I was thinking about ordering parts and then you released this how-to. It's a great truck that needs a little work like this but for the price, I shouldn't have to do it!!! Anyways, Parts ordered. You got me Traxxas...Great channel and content. Thanks!

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

I had a great run with it yesterday, zero issues.

Thanks for the very detailed info. I took my sledge rear diff out and found the input bearing had completely fallen apart.

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Glad it helped

GREAT VIDEO, I really like how you explain things in full detail.

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

I'm using it for light jumping and basic messing around. I'm definitely in the spend a ridiculous amount of money category. I researched a bit before I got it so immediately upon purchase I ordered around $1,500 in upgrades. Maybe a bit more. I upgraded the servo to the traxxas. 2255 one. I changed the entire steering to vitavan, servo saver etc. I upgraded to the vitavan bulkheads, spiral diff gears and the diff cases. I put on the traxxas 7075 hubs front and rear (in orange). I upgraded the shock towers to the traxxas 7075 ones. I put on GPM piggy back shocks. To avoid the issue with the body and stock front bumper I put on a front bumper from garage life RC and trimmed the front lip of the body. I also replaced the wing mount at the same time also with garage life. I also replaced the front and rear tie bars with traxxas 7075 ones. I got a bunch of different wheels and tires for it. On the street I run Duratrax Bandito ST's. In the dirt I typically run the stock tires. I can't remember what else I've done.

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Wow man! sounds like a sick build! Enjoy!

Love the content. The advice and how-to’s are awesome. I appreciate you.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man!

Informative video. I would also recommend replacing the cups while you have it apart. Its not if the rear pinion is going to go, it's when. I upgraded both difs when the rear went. Ive also up graded to belted tires which really seemed to make the wheelies way more controllable.

@j.r.sitman6286

3 ай бұрын

Good idea

Love your videos! I just got into RCing about 2 months ago first a Hoss and then a Sledge. Love them both. My sledge is an absolute blast... but I have been breaking stuff on every outing. Some my fault 100% and some just seems to be cheap parts. Rear diff is toast in mine. so I ordered both front and rear machined diffs. I'm pretty sure that a few more hundred piled on top of the probably 600 or so I have already spent that I will get in a bash that doesn't cost money.....just maintenance time and I am cool with that. Keep up the great vids, they really help out a newb like me. I appreciate you!!

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man, it def needs the machined gears. My front finally gave up.

My sledge is primarily used as a basher. Recently discovered the fan inside the ESC had broken from the shroud. Upon maintenance and checking diffs both my front and rear had chipped and broken teeth so I ordered the upgraded gears for both. My only real complaint is how loud the center diff spur and pinion is. I’ve upgraded shock caps and now gears that’s all I have done to my machine. I really appreciate this how to video.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Cool, you’re on the way to a solid Sledge. I’ll prob do the shock caps next just to avoid any breaks.

Wanted to thank you for all the informative content. I’m new to the hobby and have watched hours upon hours (I tend to research things to death before making a decision on things) of videos just getting familiar with things. Your channel is best by far. My son and grandson play with RC Cars so I wanted to get in their with them as well. Again thank you for the knowledge you share. Subscribed 👍🏼

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Very cool, glad I can help out. Thanks for the sub!

@vato4822

Жыл бұрын

Glad I'm not the only one I've literally waited a yr and done tons of research before I finally got my this pass week. It's a lot of money to just jump into something

First time owner here and right now I'm just buying a few things I noticed ppl have issues with ( shock caps M2C, servo, bellcrank, batteries, hing pins and I'll probably get the gears as well after this video ) for now I'm just getting used to it but want to be prepared for when I break something

Thanks for this how-to. I don’t have any issues with mine but I bought two of the machined diff’s just for the hell of it. This will make it a lot easier now swapping them over. Can’t wait to try it out...I’m actually hoping that there is a sound difference when running it as well since it has a different “ping” to the metal.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Spiral gears are quieter but the sound you’re hearing is most likely the pinion and spur. Being metal and mounted to an aluminum chassis it makes a lot of noise.

So I decided to do upgrades to just about everything right out of the box. Glad that I did since my factory large dogbone was cracked and the gears inside its gear box were gummed with some kind of gel instead of loose oil. Like WTH 🤦🏾‍♂️ I would’ve been screwed straight out the box and wondering whats wrong with my new truck 😮

I need a video on servicing the Sledge from diff, please

Nice Vids you make....very helpfull! thx!....greets from germany

Great job with this stuff, you big NERD! I'm looking forward to trying the proline streetfigher tires on my Sledge in a month or so. It'll be raining here in Portland by then but there should be dry spells.

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Cool, thanks! I'm looking to try some different wheel and tire setups on mine too. I have a few ideas in mind...

Hi. I just want to bash! If parts break more often, I then look for alternatives to replace or strengthen. I've seen on Facebook that there is a bash bar available in the near future. But if the chassis does not bend, then I do not need one. So I just repair, replace as I go. And of course watch informative videos like yours 😊

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Cool man, so far the Sledge only needs a few things to be a great basher. *always bring a backup car just in case. Lol

@christheridge2179

2 жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 yes, always. My xmaxx!

Got my new Traxxas Sledge it has all the updated parts o rings in the axle shafts and don't tires do not balloon at all

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Nice, good to know they are correcting some issues

As someone who just purchased my first ever RC car at 41 years old I chose the sledge and your vids are so helpful. I haven’t had any of these problems yet but I seen a vid earlier guy uses 2 million instead of 20 million in the diff,Whsts the advantages/disadvantages of that ?

The sledge is a good rig u have to upgrade it

Also they said to shim the front an rear

I use mine for driving on grass with a bit of hills and i love to do wheelies with the sledge but after driving 6 times my sledge stopped driving and i think its the diff, the front wheels got absolutley no resistance anymore and the rear one a little bit, when i pull on the gas my back wheels spin slow , front wheels dont move, but motor and mid diff are spinning fast. Tomorrow i will take it apart like you did and see whats wrong.

@joejonrl7968

2 жыл бұрын

btw this really ruined my day, i just spended 1100 euros (1200$) for batteries, chargers and the car and only after running 6 times its just dead.

@joejonrl7968

2 жыл бұрын

Update: It was the pin right before the gear, it connect a iron bar to the gear. I had to take off the whole front of the body, wheels shock tower etc to access it, but now it works fine again! (Had to add locktight)

Do have recommendations for a winch? For #2 below, I've bought the four-channel Traxxas radio and hope I can use one of the additional channels for controlling a two-way winch. I'm using my Sledge primarily to exercise my dogs. It's my first R/C in over twenty years. No plans for major modification, mostly running it in lawns and roughly maintained fields. I have three upgrades in mind. 1. I'm adding sway bars, since I want to increase stability. I'm very happy that roll-overs are rare. 2. I'm planning on designing a auto-flip mechanism. This is why I want to add a winch to my Sledge. 3. I'm going to add a BEC and see if increasing the voltage on the servo is helpful. I doubt it's necessary, but I'm also getting into DIY drones, and this BEC and electrical work is a nice little project. 4. I'm adding the same fan you did, because it's an easy add. I'm going to power it off the 7.4V from the BEC I'm adding. I've wrecked it twice, both times by hitting a post with the front left wheel. I busted the left suspension pin and left shock cap both times. The arm and tie bar are bent. I'm replacing the arm after the second wreck. And I'm looking for a new tie bar, though it's still functional. I'm going to keep these parts on hand in case my driving skills don't improve. Until I found suspension pins to order, I've been buying X-Maxx pins and cutting the length down to fit the Sledge. I've decided not to upgrade to metal shock caps. I think it'll be good to have an easily and cheaply replaceable part. I fear that beefing up the shock caps would cause something more costly to break. I'll focus on giving posts a wider berth. I have no interest in thickening up the diff fluids, because I want to avoid wheelies. Not jumping much, certainly not high, I don't think I'm spinning/ballooning the tires much. I will replace the front driveshafts with the CV joints later, and I'll upgrade to stronger gears etc., but not until/if they break or wear overly.

@paulojanen5045

2 жыл бұрын

I've modified servos in the past to make them continuous running. I could do that and add a spool and line for my winch, then it'd be controllable from the radio. Are there any advantages to using an off-the-shelf R/C winch?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Cool. sounds like you got the needed upgrades covered. Curious to see your auto-flip device.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

I feel like a good servo winch is the way to go.

Yes Sir preventive measures. Did you install rpm hinge pins in rear. Asking cuz they seam to be few thousand shorter than stock

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

I’m actually testing out some M4 x 60 screws in the outer rear arms and they held up great yesterday. They will fit the front as well but need to be cut down a bit. I have a vid but want to make sure it works well before sharing.

Love your contents. I'm like you, 50/50 kinda guy. Try to get ahead if and when I can. Do you have problems with rocks/small pebbles getting stuck in between the rear drive cup and the suspension arm? It's been wearing my drive cup down and curving into the plastic of suspension arm.

@mc9069

2 жыл бұрын

The rubber cup on mine is shredded as well. Didn’t know if it was a freak thing or what

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, not much clearance around them. I’m seeing lots of wear, not sure there’s any way to prevent it.

I run my cars hard. I will do the same thing to my sledge my center . Spur gear broke an replace it. But I'll do my rear an front also

New to the hobby and just purchased a sledge. Took it out yesterday for the first time and noticed what looked too be white lithium grease come out of the front diff casing by the one of the diff cups. Is it normal to get some grease seep out of the casing during running ? Are the bearings on either side supposed to stop the grease? Otherwise awesome unit tons of fun. Any advise appreciated

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Congrats! Yes, its normal to get some grease coming from the diff housing, it tends to fling off the gears. The diff itself is sealed and uses a clear silicon fluid. Nothing to worry about. Enjoy the new rig!

@deniseellens8507

Жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 Beauty thanks for the reply I figured it was not an issue. Thanks for the informative videos keep them coming

just ripping around with her and ill buy the machined gears to have on hand for when i do need them

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Nice, always good to have spares. Might as well see what the stock gears can take. Leaving my front stock for now too.

Did you check the play side to side of the diff inside the case that could be y u shredded gears ..chef Beardsley stripped his cuz there was to much side to side play

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I was thinking of shimming it but it felt tight enough. I’m going to check it again after running it in to see.

@lukmankarlia8058

10 ай бұрын

​@@rcilluminati26did you have to shim in the end. I stripped my diff so fitted the Machined one and it's clicking under hard strain but it is damaged tho

Hmm. I am thinking about buying this truck. I really like the model en the big wheel comparing to my Hpi Vorza. I have an Hpi Vorza for 10 years. But i never broke any gear. (Stock spiral cut diff gears) and i use the stock 100.000wt centre diff oil so its almost locked. But i never experienced any this problems? This make me wonder is this truck better or worse? Are there any shims to align the diff propperly?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

There are no shims stock. When I replaced the gear it was tight enough to not need any. I think the issue is the metal on the stock gears isn’t very strong.

@StefanvanOrizande

2 жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 Ok. Very strange. Maybe they should have used steel gears. Maybe the difference is that i dont do big jumps so i have no hard on/off throttle lands. The Hpi Vorza also had popping out front dogbone. Hpi released an +1mm version when your order the item. I hopa traxxas makes longer new versions of dogbone. I really like this traxxas because you are more free to use lipo's compared to e-revo. I have 6s lipo's not 2x3s. Also the motor and chassis looks better like my vorza and not the gearing like the erevo. Is it an rebranded Mamba monster?

@StefanvanOrizande

2 жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 While thinking about this. My hpi vorza has an pratically locked centre diff. It cant do wheelies because of wheel size i think. Also wheel ballooning is therefor not an issue. Is that why everything on my vorza doesnt break? I want to buy this car but when i see everybody drive this it makes wheelies, front wheels ballooning and the centre must be working overtime. I think thats bad. The vorza has 100k centre diff oil and this one should have this too. Or does the sledge pull through the 100k oil?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

@@StefanvanOrizande I’m sure we will see a few aftermarket options for dogbones soon.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

@@StefanvanOrizande I think the stock center diff fluid is about perfect for most use. For a track I would go lighter. A lot of the issue is very low fluid level from factory. The stock tires being very soft also create a lot of the ballooning.

Are you running the front cvds in the rear and if so how has that been holding up?

@zachyurkus

2 жыл бұрын

I’m curious as well. I have 2 complete CVD’s sitting here waiting to be installed just haven’t done it yet. Will do it tonight with the front and rear diff upgrade.

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

No, simply because I had issues with 4 front axles where the pins slid out of the dogbone. I fixed two of them and they’re good now but I’m waiting for Traxxas to send me new ones. The rear have been fine since installing the o-rings so I’m gonna leave them for now.

@zachyurkus

2 жыл бұрын

Been running CVD’s all around for several packs now over the last 24 hours and no issues whatsoever. Really liking it set up this way so far.

I saw on another video on KZread that you might need pinion shims. Did you have to shim your pinion?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

My rear diff was fine with no shims.

@mikehoskins4112

2 жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 very good to know thanks. I ordered the machined gears and I have never shimmed a diff before

I'm getting mine Fri I can't wait any issues I should look for ?????

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

I'm going to do volume 2 of the Sledge info series this week covering all of the needed mods so keep an eye out.

@michaelgarland579

2 жыл бұрын

@@rcilluminati26 ok cool

Installed a hardened Spur gear on my Sledge. But this thing eats pinions, always getting chipped. Any fix?

@rcilluminati26

10 ай бұрын

Maybe try an aftermarket pinion, some are better quality than others.

Is the sledge worth getting? or are there just to many problems?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry for delayed response, just saw this. Overall it’s def worth getting. Most of the issues are now sorted and there’s a lot of aftermarket if you wanted to upgrade.

You don’t put new grease onto the new gears?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

I did, was that not in the video?

It's not "funny" that your (or any Sledge) R&P gears 'broke'...but, in a way, it is (sorta-kinda) funny. I say this because people rubbing other vehicles with sintered gears...from the Axial Ryft, to the Vanquish VS4-10 Phoenix, and others...have been having the same problems. As for cleaning parts, I always use my trusty electric jewelery cleaner, filled with diluted Simple Green. With that said, just ordered 2 of them...and, I STILL don't actually have the Sledge yet to just the upgrades...lol

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Haha, yeah, sintered metal has no place on an RC. Jewelry cleaners are great, I’ve used them the clean carbs. Good idea for Rc parts

how you make sure the front diff is working correctly. Mine seems like a lot more power from the rear.

@rcilluminati26

3 ай бұрын

Hold the rear tires and turn just one of the fronts. If the other front spins the opposite way smoothly it should be fine. Sounds like you need heavier fluid in the center differential to balance out front and rear power.

@j.r.sitman6286

3 ай бұрын

@rcilluminati26 thank you

Is it the same gear for all 3 diffs?

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Front and rear are the same, center is a spur gear.

Why does the stock gear have gears on both sides?

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

Maybe easier to make that way? Not sure

Anyone know what shims fit?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry, not sure. Mine was a good fit so I didn’t mess with it.

Think I put to much 20mil in my center diff LOL I can barely spin it with my hands. Welded diff action anyone!?

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

It’s very difficult to spin by hand. Put an Allen in each slot for leverage. Should feel smooth but lots of resistance.

Yd

Ridiculous this car is 800 dollars clearly it’s proving itself it’s not worth that

@rcilluminati26

2 жыл бұрын

They all have some issues, I'll agree though that for the price, it should come with the machined gears

@chardison6026

2 жыл бұрын

I know they have issues but traxxas claims this rig does not need upgrades

Im really afraid to keep spending money in this shitty car, it has only been issues. I spent 100$ in new tires and now I have to spend 100$ in diffs… 1000$ from the already most expensive truggy in the market…

@rcilluminati26

Жыл бұрын

At least they lowered the price now but I agree, tires and diffs are a big letdown. Overall I really like driving it but it needs upgrades to be reliable.