The whole reason Traxxass put this together is they don't want you buying aftermarket hopups. They proved this time and again. But I love that you put this together that you can do way better.
Definitely agree with all your saying there bro completely makes sense I also think it a bit of a joke they have included a gear that does better than the usual included standard gear which gets destroyed on a first run. It really is a beautiful looking RC but man that price tag is frightening.
It's kind of like how they released the gears that should have been on the sledge out of the box at the exact same time as the Sledge. Made me feel like they knew that the better gears should have been on there but decided to make a little extra profit instead. But they are in the business of making money.
I like that the aftermarket market still exists for this brand. I'm not about to buy any of these vehicles, but I do appreciate that you do a video like this.
Well it probably didn't really cost them much to come up with these. They basically just threw their entire upgrade parts bin at them so I would imagine they don't have to sell that many of them to make a profit.
I was ready to pull the trigger on an XMaxx Ultimate now you have me thinking. I'm old and doing this is fun but it gets to be a little to much for me. I'm already knee deep in 4 other cars and trucks. Sure do go through the cash on these. I could have a real 1967-68 Shelby GT500 or 350 by now. Thanks for the video they are a lot of help.
Well if you want these upgrades and don't have time or inclination to do the work yourself this could be a good deal. It is cheaper than buying them all separately
Best vid on this without a doubt. No one has mentioned selling off the parts you change out. Great job man! I will always turn to you before buying. I've already seen parts breaking that shouldn't have with this so called upgrade.
Issue is that it does not make financial sense to sell off a bunch of plastic parts to different people when you 1) take into consideration that people probably dislike the quality of those parts to begin with which is why they upgrade them in the first place and 2) consider the cost of shipping things out (especially large items like a set of those stock tires). Ultimately, the only parts that really hold after market value and can be easily shipped IMO is the stock servo and esc, which together might net you 200 bucks minus shipping and ebay fees (so really more like 125 - 150 bucks).
@mam362 I disagree. I sell of the stock parts on every build I do. I can usually recoup 30% of my upgrade costs. I almost always sell everything as a lot and sell it locally.
I agree with the 1.5 mod gears and why they work over all allows for more motor mount flex ... I am currently testing out the aluminum motor mount washers same concept they just stiffen the motor mount to compensate for the flex IE less flex its a much cheaper option at 6 dollars but more importantly if it works it doesn't add extra weight to the drivetrain like the chunky 1.5 gears do so in theory less stress/heat on the motor and the rubber couple in the cush drive people say the washers work we will see ... I have a gpm 1.5 set on the way if it doesn't should prove to be a interesting experiment thou
The only problem with the aluminum motor mount washers is they don't really address where the flex is a problem. The flex is mostly a problem in this system because the motor and spur shaft are not directly connected to each other. There's plastic between them and that's where it flexes.
@@DoRC i can see that so your saying the cush drive section flexes more than the motor it self? ... interesting I Have the mod1 hardened steel spur and a tekno pinion already and the gpm 1.5 on the way only thing installed this far is the washers and gonna leave it that way till something happens just out of curiosity more than anything else if it strips on stock gears throw the steel mod 1 in and so on interested to see if I get to the gpm lol
excellent tips, the video provided a technical, clear, precise and quick approach, in a practical and easy to understand way. Congratulations on the content!!!
Well hot damn, I wasn't expecting much but this is a brilliant break-down, keep it up! I have an older X-Maxx, but was wondering about the ultimate....still haven't broken anything in four years with my X but this is neat.
Shipping will add a lot of cost to get those parts especially if you can't get most of them at one retailer. The already installed means a lot for people who do not have the time or will to change everything themselves. Some people just want to put a battery in and go.
Most of the stuff that I mentioned can be purchased with free shipping. I don't expect shipping to add any appreciable amount to the prices. And yeah if you just want to put a battery in and go the ultimate might be a good option. This was primarily a show that, for those who are okay doing a little bit of work, you can get more for your money.
After going back n forth on purchasing one I decided to pull the trigger. My local hobby shop owner shot me a brand new Ultimate for $1350 other wise I wouldn’t have bought it. I feel even at the 1350 price point I paid too much. Awesome looking rig. He hasn’t had much luck selling them and our family is pretty active in the rc world in our area so he gave me a discount hoping ppl see it out up close and personal and spend the coin on it.
Thanks! I was at my local hobby shop today talking with one of the guys. He same about the diff cover situation and servo.. he was honest I feel because he said those are the important upgrades and the rest is just fluff. I’m just gonna get the standard and upgrade it as it breaks.
Honestly that's what I usually recommend to most people unless they really just like upgrading. Everybody's going to have a different bashing style and what one person considers a must for an upgrade might end up being a waste of money for somebody else. Really the only way to know what you need to upgrade from your particular bashing style is to see what breaks.
Great info, very well said. I purchased an ultimate for several reasons though, it's my first one and my money is easily earned, so it didn't break my wallet whatsoever. Although I like your research and knowledge, I didn't want to build one up yet, maybe later as i get some fun out of it and break stuff. I chose to have the latest and Koolest looking Xmaxx (although still not the best performing, according to your vid). Again, great info, it definitely has helped others. Keep up the great content
I would like to see a video on whether it's cheaper to buy an xrt, xmaxx, kraton, notorious, etc.. or to buy a stripped chassis and build it from scratch with aftermarket parts.
The silver part that goes in pushed through when I put the stronger spring on it. So I bought the vitivon one haven’t installed it yet. My xrt has about all m2c parts expect the servo part
@farmlifebashingrc1333 interesting. So far mine's been working fine. That being said it's possible it just wasn't designed to work with a different spring then comes with the XRT stock. The spring that came with my XRT seems to work really well with it even with a very strong servo and very large tires.
I should add to my earlier comment that your channel has become one of my favorite channels. Very informative and entertaining content. Your voice is perfect for the channel as well!! Keep up the great work, we appreciate it!! You deserve way more subs....
Thanks man I really appreciate it! I make these videos primarily to interact with you guys and to get back to the community so I'm glad you're enjoying :-)
I like everything you said...but, to save even more people can take it another step further. Instead of purchasing an RTR, getting your recommended upgrades, and then selling off the 'unneeded' parts, how about purchasing a roller from an RC chop shop, purchasing the upgrades, and then purchasing whatever else is needed (although, at that point, I i Believe the only "additional" own needed would be a motor, since the ESC & servo are already covered under your recommended upgrades). This is how I 'acquired' my X-MAXX. I purchased a "roller" from an RC chop shop listing through eBay, upgraded what I felt needed to be upgraded, and purchased my own (Castle) electronics. In the end, my X-MAXX cost me approx $150 more than the standard RTR...and, I didn't have to sell anything to "recover" money spent. Since i originally 'built' it, I've added two additional upgrades (the Proline shock lowers w/ larger diameter shafts, and the X-MAXX WideMaxx kit. Now, it's more stable than a Kraton, and she "takes a lickin', and keeps on tickin'."
@@DoRCNot sure how you came to that conclusion, especially when a roller can cost less than $400. As I said, in the end, mine cost approx $150 more than the RTR, and I could have had it finished for even less. Only reason it ended up more than the RTR is because of some additional upgrades I installed, such as the split center driveshaft w/ bearing holder (from KaniZ RC), a somewhat beefier motor mount, And the fact that some of the aluminum upgrades were more costly Vitavon Racing parts (as opposed to the less expensive Traxxas upgrade parts).
@@DoRC hey, I ordered one of those Rlaarlo transmitters… I couldn’t find a way to link off of you so you could get the credit(which I know isn’t much)for the sale… thanks for the hookup though. I spent too much on the kids this year so I couldn’t get away with an expensive radio😳.. so this one fits the bill perfectly. Thanks again
@CLOSER1313YO Glad you were able to get one ordered but I don't actually do affiliate links for anything which is why you couldn't find it :-) I don't do this channel to make any money I just do it for fun, to give back to the community and to get to hang out with you guys!
I'd like to see you calculate the costs if the you bought the Ultimate editions and sold off the '$1000 upgrade' parts that you don't like and used the funds to buy the parts you recommended instead of buying the OG versions and selling the OEM parts.
Basically the mantra of the hobby, buy what you like and make it your own😁. As much as I understand why people are balking at the price of these Ultimate editions, I get the appeal. If you like these rigs and aren't cash strapped, go nuts)). Personally, I think the color schemes let them down. Even a Solar Flare edition or some cooler wheels would have been good. Maybe a revised body mounting system on the X-Maxx? Seems like they were a little lazy...
Yeah I think this was more of a throw everything they have in the parts been at it and make a couple bucks saying rather than trying to invest a big amount of money and create something truly new.
I think the screenshots I showed should have pretty much all the part numbers on them. I really don't like making lists like that just because things change all the time parts become unavailable etc and it becomes a logistical nightmare to maintain.
Great video, but it would be better with explanations of all the upgrades and why they're important. You go into detail on a couple of these, but why an upgraded ESC, servo, shock components, etc?
Yeah for some people that would be good though for a lot of people if you go to detail they'll just stop watching. The upgraded ESC is good because it gives you a little bit extra power and is going to be more reliable than the stock one. The upgraded shock caps are important because the stock plastic shock caps are one of the weakest parts of the truck and the servo is good because the stock servo is junk. It has plastic gears and just does not belong in a truck of this size and weight
@@DoRC Good info. I've made upgrades to RCs before to address weak points. Your channel seems better than most in that you typically go into more technical detail on the weaknesses and how to best address them vs. just saying "it has more material" or "aluminum > plastic." Some of those other channels sound more like shills. I hope you include more info like this in your future videos. It doesn't have to make your videos 15 minutes long, just a bit of technicolor commentary.
@@DoRC For sure. I watched your two newer XRT videos and they're excellent. The "try it and see" mods like the diff or gears are some of the better things. Sometimes you learn more from failure than success.
Dear Traxxas Team, I am writing to inform you of a problem I have had with my Traxxas Xmaxx ultimate model. I have tried everything, but I can't get the Traxxas Link application to give me more than 6V or 7V. I have the Link module and 4S batteries, and I don't know what to do. Could you help me? Thanks in advance, Mario
I'm not part of Traxxas and I highly doubt they'll see this but I might be able to help you. What do you mean when you say the application doesn't give you more than six volts or seven volts? What exactly are you trying to do?
Haven’t had an RC car since the slash but this makes me wanna get back into it knowing I can have some serious fun without going to the hobby story every other day
There are actually quite a few modern bashers that you can get that won't be breaking all the time. The 4S Arrmas, Traxxas max, and a few others are pretty durable out of the box.
I really like the video, but it does not make financial sense to sell off a bunch of semi-new/open box plastic parts to different people when you 1) take into consideration that people probably dislike the quality of those parts to begin with which is why they upgrade them in the first place and 2) consider the cost of shipping things out (especially large items like a set of those stock tires). Ultimately, the only parts that really hold after market value and can be easily shipped IMO is the stock servo and esc, which together might net you 200 bucks minus shipping and ebay fees (so really more like 125 - 150 bucks). That being said, I DO appreciate that you pointed out better hop up parts than traxxas used on the ultimate edition.
I don't know I've been doing this on a lot of builds for a long time and it actually works very well. I usually sell all of the stock parts off in a lot locally and I can often recoup 25 to 30% of The cost of my upgrades.
Great video, I think i won't bother with the new ultimate trucks since i already have my X-Maxx and have already put in a Max 6 G1, a Radiolink radio system and Pro-Line MX43's on my truck the next upgrade is an 1,100KV 5687 Hobbywing motor with a new motor mount to match and maybe a firma 160A V2 from the O8S and K8S EXB V2's and finally a new rock n roll body for mine.
I don't think you would be disappointed if you do. That being said a big part of this hobby is being able to work on your stuff so it might be better just to buy the base model and then learn how to work on it by doing upgrades and repairs.
So I can't get an answer on the new XMaxx. But maybe the xrt has the same upgrade. So the 7786x cush-drive input shaft. Did they extend the shaft and add a pillow block or bearing carrier at the end of the inside shaft for support. I bought one for my XMaxx, but did they make the upgrade to the ultimate. Unless I'm not explaining it right, it seems like a necessary upgrade. Thanks Have Fun.
@@DoRC you should be able to look at it and see if the shaft was extended and with a Bearing carrier? that fit in the slot they put on it years ago and never added it to it. i just looked at mine and you would have to take the gear cover.
Yeah if you want the parts that come on it and don't want to do the work yourself it's a good deal but you can definitely put together a better truck for similar money if you do it yourself
Just to let you know that Traxxas X-Maxx and XRT Ultimate was not the idea from Traxxas. It was a build that most Traxxas Hobby dealers wanted, seeing that we get asked a lot about a XRT/X-Maxx similar to Slash Ultimate and Rustler Ultimate. Traxxas listened and produced a very limited number of these Ultimate version to be only purchased at local hobby shops. It's only one time production for Traxxas in support of the LHS. I really enjoyed your video. Thought I chime in as a LHS owner. Not all RC hobbyist are "wrench" savy. These are for those group. I happen to have one delivered today and as I'm looking at it, I can really appreciate the work that they have put into it for the LHS. Videographer and the driver of the video are both good friends of mine and all I heard was nothing but praises of how well it handled. Hobbywing is a great recommendation by the way. If you are a seasoned pro, I do agree with your build suggestions by just purchasing the regular versions. Love how overseas companies tries to manipulate unsuspecting Americans so we can be the voice to be heard for "injustice" when Traxxas goes after them for violating infringements on copyrighted products. So wrong from the truth when people say Traxxas hates aftermarket companies. But most will never get to see the real side of the story. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to share everything that I've experienced with Traxxas here. I happen to be the #1 Traxxas Exclusive dealer in the west coast and deal directly with upper management only.
Definitely good information. I think Traxxas has made a few missteps such as when they sued the ESC manufacturer for using a similar name and when they allowed a third party to threaten a bunch of aftermarket manufacturers. I know that the third party thing wasn't an intentional thing but still there responsibility. That being said litigation is just a part of life with big corporations. I've been telling people the same thing about the ultimates. They're more of a halo showpiece than a practical next step in the evolution of the product.
You hit the nail on the head. I love rc’s but not very wrench savvy. I’d end up buying a regular Xrt and paying someone to swap out esc and some other parts that would be a pain in the ass. I just purchased an ultimate. My LHS shot me one for $1350. He’s hoping ppl see me driving it where we run our cars and helps his sells. I greatly appreciate him for it. I’ve bought roughly 25 rc’s over the 2.5yrs for me and my family of 5.
@@Ghostin81-fs8tr I think you're in the minority though. I feel like most people in the hobby do work on their own vehicles. It would be a very expensive hobby if you had to pay someone to fix your car every time it broke.
Definitely awesome truck. But building one from the floor up, is alot more fun. It will cost some more money to get the upgrades, but you can choose your look and design…
Yeah, just vent your tires and plug the holes in the wheels; it reduces ballooning considerably for me. I have some ProLine Badlands on my Maxx V2/Widemaxx and they stay in decent shape even at crazy RPM.
The whole steering servo can you provide link and price for it- also I have an xmaxx & have always had steering problems would these work in it - if you had to do xmaxx what would you do?
The best combination I have found for the X-Max is the power Hobby 760 servo, Traxxas plastic adapter, pro modeler 25 to servo horn, hot racing servo saver and hot racing steering link. Put all that together and you won't ever have to worry about your steering again.
@@DoRC appreciate it I’ve got a rovan 30.5 cc but even with petrol 1/5 scales they can be really annoying that’s why I was gonna go completely different a get an electric
I don't really think this is an upgrade. This is more of a grab everything they have in the parts bin and throw it on the truck to make a little bit of money.
The belted sledgehammer tires look amazing. While I agree the truck loves a ballooning tire over a belted tire my wallet does not. Even with good throttle control and good tire awareness a ballooning tire doesn't last long compared to a belted tire. I agree with you for the most part on everything else. Love the videos
Take it depends on which tires you're working with. Trax is tires don't hold up well to abuse but I've been running the proline trenchers on my X-Maxx for quite some time now and have abused them to no end. They just keep coming back for more.
I wish you had a link for all the parts you're listing. I'm still torn between the Ultimate or building my own. I got a WideMaxx last year, love it but ordered a servo and 1 day after it servo died. Idk if it better buying used if I'd going to buy new parts anyway. I feel like it be a waste to buy a brand new Xmaxx and just replace 500 in parts.
That's a tough one. You can always sell the stock parts off of a new vehicle and recoup some of the cost of the upgrades. You can't do that with used vehicle and you're almost always going to end up spending money doing some sort of repairs on a used vehicle. Those two things can eat up an awful lot of the cost advantage to buying used for a project like this. Also working on a new vehicle is a lot nicer than working on someone else's old vehicle
I have to disagree with belted tires being bad for bashing, they just don’t blow out as much and seem to put less stress on the driveline because they vibrate less.
It really just depends on the type of bashing that you do. If you're doing high speed running off-road then belted tires are better but if you're doing mostly jumps and stunts like I do belted tires are terrible. The lack of ballooning really negatively impacts the ability to rotate your car in the air.
@@DoRCLine KamikRC, I've also had no problem doing stunts with belted tires. I have an X-MAXX, and I'm running pre-mounted belted tires from Power Hobby. I've done flips, I've sent it 20+ feet in the air, and I've raced it (against a Kraton). I should also mention I have the X-MAXX WideMaxx kit on mine. I could be wrong...but, I think why most people have problems doing stunts with belted tires on large-scale vehicles could be because of the excessive weight of most belted tires. Looking at the belted tires from Proline (the most commonly used brand), they are excessively heavy. The Power Hobby wheels/tires don't weight much more than the stock X-MAXX tires (1.5lbs vs 1.4lbs), but the pre-mounted Proline tires are all over 2lbs. That's why I believe the excessive weight is the real cause of the problem.
Hi. Love your content. Was just about to purchase the ultimate version but changed my mind after seeing this video. Question: Out of all the upgrades you mentioned, what are the absolute necessary ones? Cheers bud
I honestly wouldn't say any upgrades are absolutely necessary. Unless you have experience with the platform I recommend just getting the car and having fun with it. Once you find what you personally break often go ahead and upgrade it. Everybody bashes differently and so everybody's going to have a different opinion on what is "necessary"
@@DoRC Great advice! I was thinking the same too. Will be using my xrt on asphalt mostly so hope it stays intact for longer. But definitely buying a second set of aftermarket batteries for more play time. Do you recommend any or have favs? I bought the traxxas battery pack with dual charger. Pricey!
@@infospain4880 Yes the Traxxas batteries are expensive. That being said it's probably just best to get a second set of Traxxas batteries as they will work the same way with the charger as the ones you have.
@@DoRC I see. I was looking at some HRB 14,8V 9500mAh 4S 120C. They are half the price of traxxas batteries and the seller says works just as good. You reckon it will be too much for the motor on xrt? Looking to save some cash for upgrades but also do not want to sacrifice on play time. Its my first rc ever!
@infospain4880 no. The electronics will draw as much power as they need and you can't really overpower them with stronger batteries. The main difference will be that you'll have to manually set up the charge settings on the HRB batteries. The only way to do this with the Traxxas live charger is on your phone so it's a bit less convenient than the Traxxas batteries which are automatically detected by the charger.
Thank you take a great video for us. If I want to buy one only, X-Maxx Or XRT,which one would you like more? And could you tell me the reason? Thanks for your solution~
Personally I would go for the XRT. It's still stuntable like the X-Maxx handles better and is a bit easier to work on with the electronics not being buried down in the middle of the chassis. Oh and the body doesn't fall off if you look at it wrong like it does on the xmaxx
@DoRC I think they are embarrassed Arrma stuck it to them this year with release after release so now they throw parts on a car call it ultimate the one thing they need to address is the dang body falling apart.
I wouldn't waste my money on any Traxxas vehicle (for personal reasons), but I 100% agree that what they are offering and at the price they are offering it is ridiculous. Traxxas fanboys won't care and they'll buy these overpriced trucks anyway, but I would go with the aftermarket gear over buying an Ultimate anything. Only thing I wouldn't buy from your suggested items is anything branded GPM. I've had pretty disappointing experiences with that brand in the past, so buying things like gears and hingepins where stresses are super high, I would steer well clear of GPM. I don't know, maybe they've changed over the years, but when i used them I had everything bend and buckle with minimal effort. Other than that, what you recommended is pretty right. Although, I didn't do any of that when I had my X-Maxx a few years ago, so I don't know how much of what you listed is really necessary. I only upgraded my spur and pinion to HR hardened steel gears and I was sorted. But I assume you listed all that stuff to compare to what comes in the Ultimate, right? I gotta say, you're becoming one of my favourite RC channels. Your editing is on point, you speak clearly and get to the point without wasting time, and your content in general is just fun to watch. I don't know how you do what you do, but you Do RC very well. ;)
Wow man I really appreciate the compliment! Your channel was one of the inspirations for my own so What I'm doing is partially a reflection on what you do! As far as GPM is concerned they have actually come a long long way in the last couple of years. They hired some new engineers, started using 775 aluminum and much higher quality steel. They're older stuff was crap but most things that they've made fairly recently are actually really good. The hinge pin kit in my opinion is a required upgrade and I've been running the mod 1.5 spur gear for a while now on my personal truck that weighs almost 30 lb with batteries and it's been holding up really well.
@@DoRC Thank you for the kind words, also. Maybe I'm being too harsh on GPM stuff if what you say is true. I haven't used them in years, but maybe I should give them another go and see how they've changed. Thanks for the reply. :)
@AussieRCPlayground Yeah definitely give them a try. You'll be able to tell the difference between their old stuff and their new stuff. All the new stuff has fancy shiny beveled edges and just generally looks better quality.
Agreed though I think that there are some upgrades on here that I really wouldn't recommend to anyone. I think this is more of a halo product/show-off shelf queen kind of thing than a serious basher build.
I don't usually do links but let me see if I can help you out here www.amainhobbies.com/hot-racing-aluminum-steering-servo-saver-bellcrank-hraxmx48m06/p650121?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T9UTJALZd_20_cegdElNv27FuBMGcf7DJMJraL7ffWbbZCkhnhZHowaAiW7EALw_wcB
Hey, really considering getting an XRT and have some questions before pulling the trigger. What’s the benefit of upgrading the ESC to the max6? And what’s the benefit of the power hobby 760mg over traxxas ultimate upgraded 2085x? Will these all work with the traxxas receiver? And are the traxxas batteries compatible or are other ones recommended?
The stock ESC is pretty much right at its limit and they do tend to fail. I think it's a good idea just to replace it so you can sell the stock ESC and recoup some money. The Max 6 also has the ability to have a higher BEC voltage to power the servo though you'll need to run a different receiver if you want to do that. On stock BEC voltage you can use the stock receiver. I haven't used the latest 2085R servo so I can't speak to it but the power hobby760 is a great servo with a lot of power and is very durable. I'm sure there are other options out there you can be happy with but it's the best bang for the buck as far as I'm concerned
You could definitely do that but they're a bit more expensive and I was really trying to keep it under that $1,500 price tag so some compromises had to be made.
1500 us crazy. Obviously if you're not experienced in rc then it's a bit different. But you can even buy a used XRT/XMAXX for 700 bux. Spend the remaining 800 on upgrades. You can buy a new Kraton for 700.
@RcPlayer-tt2vw Yeah. The Outcast/Kraton 8S are 1k. But even those at 1k are so much more rc than these two. Also Arrma updates their rc's and then sells it for essentially the same price. Not sell you the rc with upgrades but then sell you the rc for 500 more. That's essentially selling you a base rc and then charging you for the upgrades. Doesn't make sense. The new Outcast 8S is 1k but with all the recent updates which include a more powerful motor and esc combo. But the price didn't go up by 500. Even if you don't compare Arrma to Traxxas. The value proposition is weak. 1500 for an rc? I can build an rc from the chassis up for 1500 and have a bullet proof setup.
To be fair you are saving quite a bit of money on all of the upgrades if you actually want it all of those upgrades. I just think that a lot of them aren't necessary or desirable.
Cool video! But time is money to me, so i bought one. Wish i didn't cause i have (2) already & a brand new XRT (drove it once), but my addictive personality kicked in, plus i wanted to help my local hobby shop. I definitely wouldn't sell the parts that were taken off. Most rc'ers would throw all that stuff in the spare parts box! Lol! It is a pretty piece to look at tho (when new).
Yeah I think a lot of people don't realize how much value they're throwing away when they Don't resell their new takeoff parts. I usually recoup around a third of the cost of my upgrades by selling off the stock parts. It's a significant amount of money.
@DoRC That is nice! How do you sell? Ebay? Facebook? I wish I had the time & energy to sell stuff. I dont want to get overwhelmed with frugal people that like to waste time etc.
@@kevinwalker7102 usually just on Facebook. I'll sell everything as a lot. It can be a little bit of a pain but as long as you're not in a hurry it's not that big of a deal.
All the ultimate aluminum is 6061 which is far inferior to 7075 also. Maybe the ultimate would have been more worth it had it been quality aluminum. I just got the xrt on sale for $800 and ordered all the stuff you mentioned, but it was all cheaper on aliexpress. I have a max6 g2 4990 1650kv combo on my kraton 6s but it's kinda heavy for that and I'm considering putting it on the xrt and selling off the stock electronics. Or do you think it would be better to stick with the stock motor? I'd like it to go 65-70mph even though I'll be bashing most the time.
6061 is inferior but I wouldn't call it far inferior. Made properly 6061 upgrades can be pretty tough and in my experience the Traxxas upgrades are usually very good. I think that combo would be good in the XRT.
@Do RC Are all the parts you recommend still relevant being almost a year old video? I just wrecked my bank account with the Traxxas December sale and just bought the base Xmaxx and base XRT on the way. Upgrades can get out of hand if not done right. Thanks, Just Subscribed 👍
I think so but personally if you don't have much experience with the platform I would just use the truck's stock first and see what deficiencies you find. Everybody's bashing style is going to be different and therefore what they want to upgrade is going to be different.
@DoRC Yeah I was just going to run them stock and upgrade when things break or upgrade parts known to be weak like spur/pinion etc. Appreciate your reply 👍
I disagree I I Bluetooth Link is absolutely necessary as it gives you the option to watch your temperatures of your motor and ESC. It's funny that Traxxas puts aluminum motor mounts on a motor with plastic end bells they need to update the motor with aluminum end bells. This is what plagues the x-maxx and xrt motor with bearing failure due to overheating. If you do not do the aluminum GPM end bill conversion using the Telemetry to watch the temperatures is a must. Never let the motor get above 160 ° and never let the ESC get above 150 degrees. Also I would upgrade all the fans! This is what I do and it's worked great for me since! You don't want to put too much aluminum on there as it adds weight. Belted tires I agree are not the best for bashing.
190 is really the max safe point for both. The module is nice but since you'd be replacing the ESC with my upgrade a lot of the telemetry functionality won't work anymore. This is why I think it may be optional in my build.
So, I have the xrt ultimate. I’m ready to go faster. I do more fast off-roading than bashing. I just jump it on the KCRC ramp and I don’t do flips. I just want it fast. So I don’t think I need any suspension upgrades. What upgrades do you recommend for me? Also, do you recommend I change the pinion and spur to the fast gearing? Traxxas told me that’s really just for on road, and not off road use.
You might be able to gain a little bit of top speed from changing gearing but the main problem is the lack of power with the stock system. Depends on how fast you want to go and how much money you want to spend. Good combination is the MMX 8S ESC with hobby wing 1100 KV motor. You can use the M2C motor mount and M2C ESC mount with GPM mod 1.5 gears to upgrade to that setup.
@@DoRC thank you! That sounds good to me. As you know, I have the Ultimate. I can keep servo? Basically, the upgrades you just listed for me, that’s all I’ll need? Thank you for your help!!
@@joemomma707 Yes you can run your stock servo with that system. The parts I listed should be all you need though you will need to double side tape the ESC to the mount so you will want to get some genuine 3M VHB for that.
Imagine shelling out 1500 for a rc. It’s ok if it makes the rc better but some other channels tested the ultimate and said the added weight actually made Xmaxx and xrt prone to breaking
1500 dollars for the ultimate or 1k for normal. ya ill go with normal and piece meal my parts slowly over time. thats 1900 if you need batteries and charger too. cause 1400 for charger and batteries and car is gis alot if you dont already have an 8s battery set and chager
I have had very good luck with the 2085X but I have to agree. They sound like a bag of hammers. Dying to see what you are doing next, and I have decided to get the Xmaxx. Blue I think. The Xmaxx was my first big dollar r/c, so why not have 7 of them? I'm going to go with a Max5 G2 and a 6s motor out of my original first release just to see what it does.
For one thing traxxas charges an outrageous amount for crap aluminum. For example the Traxxas hubs and knuckles are more expensive than vitavon, which is just crazy considering Vitavon is 7075. Furthermore you still have to buy new electronics because the esc in that thing is hands down the worst esc in and name brand rc. For Traxxas it's all about one thing, money. Don't get me wrong a business has to make money but the way they do it just makes it hard to buy there shit. I do love the Xmaxx but in no way is it worth 1500$ in any form.
I agree though I will say if you can afford to do all the basics right up front you'll be better off because you can sell off your brand new stock parts for an actually surprising amount of money and recoup some of those upgrade costs. Once the parts are used the value of them pretty much plummets
These prices are getting outrageous and it’s beginning to turn me off. Traxxas influenced me to walk away from the hobby years ago. Got back into the hobby 3 yrs ago with ZERO Traxxas purchases. Their ONLY concern is MONEY.
The Ultimates are for Traxxas Fanboys (like myself lol) that would install all those Traxxas options So they would save a ton by getting the Ultimate. But if you dont want that stuff of course its not worth it. I couldnt find one So Im building one an Ultimate Clone and its not cheap
@@DoRC yes pretty much only thing I’ll be missing is the box. I found a new body on ebay and im about half way there with the ultimate traxxas add ons. I also added a light kit and upgraded the shock springs and fans on the motor and esc.
I considered both of those before getting my xtr and the general consensus is that they are not as durable, especially given the aluminum chassis they have.
I try to stay away from Hot Racing products... I've had nothing but issues and disappointment from their parts in the past... "QC" just doesn't seem to exist in their company.
Interesting. I've used a bunch of their parts over the years and in general I've been very happy with them. Of course like any one of those Chinese brands the biggest problem is support. If you have a problem you're pretty much going to be on your own unless you can return it to Amazon or something like that
People who buy it are doing so for the bling. People who know what real upgrades are , aren’t buying the ultimate . They will build it along the lines that you have suggested . All that green anodizing and paint is worth it to those who want it. It’s just jewelry
Traxxas parts are good and there are some decent upgrades in there but I do agree most people who are looking for a good solid basher would be better off picking their own upgrades
Buying used can be a good deal but can also be a pain. Most people want too much for their stuff and you'll always end up buying someone else's problems. Of course if you know what you're looking for there are definitely deals out there to be had.
There’s a lot of Rc channels out there. This is one of the best. Lots of good accurate info. Great reviews
Thanks man I'll try to be as honest and accurate as I can be. Definitely not perfect but I try :-)
I totally agree
I do agree. OP makes it so much easier for even the novice guys can understand.
@rchobbystorelahabra6170 Glad you enjoy!
The whole reason Traxxass put this together is they don't want you buying aftermarket hopups. They proved this time and again. But I love that you put this together that you can do way better.
Yes I'm sure Traxxas would much prefer you buy their stuff but it's good to have options :-)
I'll continue buying GPM upgrades as they're very reasonably priced and the quality of their parts is excellent.
Yeah their newer stuff is good.
Definitely agree with all your saying there bro completely makes sense I also think it a bit of a joke they have included a gear that does better than the usual included standard gear which gets destroyed on a first run. It really is a beautiful looking RC but man that price tag is frightening.
It's kind of like how they released the gears that should have been on the sledge out of the box at the exact same time as the Sledge. Made me feel like they knew that the better gears should have been on there but decided to make a little extra profit instead. But they are in the business of making money.
I like that the aftermarket market still exists for this brand. I'm not about to buy any of these vehicles, but I do appreciate that you do a video like this.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
you could build one from scratch while using key Traxxas body parts
@Clavitz1 you could but it'll end up being more expensive than just buying an RTR and selling off the parts you don't use.
Very fair assessment… don’t know what traxxas is thinking …. Excellent video 👍
Well it probably didn't really cost them much to come up with these. They basically just threw their entire upgrade parts bin at them so I would imagine they don't have to sell that many of them to make a profit.
I concur! I really appreciate your honesty and unbiased opinions. You’ve earned my respect in the RC world. Your videos rock. Keep ‘em coming 🤙🤙
@TheSpeedrunRookie well we all have biases but I do try to be as objective as possible! Thanks for watching:)
Totally agree some of the parts look like silly shiney bits you probably don't need
Yeah don't get me wrong It's a beautiful car and I'm excited to get mine but practically speaking I don't think it's a good value.
I was ready to pull the trigger on an XMaxx Ultimate now you have me thinking. I'm old and doing this is fun but it gets to be a little to much for me. I'm already knee deep in 4 other cars and trucks. Sure do go through the cash on these. I could have a real 1967-68 Shelby GT500 or 350 by now. Thanks for the video they are a lot of help.
Well if you want these upgrades and don't have time or inclination to do the work yourself this could be a good deal. It is cheaper than buying them all separately
Best vid on this without a doubt. No one has mentioned selling off the parts you change out. Great job man! I will always turn to you before buying. I've already seen parts breaking that shouldn't have with this so called upgrade.
Issue is that it does not make financial sense to sell off a bunch of plastic parts to different people when you 1) take into consideration that people probably dislike the quality of those parts to begin with which is why they upgrade them in the first place and 2) consider the cost of shipping things out (especially large items like a set of those stock tires). Ultimately, the only parts that really hold after market value and can be easily shipped IMO is the stock servo and esc, which together might net you 200 bucks minus shipping and ebay fees (so really more like 125 - 150 bucks).
@mam362 I disagree. I sell of the stock parts on every build I do. I can usually recoup 30% of my upgrade costs. I almost always sell everything as a lot and sell it locally.
Yep. The steering links are a bad idea.
@@DoRC would you be interested in purchasing my stock parts to resell on your own for consignment, perhaps?
@@mam362 I appreciate the offer but probably not. I have a backlog of things I need to sell myself that's pretty big as it is.
I agree with the 1.5 mod gears and why they work over all allows for more motor mount flex ... I am currently testing out the aluminum motor mount washers same concept they just stiffen the motor mount to compensate for the flex IE less flex its a much cheaper option at 6 dollars but more importantly if it works it doesn't add extra weight to the drivetrain like the chunky 1.5 gears do so in theory less stress/heat on the motor and the rubber couple in the cush drive people say the washers work we will see ... I have a gpm 1.5 set on the way if it doesn't should prove to be a interesting experiment thou
The only problem with the aluminum motor mount washers is they don't really address where the flex is a problem. The flex is mostly a problem in this system because the motor and spur shaft are not directly connected to each other. There's plastic between them and that's where it flexes.
@@DoRC i can see that so your saying the cush drive section flexes more than the motor it self? ... interesting I Have the mod1 hardened steel spur and a tekno pinion already and the gpm 1.5 on the way only thing installed this far is the washers and gonna leave it that way till something happens just out of curiosity more than anything else if it strips on stock gears throw the steel mod 1 in and so on interested to see if I get to the gpm lol
excellent tips, the video provided a technical, clear, precise and quick approach, in a practical and easy to understand way. Congratulations on the content!!!
Thanks glad you enjoyed!
Well hot damn, I wasn't expecting much but this is a brilliant break-down, keep it up! I have an older X-Maxx, but was wondering about the ultimate....still haven't broken anything in four years with my X but this is neat.
Glad you enjoyed! I love being technical and as long as you guys keep watching these videos I'll keep making them!
Thank you for that extremely useful detailed video, Keep up your great work 🙏🏻 👌🏼
Thanks for watching:)
Shipping will add a lot of cost to get those parts especially if you can't get most of them at one retailer. The already installed means a lot for people who do not have the time or will to change everything themselves. Some people just want to put a battery in and go.
Most of the stuff that I mentioned can be purchased with free shipping. I don't expect shipping to add any appreciable amount to the prices.
And yeah if you just want to put a battery in and go the ultimate might be a good option. This was primarily a show that, for those who are okay doing a little bit of work, you can get more for your money.
After going back n forth on purchasing one I decided to pull the trigger. My local hobby shop owner shot me a brand new Ultimate for $1350 other wise I wouldn’t have bought it. I feel even at the 1350 price point I paid too much. Awesome looking rig. He hasn’t had much luck selling them and our family is pretty active in the rc world in our area so he gave me a discount hoping ppl see it out up close and personal and spend the coin on it.
Yeah they definitely are beautiful!
That was cool he gave you $150 off, I love the Xmaxx in any configuration 💯
I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on that ultimate as well is is worth it ?
What about the end bells on the motor... ? They should be aluminum but they are still plastic
Maybe though I've never really heard of ppl having issues with them.
You have the best voice in RC youtube. I believe everything you say and it's commercial grade.
Thanks I really appreciate!
I half agree with belted comment, I may get a pair to put on the front for some protection but still allow for air control. Will be fun to try out.
Yeah give it a try.
Thanks! I was at my local hobby shop today talking with one of the guys. He same about the diff cover situation and servo.. he was honest I feel because he said those are the important upgrades and the rest is just fluff. I’m just gonna get the standard and upgrade it as it breaks.
Honestly that's what I usually recommend to most people unless they really just like upgrading. Everybody's going to have a different bashing style and what one person considers a must for an upgrade might end up being a waste of money for somebody else. Really the only way to know what you need to upgrade from your particular bashing style is to see what breaks.
Great info, very well said. I purchased an ultimate for several reasons though, it's my first one and my money is easily earned, so it didn't break my wallet whatsoever. Although I like your research and knowledge, I didn't want to build one up yet, maybe later as i get some fun out of it and break stuff. I chose to have the latest and Koolest looking Xmaxx (although still not the best performing, according to your vid). Again, great info, it definitely has helped others. Keep up the great content
Sounds reasonable! Let me know how you like it
I would like to see a video on whether it's cheaper to buy an xrt, xmaxx, kraton, notorious, etc.. or to buy a stripped chassis and build it from scratch with aftermarket parts.
It's almost always going to be cheaper to buy the RTR assuming you don't mind selling off the new stock parts that you replace with upgraded parts.
Also only issue I had the m2c servo saver and it stripped only m2c part I had that failed.
What part on it stripped?
The silver part that goes in pushed through when I put the stronger spring on it.
So I bought the vitivon one haven’t installed it yet.
My xrt has about all m2c parts expect the servo part
@farmlifebashingrc1333 interesting. So far mine's been working fine. That being said it's possible it just wasn't designed to work with a different spring then comes with the XRT stock. The spring that came with my XRT seems to work really well with it even with a very strong servo and very large tires.
Thanks for this one - love the quick overview
Thanks for watching Glad you enjoyed!
I agree Kenny. It’s a shelf queen / street run setup.
Yeah. Definitely pretty but not the best build.
Bro you are a beast! Clear and concise information delivered in an approachable way. 💪🏾🙌🏾
Thanks glad you enjoyed!
I should add to my earlier comment that your channel has become one of my favorite channels. Very informative and entertaining content. Your voice is perfect for the channel as well!! Keep up the great work, we appreciate it!! You deserve way more subs....
Thanks man I really appreciate it! I make these videos primarily to interact with you guys and to get back to the community so I'm glad you're enjoying :-)
Would love too see your list of upgrades for the big rock6s and or kraton 6s
Good idea!
I like everything you said...but, to save even more people can take it another step further. Instead of purchasing an RTR, getting your recommended upgrades, and then selling off the 'unneeded' parts, how about purchasing a roller from an RC chop shop, purchasing the upgrades, and then purchasing whatever else is needed (although, at that point, I i Believe the only "additional" own needed would be a motor, since the ESC & servo are already covered under your recommended upgrades).
This is how I 'acquired' my X-MAXX. I purchased a "roller" from an RC chop shop listing through eBay, upgraded what I felt needed to be upgraded, and purchased my own (Castle) electronics. In the end, my X-MAXX cost me approx $150 more than the standard RTR...and, I didn't have to sell anything to "recover" money spent. Since i originally 'built' it, I've added two additional upgrades (the Proline shock lowers w/ larger diameter shafts, and the X-MAXX WideMaxx kit. Now, it's more stable than a Kraton, and she "takes a lickin', and keeps on tickin'."
I've done the math before and for a mild build its more cost effective to get an RTR.
@@DoRCNot sure how you came to that conclusion, especially when a roller can cost less than $400. As I said, in the end, mine cost approx $150 more than the RTR, and I could have had it finished for even less. Only reason it ended up more than the RTR is because of some additional upgrades I installed, such as the split center driveshaft w/ bearing holder (from KaniZ RC), a somewhat beefier motor mount, And the fact that some of the aluminum upgrades were more costly Vitavon Racing parts (as opposed to the less expensive Traxxas upgrade parts).
Thanks for all the work you do… really helps
Thanks for watching!
@@DoRC hey, I ordered one of those Rlaarlo transmitters… I couldn’t find a way to link off of you so you could get the credit(which I know isn’t much)for the sale… thanks for the hookup though. I spent too much on the kids this year so I couldn’t get away with an expensive radio😳.. so this one fits the bill perfectly. Thanks again
@CLOSER1313YO Glad you were able to get one ordered but I don't actually do affiliate links for anything which is why you couldn't find it :-) I don't do this channel to make any money I just do it for fun, to give back to the community and to get to hang out with you guys!
@@DoRC well that’s super cool! Thanks for the testing and all that you do on this “well balanced” channel of yours 👍
Thanks for watching :-)
I have question about diff case 7075 aluminum diff case vs traxxas aluminum one? Which is better or don't matter?
Traxxas usually makes good quality aftermarket parts but 7075 is inherently stronger.
I can’t find stronger diffs on my built m2c sledge with 1717 system I think it stripped my diffs out.
Traxxas sells stronger ring and pinion gears as to a few other companies
I'd like to see you calculate the costs if the you bought the Ultimate editions and sold off the '$1000 upgrade' parts that you don't like and used the funds to buy the parts you recommended instead of buying the OG versions and selling the OEM parts.
That's an interesting concept. I probably won't do a video about it but let me sit down and crunch some numbers and I'll get back to you.
Basically the mantra of the hobby, buy what you like and make it your own😁. As much as I understand why people are balking at the price of these Ultimate editions, I get the appeal. If you like these rigs and aren't cash strapped, go nuts)). Personally, I think the color schemes let them down. Even a Solar Flare edition or some cooler wheels would have been good. Maybe a revised body mounting system on the X-Maxx? Seems like they were a little lazy...
Yeah I think this was more of a throw everything they have in the parts been at it and make a couple bucks saying rather than trying to invest a big amount of money and create something truly new.
Can you put the parts number to the parts that you recommended?
I think the screenshots I showed should have pretty much all the part numbers on them. I really don't like making lists like that just because things change all the time parts become unavailable etc and it becomes a logistical nightmare to maintain.
Great video, but it would be better with explanations of all the upgrades and why they're important. You go into detail on a couple of these, but why an upgraded ESC, servo, shock components, etc?
Yeah for some people that would be good though for a lot of people if you go to detail they'll just stop watching. The upgraded ESC is good because it gives you a little bit extra power and is going to be more reliable than the stock one. The upgraded shock caps are important because the stock plastic shock caps are one of the weakest parts of the truck and the servo is good because the stock servo is junk. It has plastic gears and just does not belong in a truck of this size and weight
@@DoRC Good info. I've made upgrades to RCs before to address weak points. Your channel seems better than most in that you typically go into more technical detail on the weaknesses and how to best address them vs. just saying "it has more material" or "aluminum > plastic." Some of those other channels sound more like shills. I hope you include more info like this in your future videos. It doesn't have to make your videos 15 minutes long, just a bit of technicolor commentary.
@mdbbox5660 I have been adding more tech into my videos lately. People do seem to be enjoying it so I will definitely keep it up :-)
@@DoRC For sure. I watched your two newer XRT videos and they're excellent. The "try it and see" mods like the diff or gears are some of the better things. Sometimes you learn more from failure than success.
@@mdbbox5660 absolutely. Honestly I'm always trying weird random new parts off camera so I figured I'd just put them on camera :-)
Dear Traxxas Team, I am writing to inform you of a problem I have had with my Traxxas Xmaxx ultimate model. I have tried everything, but I can't get the Traxxas Link application to give me more than 6V or 7V. I have the Link module and 4S batteries, and I don't know what to do. Could you help me? Thanks in advance, Mario
I'm not part of Traxxas and I highly doubt they'll see this but I might be able to help you. What do you mean when you say the application doesn't give you more than six volts or seven volts? What exactly are you trying to do?
THIS! PLEASE... oh please keep listing parts like this. It's perfect.
Anytime there's a good reason to do it I definitely will!
Haven’t had an RC car since the slash but this makes me wanna get back into it knowing I can have some serious fun without going to the hobby story every other day
There are actually quite a few modern bashers that you can get that won't be breaking all the time. The 4S Arrmas, Traxxas max, and a few others are pretty durable out of the box.
I really like the video, but it does not make financial sense to sell off a bunch of semi-new/open box plastic parts to different people when you 1) take into consideration that people probably dislike the quality of those parts to begin with which is why they upgrade them in the first place and 2) consider the cost of shipping things out (especially large items like a set of those stock tires). Ultimately, the only parts that really hold after market value and can be easily shipped IMO is the stock servo and esc, which together might net you 200 bucks minus shipping and ebay fees (so really more like 125 - 150 bucks). That being said, I DO appreciate that you pointed out better hop up parts than traxxas used on the ultimate edition.
I don't know I've been doing this on a lot of builds for a long time and it actually works very well. I usually sell all of the stock parts off in a lot locally and I can often recoup 25 to 30% of The cost of my upgrades.
Great review, you always do such an awesome job!!
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Great video, I think i won't bother with the new ultimate trucks since i already have my X-Maxx and have already put in a Max 6 G1, a Radiolink radio system and Pro-Line MX43's on my truck the next upgrade is an 1,100KV 5687 Hobbywing motor with a new motor mount to match and maybe a firma 160A V2 from the O8S and K8S EXB V2's and finally a new rock n roll body for mine.
Sounds like you have a pretty good setup.
What if u don't know how to change out all of the parts. Should you just buy the ultimate?
I don't think you would be disappointed if you do. That being said a big part of this hobby is being able to work on your stuff so it might be better just to buy the base model and then learn how to work on it by doing upgrades and repairs.
Agree 100% most of the upgrades are just bling and wont help performance. the base xrt is an awesome rc to have cant wait to start upgrading.
Yeah I've got a little something coming up along those lines :-) stay tuned!
So I can't get an answer on the new XMaxx. But maybe the xrt has the same upgrade. So the 7786x cush-drive input shaft. Did they extend the shaft and add a pillow block or bearing carrier at the end of the inside shaft for support. I bought one for my XMaxx, but did they make the upgrade to the ultimate. Unless I'm not explaining it right, it seems like a necessary upgrade. Thanks
Have Fun.
Checking the parts list it does not appear to be updated but I'm not certain.
@@DoRC you should be able to look at it and see if the shaft was extended and with a Bearing carrier? that fit in the slot they put on it years ago and never added it to it. i just looked at mine and you would have to take the gear cover.
@@readeracingRC I don't have one yet. Sorry.
@@DoRC oh... my bad... i thought you had one. tuff question to ask. people that have one cant understand the question . sorry may bad again
@readeracing750 No problem. I'm not actually sure I'm going to get one. I've got something else in the works for the this little series :-) stay tuned
Wouldn’t waist my money on the ultimate 💯 great vid👍👍👊🏻👊🏻
Yeah if you want the parts that come on it and don't want to do the work yourself it's a good deal but you can definitely put together a better truck for similar money if you do it yourself
@@DoRC I agree
I could be wrong, but wouldn’t the Xmaxx and xrt ultimate also include the HD drive cups?
Possibly but it's not listed on their site as such.
Just to let you know that Traxxas X-Maxx and XRT Ultimate was not the idea from Traxxas. It was a build that most Traxxas Hobby dealers wanted, seeing that we get asked a lot about a XRT/X-Maxx similar to Slash Ultimate and Rustler Ultimate. Traxxas listened and produced a very limited number of these Ultimate version to be only purchased at local hobby shops. It's only one time production for Traxxas in support of the LHS.
I really enjoyed your video. Thought I chime in as a LHS owner. Not all RC hobbyist are "wrench" savy. These are for those group. I happen to have one delivered today and as I'm looking at it, I can really appreciate the work that they have put into it for the LHS. Videographer and the driver of the video are both good friends of mine and all I heard was nothing but praises of how well it handled. Hobbywing is a great recommendation by the way. If you are a seasoned pro, I do agree with your build suggestions by just purchasing the regular versions. Love how overseas companies tries to manipulate unsuspecting Americans so we can be the voice to be heard for "injustice" when Traxxas goes after them for violating infringements on copyrighted products. So wrong from the truth when people say Traxxas hates aftermarket companies. But most will never get to see the real side of the story. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to share everything that I've experienced with Traxxas here. I happen to be the #1 Traxxas Exclusive dealer in the west coast and deal directly with upper management only.
Definitely good information. I think Traxxas has made a few missteps such as when they sued the ESC manufacturer for using a similar name and when they allowed a third party to threaten a bunch of aftermarket manufacturers. I know that the third party thing wasn't an intentional thing but still there responsibility. That being said litigation is just a part of life with big corporations.
I've been telling people the same thing about the ultimates. They're more of a halo showpiece than a practical next step in the evolution of the product.
You hit the nail on the head. I love rc’s but not very wrench savvy. I’d end up buying a regular Xrt and paying someone to swap out esc and some other parts that would be a pain in the ass. I just purchased an ultimate. My LHS shot me one for $1350. He’s hoping ppl see me driving it where we run our cars and helps his sells. I greatly appreciate him for it. I’ve bought roughly 25 rc’s over the 2.5yrs for me and my family of 5.
@@Ghostin81-fs8tr I think you're in the minority though. I feel like most people in the hobby do work on their own vehicles. It would be a very expensive hobby if you had to pay someone to fix your car every time it broke.
Definitely awesome truck. But building one from the floor up, is alot more fun. It will cost some more money to get the upgrades, but you can choose your look and design…
Yeah that's definitely a fun option! I did that with the overkill outcast build that I had a couple of months ago
Traxxas is giving you belted tires this is the greatest Christmas present ever from Traxxas
I guess if you're into that kind of thing. Personally I don't really like belted tires.
Yeah, just vent your tires and plug the holes in the wheels; it reduces ballooning considerably for me. I have some ProLine Badlands on my Maxx V2/Widemaxx and they stay in decent shape even at crazy RPM.
@IISG93II yep! I have a video on that from a while ago.
The whole steering servo can you provide link and price for it- also I have an xmaxx & have always had steering problems would these work in it - if you had to do xmaxx what would you do?
The best combination I have found for the X-Max is the power Hobby 760 servo, Traxxas plastic adapter, pro modeler 25 to servo horn, hot racing servo saver and hot racing steering link. Put all that together and you won't ever have to worry about your steering again.
Am I better to get the xmax ultimate or the losi five 2.0 there basically same price
I would go with the X-Max. The losi is an awesome truck but it's not the most durable and it is big and cumbersome.
@@DoRC appreciate it I’ve got a rovan 30.5 cc but even with petrol 1/5 scales they can be really annoying that’s why I was gonna go completely different a get an electric
@@DoRC reckon the xmax is a lot more durable than five
@pcskeng3607 Yeah electric definitely is convenient.
Why oh why didn’t they upgrade the body mounts to XRT style. Body pop-off is super annoying.
I don't really think this is an upgrade. This is more of a grab everything they have in the parts bin and throw it on the truck to make a little bit of money.
Would you recommend the Max6 over the Max5?
I'd go max 5 but I usually oversize my electronics. Ultimately it depends on what your goals are .
@DoRC I plan on going with the Max5 1100 combo.
@lancecowburn1693 should be good
The belted sledgehammer tires look amazing. While I agree the truck loves a ballooning tire over a belted tire my wallet does not. Even with good throttle control and good tire awareness a ballooning tire doesn't last long compared to a belted tire. I agree with you for the most part on everything else. Love the videos
Take it depends on which tires you're working with. Trax is tires don't hold up well to abuse but I've been running the proline trenchers on my X-Maxx for quite some time now and have abused them to no end. They just keep coming back for more.
Another EPIC vid my friend a lot of info an if I was a guy who ran TRAXXAS I'd definitely go your route lol...
Glad you enjoyed :-)
I wish you had a link for all the parts you're listing. I'm still torn between the Ultimate or building my own. I got a WideMaxx last year, love it but ordered a servo and 1 day after it servo died. Idk if it better buying used if I'd going to buy new parts anyway. I feel like it be a waste to buy a brand new Xmaxx and just replace 500 in parts.
That's a tough one. You can always sell the stock parts off of a new vehicle and recoup some of the cost of the upgrades. You can't do that with used vehicle and you're almost always going to end up spending money doing some sort of repairs on a used vehicle. Those two things can eat up an awful lot of the cost advantage to buying used for a project like this. Also working on a new vehicle is a lot nicer than working on someone else's old vehicle
I have to disagree with belted tires being bad for bashing, they just don’t blow out as much and seem to put less stress on the driveline because they vibrate less.
It really just depends on the type of bashing that you do. If you're doing high speed running off-road then belted tires are better but if you're doing mostly jumps and stunts like I do belted tires are terrible. The lack of ballooning really negatively impacts the ability to rotate your car in the air.
@@DoRCI’ve never had that problem with tires and I jump the crap out of mine. Belted tires are my go to for my truck trucks.
@@DoRCLine KamikRC, I've also had no problem doing stunts with belted tires. I have an X-MAXX, and I'm running pre-mounted belted tires from Power Hobby. I've done flips, I've sent it 20+ feet in the air, and I've raced it (against a Kraton). I should also mention I have the X-MAXX WideMaxx kit on mine.
I could be wrong...but, I think why most people have problems doing stunts with belted tires on large-scale vehicles could be because of the excessive weight of most belted tires. Looking at the belted tires from Proline (the most commonly used brand), they are excessively heavy. The Power Hobby wheels/tires don't weight much more than the stock X-MAXX tires (1.5lbs vs 1.4lbs), but the pre-mounted Proline tires are all over 2lbs. That's why I believe the excessive weight is the real cause of the problem.
@ninthislandrc tire weight actually helps with air control. I'm sure you can do flips but I like doing quadruple flips:)
@KamikRC do you do quadruple backflips?
Hi. Love your content. Was just about to purchase the ultimate version but changed my mind after seeing this video. Question: Out of all the upgrades you mentioned, what are the absolute necessary ones? Cheers bud
I honestly wouldn't say any upgrades are absolutely necessary. Unless you have experience with the platform I recommend just getting the car and having fun with it. Once you find what you personally break often go ahead and upgrade it. Everybody bashes differently and so everybody's going to have a different opinion on what is "necessary"
@@DoRC Great advice! I was thinking the same too. Will be using my xrt on asphalt mostly so hope it stays intact for longer. But definitely buying a second set of aftermarket batteries for more play time. Do you recommend any or have favs? I bought the traxxas battery pack with dual charger. Pricey!
@@infospain4880 Yes the Traxxas batteries are expensive. That being said it's probably just best to get a second set of Traxxas batteries as they will work the same way with the charger as the ones you have.
@@DoRC I see. I was looking at some HRB 14,8V 9500mAh 4S 120C. They are half the price of traxxas batteries and the seller says works just as good. You reckon it will be too much for the motor on xrt? Looking to save some cash for upgrades but also do not want to sacrifice on play time. Its my first rc ever!
@infospain4880 no. The electronics will draw as much power as they need and you can't really overpower them with stronger batteries. The main difference will be that you'll have to manually set up the charge settings on the HRB batteries. The only way to do this with the Traxxas live charger is on your phone so it's a bit less convenient than the Traxxas batteries which are automatically detected by the charger.
Thank you take a great video for us. If I want to buy one only, X-Maxx Or XRT,which one would you like more? And could you tell me the reason? Thanks for your solution~
Personally I would go for the XRT. It's still stuntable like the X-Maxx handles better and is a bit easier to work on with the electronics not being buried down in the middle of the chassis. Oh and the body doesn't fall off if you look at it wrong like it does on the xmaxx
I have been running mine stock for almost 2 years now havent needed any of this stuff as long as your not trying to jump your house its fine.
Yes you definitely don't need the things I listed It's just if you're going to spend $1,500 I think this is a better way to do it.
@DoRC I think they are embarrassed Arrma stuck it to them this year with release after release so now they throw parts on a car call it ultimate the one thing they need to address is the dang body falling apart.
@L2theWcarscoffeelife agreed. We're starting to get to a point where it's not acceptable to have bodies that self-destruct in the first two packs.
Lmfao 😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for watching!
I wouldn't waste my money on any Traxxas vehicle (for personal reasons), but I 100% agree that what they are offering and at the price they are offering it is ridiculous. Traxxas fanboys won't care and they'll buy these overpriced trucks anyway, but I would go with the aftermarket gear over buying an Ultimate anything. Only thing I wouldn't buy from your suggested items is anything branded GPM. I've had pretty disappointing experiences with that brand in the past, so buying things like gears and hingepins where stresses are super high, I would steer well clear of GPM. I don't know, maybe they've changed over the years, but when i used them I had everything bend and buckle with minimal effort. Other than that, what you recommended is pretty right. Although, I didn't do any of that when I had my X-Maxx a few years ago, so I don't know how much of what you listed is really necessary. I only upgraded my spur and pinion to HR hardened steel gears and I was sorted. But I assume you listed all that stuff to compare to what comes in the Ultimate, right?
I gotta say, you're becoming one of my favourite RC channels. Your editing is on point, you speak clearly and get to the point without wasting time, and your content in general is just fun to watch. I don't know how you do what you do, but you Do RC very well. ;)
Wow man I really appreciate the compliment! Your channel was one of the inspirations for my own so What I'm doing is partially a reflection on what you do!
As far as GPM is concerned they have actually come a long long way in the last couple of years. They hired some new engineers, started using 775 aluminum and much higher quality steel. They're older stuff was crap but most things that they've made fairly recently are actually really good. The hinge pin kit in my opinion is a required upgrade and I've been running the mod 1.5 spur gear for a while now on my personal truck that weighs almost 30 lb with batteries and it's been holding up really well.
@@DoRC Thank you for the kind words, also.
Maybe I'm being too harsh on GPM stuff if what you say is true. I haven't used them in years, but maybe I should give them another go and see how they've changed.
Thanks for the reply. :)
@AussieRCPlayground Yeah definitely give them a try. You'll be able to tell the difference between their old stuff and their new stuff. All the new stuff has fancy shiny beveled edges and just generally looks better quality.
Traxxas hates the aftermarket. Great list of parts & hop ups
Yeah I've done quite a few of these builds and I think this is a great way to make it very decent upgraded truck.
This is for people that don’t have the time or ability. Great video.
Agreed though I think that there are some upgrades on here that I really wouldn't recommend to anyone. I think this is more of a halo product/show-off shelf queen kind of thing than a serious basher build.
Do you have links to the upgrades. Cant find a few like the steering, output rings and shock kit. Thanks
I don't usually do links but let me see if I can help you out here
www.amainhobbies.com/hot-racing-aluminum-steering-servo-saver-bellcrank-hraxmx48m06/p650121?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T9UTJALZd_20_cegdElNv27FuBMGcf7DJMJraL7ffWbbZCkhnhZHowaAiW7EALw_wcB
m2cracing.net/shop/shop.php#!/M2C-1178-X-SERIES-DRIVE-CUP-BRACES/p/519555774/category=136127938
www.ebay.com/itm/385262131043?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LdYFTN_MR9-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=dytYhzXaTa-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
I did all the things you said including the x drive shaft.
Sweet! What do you think of the build?
Hey, really considering getting an XRT and have some questions before pulling the trigger.
What’s the benefit of upgrading the ESC to the max6? And what’s the benefit of the power hobby 760mg over traxxas ultimate upgraded 2085x? Will these all work with the traxxas receiver? And are the traxxas batteries compatible or are other ones recommended?
The stock ESC is pretty much right at its limit and they do tend to fail. I think it's a good idea just to replace it so you can sell the stock ESC and recoup some money. The Max 6 also has the ability to have a higher BEC voltage to power the servo though you'll need to run a different receiver if you want to do that. On stock BEC voltage you can use the stock receiver. I haven't used the latest 2085R servo so I can't speak to it but the power hobby760 is a great servo with a lot of power and is very durable. I'm sure there are other options out there you can be happy with but it's the best bang for the buck as far as I'm concerned
Good video man, i dont got the xrt or xmaxx but i still noticed that right away
Thanks:)
Should just get the GPM out drive cups instead the out drive rings
You could definitely do that but they're a bit more expensive and I was really trying to keep it under that $1,500 price tag so some compromises had to be made.
1500 us crazy. Obviously if you're not experienced in rc then it's a bit different. But you can even buy a used XRT/XMAXX for 700 bux. Spend the remaining 800 on upgrades. You can buy a new Kraton for 700.
Yea but not the 8s guy that’s a 1000 now I think
@RcPlayer-tt2vw Yeah. The Outcast/Kraton 8S are 1k. But even those at 1k are so much more rc than these two. Also Arrma updates their rc's and then sells it for essentially the same price. Not sell you the rc with upgrades but then sell you the rc for 500 more. That's essentially selling you a base rc and then charging you for the upgrades. Doesn't make sense. The new Outcast 8S is 1k but with all the recent updates which include a more powerful motor and esc combo. But the price didn't go up by 500. Even if you don't compare Arrma to Traxxas. The value proposition is weak. 1500 for an rc? I can build an rc from the chassis up for 1500 and have a bullet proof setup.
Yeah it's a lot of money.
Yes the new ones are 1000
To be fair you are saving quite a bit of money on all of the upgrades if you actually want it all of those upgrades. I just think that a lot of them aren't necessary or desirable.
Cool video! But time is money to me, so i bought one. Wish i didn't cause i have (2) already & a brand new XRT (drove it once), but my addictive personality kicked in, plus i wanted to help my local hobby shop. I definitely wouldn't sell the parts that were taken off. Most rc'ers would throw all that stuff in the spare parts box! Lol!
It is a pretty piece to look at tho (when new).
Yeah I think a lot of people don't realize how much value they're throwing away when they Don't resell their new takeoff parts. I usually recoup around a third of the cost of my upgrades by selling off the stock parts. It's a significant amount of money.
@DoRC That is nice! How do you sell? Ebay? Facebook? I wish I had the time & energy to sell stuff. I dont want to get overwhelmed with frugal people that like to waste time etc.
@@kevinwalker7102 usually just on Facebook. I'll sell everything as a lot. It can be a little bit of a pain but as long as you're not in a hurry it's not that big of a deal.
@DoRC Awesome info! Appreciate your response! I will give it a try then.
@@kevinwalker7102 Yeah give it a try. Even if you only get a little bit for the stuff it's better than it's sitting in a box forever
Great video!! I'm very glad you brought this to our attention!! Love the channel!😊
Thanks and thanks for watching!
All the ultimate aluminum is 6061 which is far inferior to 7075 also. Maybe the ultimate would have been more worth it had it been quality aluminum. I just got the xrt on sale for $800 and ordered all the stuff you mentioned, but it was all cheaper on aliexpress. I have a max6 g2 4990 1650kv combo on my kraton 6s but it's kinda heavy for that and I'm considering putting it on the xrt and selling off the stock electronics. Or do you think it would be better to stick with the stock motor? I'd like it to go 65-70mph even though I'll be bashing most the time.
6061 is inferior but I wouldn't call it far inferior. Made properly 6061 upgrades can be pretty tough and in my experience the Traxxas upgrades are usually very good. I think that combo would be good in the XRT.
@Do RC Are all the parts you recommend still relevant being almost a year old video? I just wrecked my bank account with the Traxxas December sale and just bought the base Xmaxx and base XRT on the way. Upgrades can get out of hand if not done right. Thanks, Just Subscribed 👍
I think so but personally if you don't have much experience with the platform I would just use the truck's stock first and see what deficiencies you find. Everybody's bashing style is going to be different and therefore what they want to upgrade is going to be different.
@DoRC Yeah I was just going to run them stock and upgrade when things break or upgrade parts known to be weak like spur/pinion etc. Appreciate your reply 👍
@stevegabriel6982 That's a good idea. Thanks for watching!
I disagree I I Bluetooth Link is absolutely necessary as it gives you the option to watch your temperatures of your motor and ESC. It's funny that Traxxas puts aluminum motor mounts on a motor with plastic end bells they need to update the motor with aluminum end bells. This is what plagues the x-maxx and xrt motor with bearing failure due to overheating. If you do not do the aluminum GPM end bill conversion using the Telemetry to watch the temperatures is a must. Never let the motor get above 160 ° and never let the ESC get above 150 degrees. Also I would upgrade all the fans! This is what I do and it's worked great for me since! You don't want to put too much aluminum on there as it adds weight. Belted tires I agree are not the best for bashing.
190 is really the max safe point for both. The module is nice but since you'd be replacing the ESC with my upgrade a lot of the telemetry functionality won't work anymore. This is why I think it may be optional in my build.
I give my cars my own ultimate treatment. For I like your upgrades better.
Yeah I think they're better than what Traxxas offers
So, I have the xrt ultimate. I’m ready to go faster. I do more fast off-roading than bashing. I just jump it on the KCRC ramp and I don’t do flips. I just want it fast. So I don’t think I need any suspension upgrades. What upgrades do you recommend for me?
Also, do you recommend I change the pinion and spur to the fast gearing? Traxxas told me that’s really just for on road, and not off road use.
You might be able to gain a little bit of top speed from changing gearing but the main problem is the lack of power with the stock system. Depends on how fast you want to go and how much money you want to spend. Good combination is the MMX 8S ESC with hobby wing 1100 KV motor. You can use the M2C motor mount and M2C ESC mount with GPM mod 1.5 gears to upgrade to that setup.
@@DoRC thank you! That sounds good to me. As you know, I have the Ultimate. I can keep servo?
Basically, the upgrades you just listed for me, that’s all I’ll need?
Thank you for your help!!
@@joemomma707 Yes you can run your stock servo with that system. The parts I listed should be all you need though you will need to double side tape the ESC to the mount so you will want to get some genuine 3M VHB for that.
@@DoRC I’ll just watch your videos and that will guide me. Thanks! I’ll buy the tape.
The spur is gpm mod 1.5 gear right? What about the pinion?
@@joemomma707 I would recommend going with saga. If you get the 1,100 KV motor 21 tooth is a good place to start
Great video! Let's do the same for Traxxas Sledge!
If they come out with a sledge ultimate I definitely will!
Traxxas not good like u 😂 but you’re 💯 correct. First dump is that esc as you said
Yeah the max 6 is a great upgrade!
Xrt is now 799.. $$..
I'm one of those guys if it's not broken don't fix it. No need for all those upgrades unless things break
Yeah it's on sale but I don't think the price is going to stay like that.
Imagine shelling out 1500 for a rc. It’s ok if it makes the rc better but some other channels tested the ultimate and said the added weight actually made Xmaxx and xrt prone to breaking
Not surprised.
Not including widemaxx was an insult
A bit of a head scratcher.
1500 dollars for the ultimate or 1k for normal. ya ill go with normal and piece meal my parts slowly over time.
thats 1900 if you need batteries and charger too.
cause 1400 for charger and batteries and car is gis alot if you dont already have an 8s battery set and chager
Yeah that's what I would recommend. It's better to put what you want in there anyway.
I have had very good luck with the 2085X but I have to agree. They sound like a bag of hammers. Dying to see what you are doing next, and I have decided to get the Xmaxx. Blue I think. The Xmaxx was my first big dollar r/c, so why not have 7 of them? I'm going to go with a Max5 G2 and a 6s motor out of my original first release just to see what it does.
Yeah I've got a little something up my sleeve that I think everybody's going to enjoy :-)
Solid ball link for the steerinlink the hot racing steering link is trash!!!! The balls and orings wear super fast!!!
Hasn't been my experience. I've run the hot racing steering links in a couple of them and I've never had a problem with them.
@DoRC I ran one for a year in my xmaxx and it just ended up being loose and the o rings about fell apart..
But it was good for a while
@justindover8142 weird. Mine are a till going strong.
For one thing traxxas charges an outrageous amount for crap aluminum. For example the Traxxas hubs and knuckles are more expensive than vitavon, which is just crazy considering Vitavon is 7075. Furthermore you still have to buy new electronics because the esc in that thing is hands down the worst esc in and name brand rc. For Traxxas it's all about one thing, money. Don't get me wrong a business has to make money but the way they do it just makes it hard to buy there shit. I do love the Xmaxx but in no way is it worth 1500$ in any form.
I believe traxxas is 7075 as well. For the most part the Traxxas upgrades are too notch.
Could not agree more
It's good to have options :-)
in Malaysia. this will cost me 2 months salary
That's a lot!
@@DoRC yup.ringgit is very weak now...
Great video thanks for making it
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Imma stick with my $40 Amazon car. 😂
Which one?
Too late. I just got XRT ultimate yesterday
At the current sale price it makes a lot more sense.
These companies build to get rid of old stock nowadays.
Entirely possible. Pretty much everything on these trucks is out of the parts bin.
Nailed it
Thanks :-)
Building is better because you get to choose where to upgrade at your own pace because shit ain’t cheap
I agree though I will say if you can afford to do all the basics right up front you'll be better off because you can sell off your brand new stock parts for an actually surprising amount of money and recoup some of those upgrade costs. Once the parts are used the value of them pretty much plummets
These prices are getting outrageous and it’s beginning to turn me off. Traxxas influenced me to walk away from the hobby years ago. Got back into the hobby 3 yrs ago with ZERO Traxxas purchases. Their ONLY concern is MONEY.
They are expensive but this is more of a limited halo product than a serious new release I think.
Aarma all day for the prices.
The Ultimates are for Traxxas Fanboys (like myself lol) that would install all those Traxxas options So they would save a ton by getting the Ultimate. But if you dont want that stuff of course its not worth it.
I couldnt find one So Im building one an Ultimate Clone and its not cheap
Yeah it definitely would be expensive to build one like it. Thanks for watching!
@@DoRC it is Im building mine now and wish i bought the ultimate 😬
@@OGPAPERBOY77 Are you doing it exactly like the ultimate?
@@DoRC yes pretty much only thing I’ll be missing is the box.
I found a new body on ebay and im about half way there with the ultimate traxxas add ons. I also added a light kit and upgraded the shock springs and fans on the motor and esc.
Even the regular XRT and X-Maxx are way overpriced, considering Traxxas still uses sintered steel in critical drive train components.
It definitely would be nice to see them upgrade those parts.
Thanks for video
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
Get a outcast or Kraton 8s exb. And spend the extra on Vitavon or M2c upgrades
I considered both of those before getting my xtr and the general consensus is that they are not as durable, especially given the aluminum chassis they have.
@mam362 in my experience that's correct and they are more expensive to upgrade and repair.
I still prefer the x series.
I totally agree with everything you said.
Me too :-)
I try to stay away from Hot Racing products... I've had nothing but issues and disappointment from their parts in the past... "QC" just doesn't seem to exist in their company.
Interesting. I've used a bunch of their parts over the years and in general I've been very happy with them. Of course like any one of those Chinese brands the biggest problem is support. If you have a problem you're pretty much going to be on your own unless you can return it to Amazon or something like that
People who buy it are doing so for the bling. People who know what real upgrades are , aren’t buying the ultimate . They will build it along the lines that you have suggested .
All that green anodizing and paint is worth it to those who want it. It’s just jewelry
Traxxas parts are good and there are some decent upgrades in there but I do agree most people who are looking for a good solid basher would be better off picking their own upgrades
Used and upgrade
Buying used can be a good deal but can also be a pain. Most people want too much for their stuff and you'll always end up buying someone else's problems. Of course if you know what you're looking for there are definitely deals out there to be had.