TRAXXAS
E-REVO VXL AND
SLASH VXL
■ MAXAMPS.COM AA BATTERIES TEST GEAR
The power system in both trucks starts
with a Traxxas Velineon VXL-3m waterproof speed control. It features three
different settings that allow you to tune
the speed control to your driving ability.
There’s training mode, sport mode and
race mode. The training mode gives you
50% throttle and reverse with 100%
brake, and sport mode has 100% throttle, brake and reverse. Racing mode uses
100% throttle and brake with no reverse.
There’s no seperate on/off switch
attached to the speed control; instead,
it’s powered up by quickly pushing and
releasing the setup button on the face of
the speed control. It can handle up to
14. 4 volts and features LiPo cutoff. The
speed control is completely waterproof
and uses Traxxas high-current connectors. A very powerful, 8-turn 4000kV
brushless motor gets things moving in a
hurry. Traxxas also includes a 6-cell battery and a wall charger with both trucks.
Everything is controlled by a Traxxas TQ
radio system that sends its signals to a
four-channel micro-receiver. The coolest
part of the receiver is that there are two
slots for the steering channel, which eliminates the need for a Y-harness when
using dual steering servos and it sits in a
waterproof receiver box. For steering,
Traxxas went with a waterproof 2080 digital servo that puts out 41. 7 oz.-in. of
torque, which is more than enough for
these light trucks.
INCLUDED
ELECTRONICS
& ACCESSORIES
With all the features of the E-Revo, brushless power, waterproof electronics, and an included
battery all for about $300, I
believe the E-Revo VXL and Slash
VXL 4WD are a real value. If three
bills sounds like too much loot for
“a mini,” remember that 30+mph
with the included battery is faster
than many 1⁄10-scale RTR electric
trucks and 50+mph with an extra
NiMh pack is faster than many
nitro RTR trucks.
VERDICT
SOURCES
MaxAmps.com maxamps.com
Traxxas traxxas.com
I couldn’t wait to get these trucks charged up and outside for testing, and I started out with the Slash VXL. I ran it on smooth asphalt first to get a feel the truck’s handling before hitting the dirt. The speed control and motor combo put out smooth power and got the truck up to a very impressive 30mph top speed. At the end of my run, I discovered that this truck doesn’t like to take ham-fisted quick turns. The truck barrel-rolled at the apex of the turn thanks to side bite of the tires. I flipped the truck back onto its wheels and drove around testing the steering. It’s very responsive, and the truck tips easily if you aren’t careful when driving on high-traction surfaces. The truck was more forgiving on the dirt. You can slide it through the turns. I lined it up on the straight and mashed the throttle. It spun the tires effortlessly. I made a little jump for the Slash and hit it a few times. The chassis flew through the air with a level attitude and the suspension soaked up the landing well. Next, I grabbed a charged pack and installed it in the E-Revo. I assumed it would have a simi- lar feel to the Slash VXL, and I was right. I didn’t think, however, that it was going to rip a mad wheelie when on pavement. The tires on the E-Revo VXL are wider and feel softer than those on the Slash VXL, so naturally they provide greater traction. I drove the truck on grass to see if it had enough power to bomb through the tall blades, and I was very impressed that it had no trou- ble going over the green stuff. Next up was the dirt. I punched the throttle, and the tires spun and irt went flying. Acceleration of the E-Revo is slightly better thanks to tire width and compound. Steering is also very responsive. A few times I tipped it up on its side and was able to correct it before it rolled over as a result of the servo’s speed and power and the extra width provided by the tires. It was so cool watching the truck in the turns as it leaned over hard at the apex. When coming out of the turn while hard on the throttle, it will lift the inside tire. I took the truck for a few passes over some rough terrain and felt that the suspension on the E-Revo needed a little thicker damping. It bounced around a little more than I liked over the rough stuff. That was easily fixed with a change in shock fluid. A thicker fluid will also tame down the chassis roll in turns. I brought he truck over and switched to the beginner mode to see how that changed the drivability of the E-Revo. It was noticeably slower but much easier to drive. After trying out the beginner mode, I changed to race mode and took my truck to the local track for some hot laps. I cleared most jumps on the track because of its out-of-the-box 30mph top speed. Even the dreaded double was no match for this little truck. Turning in the tightest track sections was a pleasure because of the truck’s small footprint. After a few runs, I charged up two packs and changed pinion gears. I broke out the radar gun and made a few high-speed passes. The E-Revo flipped over when I got on it. I had to roll on the throttle to get it up to speed, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw 50.2mph show up on the radar gun. Driving the truck with this setup was insane, but so much fun. I got it to flip completely over back onto the tires on high-traction surfaces, and it pulled wheelies at just about any speed. PERFORMANCE
the motor. The spur gear is
attached to a fully adjustable
slipper clutch, and a cover
keeps all debris away from the
pinion and spur gear. Inside
the transmission housing is a
stepped-type gear train.
Universal center driveshafts
spin the ring and pinion gear
on the diff. The diff is a bevel
gear unit and it’s sealed, so
you can tune its action with
different thicknesses of silicone fluid. All the gears inside
and out on the diff are constructed of steel for durability.
Slider-type universal driveshafts spin the tires. Everything in the drivetrain is bearing supported for long-wear-
ing, smooth operation.
BODY WHEELS & TIRES.
The E-Revo and Slash VXL
trucks come with painted and
trimmed bodies, and the tires
come glued to the wheels. The
E-Revo VXL has a slick, low-profile monster truck body.
Wide, all-terrain tires provide
the grip, and they’re mounted
on 5-spoke wheels. The Slash
VXL uses a short-course-style
truck body that has a paint job
similar to that on the TORC
series Traxxas trucks. Smaller,
all-terrain tires are used and
wrapped around satin chrome-finish wheels.
