Project: Racer Slash 4×4

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Words and Photos Drew Trudeau

There is a moment everyone has at the track when they realize that running a vehicle with its stock parts just won’t cut it. If you have invested in a high performance RC model like the Traxxas Slash 4×4, there’s an entire world open to you in the form of upgrades and hop-ups. With upgrades coming at it from all angles, choosing the right ones is a balancing act of personal finances and choosing the upgrades that immediately enhance performance. Before I start emptying the checking account on Low CG chassis kits and other stuff for my budding racer, I choose to keep it simple to start by swapping out the truck’s slipper/spur gear for Traxxas’ Center Differential upgrade. I’ll will also be upgrading the plastic spur gear for a Robinson Racing spur complimented with their line of Absolute pinion gears. Let’s get building!

 

All The Right Gears
To kick things off, I choose to pair the Traxxas Center Differential upgrade with a good set of gears from Robinson Racing. Robinson Racing makes spur gears specifically meant to bolt onto the Traxxas upgrade diff. If you are serious about dialing in your truck on varying track types it is definitely suggested you purchase a few different pinion gears with different tooth counts. Always get suggestions from other racers and your local hobby store or race track about what gearing ratios to start with.

 

Out with the Slipper
Swapping out the slipper gear in the Slash is a simple endeavor. First you will want to unscrew the four main chassis screws that hold the rear assembly to the main chassis. With the gear cover off, there are two screws on the top and two more on the bottom that you will need to remove using a 2.5mm hex driver. Once those are removed the rear assembly will slide out making the slipper gear accessible and easy to pull out.