well over 100oz/in which should be more than sufficient in a truck like this.
Here's the servo: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUZ90&P=K

Although I'm pretty sure the stock steering servo will do, I think this will be a worthy upgrade later on.

Good luck with the truck!

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

Thanks for the info. Anyone else have any info on a tuned pipe that would be good for this truck? Has anyone done any power and acceleration tests with different pipes?

crash_me_over

My Feedback: (16)

Steering Servo upgrade would be good.

Roll Cage is also a good upgrade to keep from damaging your rig.

Not sure what brand of glow plug you use in your airplane engines....but the OS #3 & #8 plugs work very well in the 2.5 engine. I use these same plugs in my airplane engines and think they are worth the $$$.

Some guys use an on board temp gage to monitor the temps of the engine. Or...they'll by the Raytec temp gun so they can use it on several rigs if they have more than one rig.

The body posts are a weak spot if your flip or roll over. I have broken the rear ones as they are simply easy to break.

Some guys upgrade to RPM skids to protect the undercarriage. I would stay with the plastic parts for now...unless you stay on road and just want to show it as nice looking truck. For off-road....breaking a part is better than bending it...if it's an aluminum part....plus the aluminum gets expensive.

Congrats on your new TMaxx and good luck driving it.

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

I don't think I will be beating the truck too much. So I would imagine that the plastic will be ok for now. I think I will probably get the high torque servo, I'll see how well the included one works. Still looking for info on the tuned pipe though.

XR2PROBE

My Feedback: (2)

well as for a decent pipe i would check into an Associated GT pipe, .........i have 2 on order for my MAXXES and they seem to give the Maxxes alittle more UMPH on getting out of the hole without giving up low end

FairlyNew

I just bought a T-maxx also and was looking around the web for stuff.

This article seems to have alot of the questions you have aswered. I believe it is for the older T-Maxx but alot of the stuff should cross over.

http://www.rccentral.com/article.asp?ATCL_ID=57

Wookie

My Feedback: (5)

Congratulations on the new TMaxx. I've had mine for almost a month and a half and have beat the crap out of it in a small amount of time. I've had my Mad doing kart-wheels at 20+ MPH, end over end flips, landed it on it's top off of a 6 foot jump and had several nose dives into the ground off of the same 6 foot jump.

For the most part it's proven to be a very durable truck. Upgrading parts really should take place after you break them, which may be a while if you take it a little easy.

As far as tuned pipes check out some of the TMaxx sites for reviews on certian pipes. I know MIP makes a stinger pipe for the older max but I'm not sure if they have one for the 2.5. Just do a search for T-Maxx and it will pop up all kinds of sites, weed through them and you will find lots of reviews for hop up parts.

When I first got my Maxx I thought a lot about upgrading to certian aluminum parts but after thinking about it I don't feel the cost justifys the means. The only parts I've broken are the rear body posts (several times) and one front bulkhead. I'd rather spend the $8.00 for a set of stock front bulkheads than $45.00+ for some aluminum ones. 5 plastic bulkheads will last me all year or longer (the one I broke is only broke on the front bumper mount and is still totally functional). Plus upgrading to Aluminum will either be expensive when it does break or bend and may lead to other parts breaking due to the stronger part transmitting the shock to the weaker parts.

Aluminum does look cool though.

Parts that (for me) would be worth upgrading would be:

-Better tires if you plan on spending any time on a track, maybe getting some beadlock wheels so you don't have to buy new wheels every time you want to try new tires.
-Changing the oil weights in the shocks
-Upgrading to a new pipe either for better performance or quieter sound (stock is loud)
-Maybe some RPM shock towers so you can get their body posts (which should be a little more durable)
-An allen head screw set if you don't like stripping out phillups head screws.

Other than that, unless you want to spend a lot of money I would suggest you just enjoy the truck.

Dlock

I have had my new 2.5 Maxx for about 3 months now, and I love it!!!!

Here are the things I have upgraded and a little info on how I like them.

Venom Temperature Monitor - Great for getting quick readings on the temperature of your motor. The thing that sets this particular model apart from the others is the ability to read the min/max temp readings. This is very handy, because you don't always get the highest temperature reading when you look at the LCD display. I would recommend this, unless you have multiple rigs then putting one on each rig could get expensive.

Venom Failsafe - Have not needed this so far, but when I do I will be thankful. I think the only downfall to having this is that it needs power to operate. So if for some reason you loose total power to your rig, it won't help at all. Some people us this in conjunction with a Throttle Return Spring to help with the previous problem. I will probably eventually get a throttle return spring also. http://www.venom-racing.com/

Fuel Filter - Easy and cheap upgrade. The way I figure it, the less garbage you get into your engine, the longer it's going to last. I would really recommend one of these.

Hitec 945-MG Servo - This thing is sweet. It has metal gears inside making it stronger. 122 oz/in torque at 4.8v and 153 oz/in torque at 6v. I got this thing used otherwise it is pretty expensive new, about $75. A cheaper and almost as nice alternative is the Hitec 645-MG. $40 for that one. I am still running at 4.8v, but there is a definite increase in steering speed and power. The stock one is a little weak, and I would suggest getting at least the Hitec 645MG sometime down the road. http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXNZ35&P=K

1800 NiMH Batteries - I got these because I did not want to pay a ton for Duracells or Energizers. They have been great, they hold a great charge and are easy to deal with.

50wt Shock Oil. I wanted a stiffer suspension. SO I replace the stock 30-35wt oil with 50. I am still not sure if this is the suspension response I want, but it's better than stock. I would suggest going up to 40 or 45 wt oils in the stock shocks.

CVEC z700 Tuned Pipe - Being this is my first nitro vehicle, I can't really tell you if this is the best pipe. I will tell you what I have noticed. It is made especially for the TRX 2.5, it's rear exiting, and is adjustable. The thing I probably like most about this pipe is that it exits out the rear of the truck. It keeps mu truck much cleaner and looks neater with the smoke coming from the rear. You get a new header with the pipe and it mounts right behind your rear body posts. It's adjustable. You move a cotter pin inside the pipe increasing or decreasing the tension on a spring. The spring acts like a baffle. The more tension on the spring the higher the rpms it takes to move th baffle back. I have yet to really mess with this too much because of inconsistent weather. Eventually I will try all the settings to find out how they effect performance. As of right now there is a definite increase in low end torque. I am not popping wheelies because of colder temperatures, but I did notice the last time I was out the definite possibilities of them. As for high end not a big difference, but there is some. The biggest thing I noticed was a lot smoother acceleration through all speeds. Another pipe I have heard a lot of goo things about is the Ritter Pipe. I will provide the link to that as well https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/c...l?pn=CVECZ700S https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/c....pl?pn=RCR5152

I have a couple more products that will be coming tomorrow. Pro-Line Steering Kit, and RPM Skids. I am hoping the steering kit will take up some of the slack in the stock steering. It comes with ball bearings, so should make it smoother. It also has a built in servo saver, so no more need for the one on my steering servo. The RPM Skids will add needed protection to the underside of my truck. They mount over the stock skids, and also give you a tranny skid to protect the tranny.

As far as aluminum parts. I think the only ones I would consider would be alum. bulkheads. These are the heart of your front and rear ends and could stand to be a bit tougher.

RPM A Arms would be a good investment. They are plastic, but are a lot tougher than the stock ones. They come with lifetime replacement too, or so I have heard. If you break one you send it back and they send you a new one.

I hope this helps some. I know it's kind of long, but hopefully it will be of a little use to you. Congratulations on entering the world of the T Maxx. You will have a ton of fun. I know I am and there is more to come.....

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

Fantastic info! Thanks a lot guys!

BigSkyRCFlyer

My Feedback: (36)

Hello All, I'm new here from the Airplane section. I just had to comment on the T-Maxx 2.5, I just bought one too. Man, I like this truck. The engine really woke up only after about the 2nd tank, it really started running well. I will however say I second the fact the Body mount posts are weak, I broke my rear ones only after the 3rd tank. I hit a small dip in the area I was running it, and it went straight up and landed on it's top. It also broke the Throttle Bell-Crank Post, and bent the Header slightly. Man does this truck have some power out of the box. I have all the parts on order now from Tower, except they were out of the body mount posts. I can't wait to break it in all the way and run it full bore. I am using Top Fuel 20%, and Trax Plugs. The only other RC Truck Experience I've had was with a Kyosho Wild Dodge Ram, and man does the T-Maxx Eat that up, about a 150% Difference , I am so happy with this truck. I can't wait to start adding after-market parts. It's great to read all of your tips and other's experience. RCU is great!

nitroman88

My Feedback: (5)

you should get some aluminum body posts

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

One other question. I have seen several suggestions to change the steering servo. What are the specs of the steering servo that comes on the truck? I am goin to upgrade my rudder servo on my Super Kraft cap 232 Sport, so I will have a Hitec hs-605 bb servo to put in the truck, if of course the 605 is better than the stock servo. The 605's specs at 4.8 volts are:
.17 sec. 60 degree travel
76.37 oz/in torque.

Is this better than the stock servo?

Thanks

Wookie

My Feedback: (5)

It's about the same as the stock servo.

I upgraded to a Cirius Servo. I don't remember the model number off hand but it has complete metal gears, BB's and 121 oz/in of torque @ 4.8v. It's a little slow but works very well and only cost $25.00.

Check Tower Hobbies for some good inexpensive servos. You can get something similar to what I've got for around $29.00.

old skool

I would definitely invest in a high-torque steering servo. While there are some that go up to 200 oz-inches of torque (Airtronics 94258), if you get a quality ball-bearing steering kit you won't really need too much torque, since the steering will be more efficient than it would with mere bushings.

An old racer's trick is, once you get an aftermarket steering servo, to replace the stock throttle/brake servo with the original steering servo. More torque for better braking, you see.

RPM skid plate covers are a good idea.

Use NiCd or MiMh 1000MAh receiver batteries.

Break in the engine as per stated in the manual. You'll be rewarded with a sweet-running and powerful mill. The stock pipe is fine ( XR2PROBE, the AE will not work on the 2.5 header due to its downward slope). Wookie, I think that the stock plastic pipe is much quieter than that racket-maker on HPI's Savage!

Stock shocks are fine, I haven't touched my suspension settings for the past two months.

Where are you going to run? If you're going to race the T-Maxx, almost nothing beats Pro-Line's Bow-Ties!

bigbadbowtie

I agree with the pipe on the savage. Very loud.

For a good and cheap metal gear servo. The cirrus servo is a CS80 I believe. Its rated at 130oz tq at 6.0 volts and its only 22 bucks.

Here is the link. I have one on my savage and love it.
http://hobbypeople.net/gallery/444172.asp


good luck with your truck....

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

What about batteries for the T-maxx, does it come with them, or do they expect you to use AA's for the receiver/servo batteries? What kind of battery should I get, wouldn't a 6v 1100mah NIHM battery be better? Also fuel? They suggest to use their fuel, what about airplane fuel? will it work? What is special about the traxxas brand fuel. I thought all glow fuels are basically methanol, nitro methane, and lubriocation, either synthetic, or castor. Can you use different fuels?

bigbadbowtie

The maxx won't come with batteries. I myself run rechargable alkalines in my receiver and radio(grandcell I bought off ebay).
I just bought an NIMH receiver pack so we will see how that goes.
As far as fuel.... I believe their fuel has more oil content than some of the ather fuels. The TRX engines tend to run hotter than most. I myself run airplane fuel in one of my trucks and have GREAT success with it. Im currently running Sig Champion 25% nitro 20% oil in my Savage and im running http://www.s-whobby.com fuel in my stadium truck.

We have had 2 or 3 major discussions on fuel in this forum. Some of us believe in "Car fuel" only and some of us believe in running
"Airplane Fuel". I believe if you want cool running engines you should run a fuel that has 14%+ oil in it and is a synthetic castor blend.

car fuels I recommend: Odonnells,Sig car fuel,Wildcat Eliminator and Eliminator plus,HPI power fuel,Trinity Monster Hp(only 12% oil),s-w hobby fuel.....

Airplane fuels I like...Morgans Omega,Sig Champion Airplane fuel,
Byrons,s-w hobby(same fuel he uses for car and airplane... so does sig)

Good Luck with you new maxx!!!!

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

Sounds like the fuel won't be a problem. I can't believe some of the fuels are only 14% oil. I would imagine that the high RPM's these little motors are turning that you would want some castor oil in the mix, and at least 20% oil. I usually add oil to my fuels that I run in my planes. I use Wildcat 15% nitro/18% synthetic, then add a couple ozs of Klotz castor to bring the oil content up to 20+%. This seems to work well in my plane engines, and one of them is a fairly high rpm engine. I would really rather use the airplane fuel, as I don't want to have a bunch of different fuels to have to deal with. So if I do decide to go with the airplane fuels, am I looking at a danmaged engine after a gallon of fuel through it?

bigbadbowtie

In my back up engine I have almost 6 gallons of Morgans Omega through it and it still runs strong. I believe the Omega is considered an airplane fuel by most.

What fuel are you considereding running?

14% is alot compared to some of the other car fuels. Blue Thunder only has 10 % in it and the Trinity Platinum only has 8%.

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

As I said my fuels usually have 20% oil content, synthetic/castor blend for my 2-strokes. I run straight syntheic in my Saito 4-stroke, still 20+% oil.

bigbadbowtie

Well good luck with the maxx and welcome to the world of Monster Trucks.

migo

Please help. What type of connector do I get for the tmaxx 2.5 if I wanted to purchase the HITEC 945-MG SERVO ?
Thanks,

Mr.Newbie

Deandome

My Feedback: (1)

A servo is a servo, for the most part. In this case, and most others, the Hitec is EXACTLY the same size as the stock servo, and you can even take the white servo-saver head off the traxxas servo and plop it right on the Hitec.

But while you're upgrading the servo, it's a good idea to upgrade the steering LINKAGE! Going to metal parts & ball bearings will have as much impact on your steering as the servo itself. The ProLine kit is probably the most popular, but Team Blue Star has a nice one too (but I think you have to buy the bearings seperately). Proline's does have a 2-piece plastic servo-saver, but it's super stiff & will replace the stock one on the servo head (you'd then use the metal servo bellcrank that comes with the servo).

Oh, and a steering servo "skidplate" is nice too, to protect this suddenly expensive steering setup!!

Dean

ProLine http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXDCW6&P=7
Team Blue Star http://www.teambluestar.com/maxxsteeringkit.htm
Steering Skid http://www.carttonic.com/catalog/ind...t=0,9831,11401

supraown4ge

i have a question, where can i find a decent roll cage at a decent price that wont break or bend on me?