Carbon-fiber is a highly sought after material when it comes to aftermarket upgrades for an RC model. Its strength and lightweight properties are well known to many, but sometimes laughed at by those who don't have any knowledge of its properties. However, I speak from experience when I say that a carbon-fiber chassis makes sense on a lot of levels, and that it you deem it to be a weak platform, then perhaps you should perform some research.

I've previously experienced the Psycho-Tek line in the form of a standard T-Maxx chassis. I was pleased with the strength it offered, as well as the reduction of weight I received over the stock chassis plate. When swapping out the original Psycho-Tek T-Maxx chassis for the stock plate, I dropped half an ounce from my truck. While that may not initially seem like a lot, as anyone can tell you every little bit counts. While I wasn't necessarily striving to achieve the lowest possible weight I could, the ability to counteract some of the weight gained while strengthening other areas of the truck was certainly welcomed.

Now flash forward to the present, as Psycho -Tek has reworked their original carbon-fiber chassis for the Maxx and produced a race version. This version of the chassis promises an even greater weight reduction over the stock chassis than the standard Psycho-Tek chassis does. Total weight on the race version is 4 ounces, which means you shed 3.4 ounces by swapping out the stock plate for the one from Psycho-Tek. Racers should definitely be perking up their ears at this one, as that's a very substantial weight reduction.

The chassis itself is made of layered carbon-fiber mats, and the whole plate is 4mm thick. While it has underwent some substantial changes when compared to their original Maxx carbon-fiber chassis, the Psycho-Tek race chassis still provides a very solid platform to tie your truck together and support all the parts you'll need. Gone are the "X" bracing in the cutouts, along with a large portion of the right-hand side of the chassis. It's obvious when comparing the two chassis platforms, that trimming away as much of the chassis plate as possible was the goal. This would help achieve an even lower weight than the first T-Maxx chassis they produced.

The quality and attention to detail throughout the chassis is very apparent. The plate is a direct replacement for the stock chassis, providing you with all the necessary mounting holes for the various components of the T-Maxx. The holes that need to be countersunk are countersunk, and its obvious great care has been taken in doing so. I wouldn't have expected any less though, from my previous experience with their standard T-Maxx chassis plate. Attention to the details on the part of Psycho-Tek has been taken care of, and the chassis mounted onto the T-Maxx without a hitch.

Despite the desire to reduce weight, Psycho-Tek didn't allow strength to fall by the wayside. Obviously the chassis itself may have lost a small amount of strength when compared to the standard Psycho-Tek T-Maxx chassis, but this is acceptable as it's focused towards the racer who wants to reduce as much weight as possible. However, don't let that lull you into thinking this chassis can't take a beating, because it certainly will.

In a racing environment, the chassis will easily take anything you can throw at it. The same can also be said in most bashing sessions as well. After all, most aluminum chassis plates will bend long before a good carbon fiber plate is even stressed. While you can bend the aluminum plate back, it's next to impossible to get it perfectly straight again, and once it's been bent it will be substantially weaker.

I put this chassis through the wringer, and just like with their standard chassis plate, I came up empty-handed in regards to breaking it. I felt like running the truck in a technical environment, over some doubles and triples, combined with some reasonable jumping of 4-5 feet would be what most people would experience in a track-based environment. So I started with that approach, and the chassis seemed to ask for more. So to push the limits even further, I started taking the T-Maxx to the 9-10 foot range off some bigger jumps. Once again, the Psycho-Tek chassis proved to be very tough and durable, and handled this with no problems with it at all. I even managed to throw it a few bad landings as well, and yes those bad landings were on purpose...at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Regardless of why a few of my landings might have been a little rough, all that really matters is that the Psycho-Tek chassis came through in perfect condition. Nowhere on the chassis could I see any cracks, or signs of stress. I also never saw any signs of chassis flex that can sometimes accompany the stock aluminum plate. Flexing of that nature can easily result in stripped spur gears if it's bad enough. However, the Psycho-Tek racing chassis excelled in all areas.

I'm certainly pleased by the Psycho-Tek chassis lineup. I've been well-served by their original Maxx chassis, and the newer race-version is another option that offers a more streamlined approach for those looking to shed a little more weight. I've tossed a lot of abuse in its direction, and it continues to take everything I've dished out. Those who think that aluminum is the only true Maxx chassis option, have yet to experience what the Psycho-Tek line offers. The Psycho-Tek chassis offers strength that surpasses or rivals aluminum chassis while reducing weight as well. That's certainly not something to be taken lightly!

The Psycho-Tek line of products continues a march towards an even larger product selection with the introduction of the T-Maxx race chassis. Together with the carbon-fiber aftermarket items for trucks such as the Savage and Mini-T, Psycho-Tek is trying to demonstrate that stronger doesn't necessarily have to mean heavier.

Carbon-fiber parts are typically thought of as a racer's option. While there are some good benefits to them being used by a racer, even the bashing crowd should stand up and take notice of products such as the Psycho-Tek carbon-fiber chassis. The strength they offer can prove beneficial in that scenario as well. Besides, even a basher would love to shed a little weight as long as overall strength isn't compromised.

I certainly consider the Psycho-Tek T-Maxx racing chassis to be one of the best options available, when it comes to a strong, light-weight, direct drop-in option. It provides a solid backbone for your T-Maxx, and reduces the flex seen from the stock aluminum chassis plate. In addition to that the fit and finish are excellent, and nothing seems to turn heads quicker than someone catching a glimpse of some carbon-fiber under the body shell. Psycho-Tek, and their carbon-fiber lineup, is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the large and wild T-Maxx aftermarket!