The best free mod I probably could make to my TRX4

[CoolRunning]

I did a night crawl last night after doing some testing with my mild SCX10 that had left me a tad concerned and came away fairly frustrated with the TRX4's crawling ability.

It constantly just wanted to roll over (backwards flipping constantly when trying to climb forward)...it just has terrible weight balance stock and it severely blunts its ability.

Today I removed the rear tyre which made little difference and figured I may as well try to fix the weight balance issue before I reached for a better body. So I filled the front bumper with as much lead as I could easily fit, hot glued it and then liquid electronically taped the back and took it for a test drive.

What a HUGE difference this simple mod made. I can't believe how much better it crawled with some weight at the front. It side hilled far far better, it climbed WAY better, it didn't get as stuck nor did it roll over every which way on rocks it previously struggled on and I was so much happier. I actually threw caution to the wind and just cruised slowly around like I do my Bomber which is a complete recipe for disaster with the stock TRX4 and it didn't roll even once.

It cost me some lead that I found in my garage which I beat into shape with a hammer, a couple of small sticks of hot glue and a coating of liquid Elec tape.

The truck now crawls how I expected it to crawl after all the hype. It's a solid, well made C2 crawler now.

[AggressorBLUE]

Originally Posted by CoolRunning

I did a night crawl last night after doing some testing with my mild SCX10 that had left me a tad concerned and came away fairly frustrated with the TRX4's crawling ability.

It constantly just wanted to roll over (backwards flipping constantly when trying to climb forward)...it just has terrible weight balance stock and it severely blunts its ability.

Today I removed the rear tyre which made little difference and figured I may as well try to fix the weight balance issue before I reached for a better body. So I filled the front bumper with as much lead as I could easily fit, hot glued it and then liquid electronically taped the back and took it for a test drive.

What a HUGE difference this simple mod made. I can't believe how much better it crawled with some weight at the front. It side hilled far far better, it climbed WAY better, it didn't get as stuck nor did it roll over every which way on rocks it previously struggled on and I was so much happier. I actually threw caution to the wind and just cruised slowly around like I do my Bomber which is a complete recipe for disaster with the stock TRX4 and it didn't roll even once.

It cost me some lead that I found in my garage which I beat into shape with a hammer, a couple of small sticks of hot glue and a coating of liquid Elec tape.

The truck now crawls how I expected it to crawl after all the hype. It's a solid, well made C2 crawler now.

FWIW, I found there was a pretty significant difference just in removing the rear tire. The lexan body itself saw a major CG shift. I imagine the added weight up front had to have a far more significant impact though.

You have any pics of what the mod looks like?

[CoolRunning]

I only have the finished part which is essentially a fairly ugly amount of liquid electronical tape over the back of the bumper. It looks fine and stock from most other angles though I brushed a bit inside the front lower vent in the bumper (under the fairlead) as you could see the lead showing through.

I went to a crawl yesterday that had SCX10.1's and a 2 plus another TRX4. The other owner asked me after seeing it climb something small but kind of tricky if it was modified and I said it was just the weighted bumper. He later mentioned how much more capable it was to his stock truck. The great thing is that doing this little mod will make his truck instantly climb like a champ.

Now I wasn't watching everyone's run super carefully but the ones I saw make a few climbs and the comments of a few blokes saying hey it made that easy or wow, check out how easy this stock TRX4 does this, suggests that it was doing ok.

I could get up places some of the other trucks couldn't go or really struggled at including a little hill climb and some slippery rocks. Really impressive for a completely stock truck and a MAJOR difference to how it was out of the box.

I have gone from liking the truck as it's cool and gadget laden but kind of a bit hopeless to being really impressed. It either kept up with or beat an SCX10.2 which I felt it very impressive indeed.

Honestly, if you're like me and feeling a bit flat about a cool truck that could be easily better, try the mod and if you don't like it, just buy another $7 bumper or pull the weight out.

The truck still handles well at speed and I haven't noticed any downsides; only improvements even though it does add weight. I probably wouldn't want to jump it too high now but zooming it a foot in the air it still lands great.

[fr8cture]

Just a thought but as a future upgrade and to get the weight lower maybe look into the MFR brass portal covers I bet it will be even better with the weight out of the bumper.

[CoolRunning]

I would have loved to get the weight down at the axle level though I'm not sure how much weight I'd need there. I should unbolt it and swipe my wife's kitchen scales and see.

I imagine a combination of axle weights and a little in the bumper would be perfect. I'm needing some wheels and other bits atm so I unfortunately couldn't reach for those lovely looking brass axle weights and brass diff covers so it was time to home brew a cheap mod just a little up from a rock behind the bumper!

I did the same type of thing to my SCX10.1 by adding a few bolts zip tied to the underside of the bumper. At the time I thought it was likely a silly idea and I'd probably cut them off quickly but it also made a considerable difference.

[crazee horse]

Dump the weights and just drive it accordingly. It's a scaler not a spider. A 1/1 truck wouldn't climb over anything or sheer rock faces. Sometimes I think everyone expects far far to much.

[clm]

Originally Posted by crazee horse

Dump the weights and just drive it accordingly. It's a scaler not a spider. A 1/1 truck wouldn't climb over anything or sheer rock faces. Sometimes I think everyone expects far far to much.

I am somewhat in the same mindset. Aside from the servo my TRX drives fine, if I really want to drive up walls I need to finish my custom crawler I am building... the TRX will be the tow rig

[CoolRunning]

This is JMHO but it's not marketed as a trail truck but as a crawler just like the Axial trucks. Crawlers need to crawl. I've watched enough scaler vids to see how well a scaler can crawl and the Traxxas cannot manage a reasonable vertical angle of ascent without tumbling and getting scratched up.

If you are happy for less capable trucks like the old SCX10.1 to eat its lunch, by all means keep it stock. It's not a C1 truck, it's C2 and IME, it's not a very good stock C2 stock. Anything that constantly falls over at the first sign of a slope isn't going to be much fun at a crawl with other trucks like SCX10.2's etc.

I've tested it against my very mild SCX10.1 and apart from the portal advantage which didn't amount to any actual advantage on a rock surprisingly, the SCX10.1 easily made every obstacle including ones which the TRX4 failed or totally struggled at with the TRX4 wheels and tyres which was kind frustrating considering the hype.

Think about that for a moment. A very mild SCX10.1 with the same wheels and tyres, far lower axles and pumpkin making every obstacle including 2 the TRX4 failed at. I'm happy to post the video for you.

Remember, everyone man and his dog is saying this truck is a far better crawler than the C2 SCX10.2 which apparently is a far better crawler than the SCX10.1.

This is just me but watching it fall over and over when other trucks are doing obstacles because you've decided that you want to drive your shiny truck up a hill instead of around on the flat is frustrating in my personal op.

Everyone to their own. I don't quite understand considering I haven't put 2.2's on it, or anything crazy. I looks totally stock yet crawls far better.

To be really puritanical, put some little 1.5 wheels on it and remove the portals as I don't believe Defenders come with them. Now that will be far more scale! lol

[CR4NK]

I guess I'm the odd ball out. My TRX seems to make obstacles that my heavily modded scx10.1 cannot make. Of course I have added a bit of weight to the front of the TRX, but I wouldn't call it heavily modded. The only problem (other than stock servo and COG/body) I have noticed with my TRX is the wheel base. At times it was slightly more difficult to get up certain lines that my buddy's ascender bronco with a shorter wheelbase was able to. Other than that my TRX hangs with the rest of the rigs in the club.

[CoolRunning]

This is what I'm trying to get across! Simply that a little weight in the front of a TRX4 transforms the truck. It honestly was a night and day difference and a weighted bumper dosn't exactly add up to a highly modified specimen which ruins the concept of scaler. It's an invisible, simple mod and mine went from worse than a SCX10.1 to better within the seconds of bolting on the new bumper.

Originally Posted by CR4NK

I guess I'm the odd ball out. My TRX seems to make obstacles that my heavily modded scx10.1 cannot make. Of course I have added a bit of weight to the front of the TRX, but I wouldn't call it heavily modded. The only problem (other than stock servo and COG/body) I have noticed with my TRX is the wheel base. At times it was slightly more difficult to get up certain lines that my buddy's ascender bronco with a shorter wheelbase was able to. Other than that my TRX hangs with the rest of the rigs in the club.

[ubernewb]

scale & trail crawler.. that's what traxxas calls it, that's how it's marketed, and that's what it is. it does things a typical 1:1 rig can do if it were built in a similar manner. i don't see how you are failing to wrap your head around this concept, and instead insist the thing should be something that it's not meant to be. unless you sincerely think a 1:1 rover can scale vertical faces and side hill on 45deg+ slopes? if so, i would be more than happy to burst that bubble for you.

[clm]

I have no issues with more weight to make it offroad better, but it's not something I expect to be a rockpile monster. Now a Bomber, that I would expect should outcrawl a lifted full sized suv with big tires. I have not even raised the bumpers, clearance issues are about the same I would have on a full sized car so *shrug* I may even pick up a d110 hard body for it eventually... but the price of that is somewhat outrageous lol... maybe I will go with the Cherokee hard body.. hmm.

[CoolRunning]

So now that I've done a $5 mod and it can now crawl well, what are you trying to convey to me?

Originally Posted by ubernewb

scale & trail crawler.. that's what traxxas calls it, that's how it's marketed, and that's what it is. it does things a typical 1:1 rig can do if it were built in a similar manner. i don't see how you are failing to wrap your head around this concept, and instead insist the thing should be something that it's not meant to be. unless you sincerely think a 1:1 rover can scale vertical faces and side hill on 45deg+ slopes? if so, i would be more than happy to burst that bubble for you.

[Klaus_S]

Maybe that can help................
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ9uUKvh1i4

[AggressorBLUE]

Originally Posted by crazee horse

Dump the weights and just drive it accordingly. It's a scaler not a spider. A 1/1 truck wouldn't climb over anything or sheer rock faces. Sometimes I think everyone expects far far to much.

Counter point:

[clm]

True true... but if you scaled those obstacles down to 1/10 scale most crawlers would scoff at them as being tiny ;)

Oh and one of those looks more like a Honcho with a Land Rover cab then a British 4wd people mover.

That top picture seems to be about what level the TRX-4 is built to emulate, that is the vehicle in the pic and not the terrain.

[dittohead]

Some of the replies in here make me shake my head. It's almost as if some of you don't think the truck should be modded at all! Have you not looked around at the rest of this site and see all the heavily modded or custom 1 off creations that people have built? Why would the trx be any different?? it def needs work stock but it's decent.
I'm not ok with a decent rig that looks the same as every other trx online and there are lots of things that can be done to improve the performance of the rig. I see any stock truck as just a base to build it to what I want. Most everyone else on this site are like minded. Go have a look around the rest of this site and see what is possible with a rc crawler. Thinking out of the box is what started this whole segment of rc. The trx-4 is the new guy on the block, it's new and different and won't be shielded from people looking to get maximum performance out if it, that is the end goal for many people who bought one, myself included

[Corrupt]

Originally Posted by dittohead

Some of the replies in here make me shake my head. It's almost as if some of you don't think the truck should be modded at all! Have you not looked around at the rest of this site and see all the heavily modded or custom 1 off creations that people have built? Why would the trx be any different?? it def needs work stock but it's decent.
I'm not ok with a decent rig that looks the same as every other trx online and there are lots of things that can be done to improve the performance of the rig. I see any stock truck as just a base to build it to what I want. Most everyone else on this site are like minded. Go have a look around the rest of this site and see what is possible with a rc crawler. Thinking out of the box is what started this whole segment of rc. The trx-4 is the new guy on the block, it's new and different and won't be shielded from people looking to get maximum performance out if it, that is the end goal for many people who bought one, myself included

The best part is, the OP's truck is still completely stock! He taped on friggin' lead weights and a few guys think that, by breaking the "definition" of the truck, you are "expecting too much". WTF??? IT'S A TOY TRUCK! Smh man...

-Corrupt

[clm]

Oh modding is the heart of this hobby, it's getting that generic block of clay and molding it into your perfected vision of what you want.

I think some just shake their head that people get mad that a trail truck does not crawl like a comp crawler is all.

If you want to take this Traxxas scaler and modify it into a comp crawler I would love to read the build thread, it is a bit more then it was originally designed for is all.

Loading the front bumper with lead is actually something I could see someone doing on a normal truck and I have absolutely no issues with it and actually applaud it.

It's just not really a focused truck in stock form and just about everyone will need to hone and focus it for what they want it to do.

[dittohead]

Originally Posted by Corrupt

The best part is, the OP's truck is still completely stock! He taped on friggin' lead weights and a few guys think that, by breaking the "definition" of the truck, you are "expecting too much". WTF??? IT'S A TOY TRUCK! Smh man...

-Corrupt

Hey now it was never designed to actually be a good crawler, so don't do anything to it to make it work better! Lol
An scx10 was never designed to be a great crawler and look what people have accomplished with them! The trx is no different and in time people will figure out how to make them just as capable or even more so then the scx10. To guys who have a trx and only want to drive dirt trails and crawl "scale" trails that's cool and I hope you have fun! Just don't shit on a guy who wants more out of their trx that they worked for to buy and therefore free to mod in any way they want. I would never go on some ones thread and tell someone what they did to their rig isn't right, especially if it improves performance!
To the OP: Sorry for messing up your thread, what you do with your trx is cool with me and if filling the bumper with lead helps performance (which I have no doubt it does) then it's a legit cheap mod that works, which is awesome