So others are aware...Traxxas has a Power Up Program that let's you trade in the brushed motor & ESC for brushless for $125. You can send it to Traxxas or better yet, you can bring it to your LHS & they will swap it & you don't have to pay to ship it to Traxxas. You can also do the same to upgrade the radio & receiver and it's less than buying new ones! 👍 Great comparison btw, thx!
Good video. I agree that if you are only buying one SC truck or if you are an experienced driver, then the 4WD brushless is the way to go for value. That being said, a 4WD SC and a 2WD are really two different trucks, in terms of driving characteristics and what you would expect to get out of them. Personally, I enjoy driving a 2WD over a 4WD because it takes more skill to handle it. I think if you try approaching a 2WD with the expectation that it is going to perform like a 4WD, then you’ll get very frustrated. The key to getting a good performance out of a 2WD SC truck is having good throttle control and being able to manage the power well, as you pick your lines and corners. In this sense, the bone stock 2WD Slash is actually the best truck to learn how to drive off-road with. It’s slow enough that you can easily keep it under control and get the coordination with throttle, turning and putting truck exactly where you want it, but just fast enough that you will lose control easily if you get sloppy with your driving. With a 4WD, it’s way more forgiving to drive, even if you don’t have very good skills. So, I would say, for a beginner, buy the 2WD Slash and learn to drive it as is. Save your money for when you’re ready to buy your next truck, which should be a brushless 4WD. If you end-up really getting into the hobby, then you’ll pretty much own everything anyway. Also, if you are mostly going to drive on high traction areas, like pavements, get the 2WD. You’ll get better performance out of it than a 4WD and you won’t be binding and breaking drive trains.
@@RCKnockout Thanks. I really like how you looked at what is really the best bang for your buck when looking at different versions of a Slash. I’m not sure if you’ve done this or not, but it would be fun if you made a video comparing how a 2WD Slash compares to 4WD Slash in different driving surfaces, especially that you’ve got a nice upgraded 2WD.
Thanks bro i bought my first truck and is 2wd, i regreted it at first but is just fun to do donuts, but reading your comments help understand a little.more, i love.my 2wd for now, is fun but yea on dirt i loose.control even on pavement😅 ill get the hang of it
wow . you did excellent job of explaining . I did not realize the different in the slash . I been wanting one for while . I was going with 2wd drive xl-5 but after this its the 4x4 vxL. Thanks , great video
Awesome video, and it covers so much that a lot of channels don’t! I’m planning on buying a 2wd Slash just because it’s the only thing allowed for the increasing in popularity No Prep Drag events, but now I know there’s a lot of stuff I’m going to need to upgrade. Keep up the good work!
@@Crypto_Brandon it is if you want all the aluminum upgraded parts…like the GTR shocks, Aluminum Hub carriers and Steering knuckles, also I believe it comes standard with Telemetry
So good vids dude, keep up the great work. I love projects with slash because i have one 2wd and i realy realy wan't the vxl sistem but it costs 200 so im gonna have to wait for cristmas so that is a long time and i have my birthday one day before cristmas so thats good.
@@RCKnockout Thank you for the response. I think I am going to buy her the vxl 4wd slash with the TSM. more than I want to spend, but that is life! Lol
@@RCKnockout thats another thing that was weird I didn’t have any fitment issues at all, cause I was fully expecting to run into problems after watching your videos because u stated there was an issue. I just thought to myself ehh why not try it cause it’s a lot cheaper than other option out there, and they just worked perfectly. I bash mine a ton to cause I take my cars to the track.
Yeah I’ve put sway bars on my 2wd since this video…..I can confirm that it does make it even better..I recommend both the lcg chassis and sway bars for the Slash 2wd
I love the cheapest 2wd model, I bought the builders kit. I love how squirrelly it is. I swapped in a bigger brushless system and 32p all metal gears. It’s currently geared to go about 35mph.
@@RCKnockout 2S because it’s a cheap esc and shuts off quick with 3S and it has a weird hesitation with the throttle no matter how I program it. I just ordered a Hobbywing esc so it should really make it move. The motor is a 3660 so the power should be there.
thank you so much i was wondering if i should go with a 2 wheel vxl or a 4 wheel and upgrade it to vxl but now im am going to spend a little extra to get a 4x4 vxl
If you plan on Club Racing check the rules. Many clubs require 2 wheel drive and it can't be a converted 4 wheel drive. We have great dirt oval races that get really competitive but 2WD Only. Same goes for the popular drag races.
My 2wd slash is build for asphalt, doesn't flip and runs in the low 90 mph. Depends on what you want to do with them. If you're going to toss money into it then don't worry about buying the upgraded model if those parts are going to end up in a box in a few months. Get the basic one and make it how you want and not how Traxxas sent it. That's the glory of this hobby.
This is the best Traxxas Slash breakdown/buyers guide on RU-vid. And I think I have seen all of them duing my one month of research on which RC car to get. Was going to start out with a stock 4x4, but after watching this it made alot more sense to order the 4x4 VXL instead. How do you deal with the "parachute effect" by the way? It seem to be a real issue with these models once you go S3 or get some serious airtime..
I got "my son" a 4x4 vxl rustler and I have a souped up 2wd stampede.. I put some part from the stampede on the rustler but want to put it back together so we can "race "lol. Anyway im thinking of just making it a slash with the lcg slash kit . but if im starting with a stampede not a slash what else would I need. Ive only found that id have to get a slash steering rack . and body ... Am I forgetting something???
I’m not aware of the exact differences between the Slash 2wd and Stampede 2wd….I know some of the parts are interchangeable but I don’t know all of the differences…..sorry I couldn’t be more help
Dude you go over a lot of of stuff and that’s awesome.I have a 2wd slash I want to upgrade the shocks.I want a race worthy slash. I have done some upgrades
Sooo, I had a 4x4. I have a 2wd now that I put a brushless in. I tried to use a 3s in it....it literally too flight and flipped going straight....any way to fix that besides a wheelie bar?
I ran wltoys for along time. Now I’ve been buying used traxxas slash 2nd and 4wd rollers. I load them with cheap brushless kits. They run hard hold up well and are really fun. The 4wd is a better all around car.
Best drivetrain upgrade for Traxxas Slash 4x4: replace Slipper clutch with center differential. I did that upgrade on my Traxxas Slash 4x4 and it corners like a dream. Put Sway bars on the suspension, too.
@@RCKnockout they have 3D printer's that are capable of producing product just as strong as metal now by using resins mixed with powder alloy's in the process, pretty sure you can find video's on it
@@RCKnockout 1 that uses alloy powders and resins to then be cured producing anything as strong as metals starts around 2,000 USD and if you wanted something that would be capable of producing more volume then you would just buy something bigger.... sky could be the limit
I have both those trucks I have the vxl 2wd and the vxl 4x4. In the snow I have way more fun with the 2wd I put a set of skis on the front and put paddle tires in the rear for the snow
@@RCKnockout I had a set on the 4x4 and I kept getting it stuck in the snow the northern part of Canada I live in always has about 3+ feet of snow so I found the paddles and the skis worked the best.. summer time though it's all about the 4x4
@@RCKnockout it depends the colder the day the snow gets a layer of ice that works the best with the setup because less chance of digging into the soft snow..I have never tried it in snow that's not to deep I just bought the 2wd before Christmas and with this pandemic going on we can't go anywhere where I am we are in a big lockdown still tell March 9th I want to take it to a place that doesn't get as much snow as where I live and try it out
idk, I have a 4x4 stampede and revo, but I still love my 2wd slash, I don't have issues with the roll overs after tuning shocks. I also have never had issues with rear shock tower, I have had issues with the front casters, but easy fix.
@@RCKnockout I live in north east Ohio so it gets cold and I have run it at round 30f many times. I don't jump it much. And unfortunately I work a lot now so I don't get time to run it like I use to.
@@RCKnockout I have mine link to my trx6 my M41 boat and the Mustang. As long as the receiver is a TQi you can bind them together. When you want to use one of the cars you just turn on the transmitter and then which ever car or truck you want and it finds it.
@@kg5nja693 I gotcha. The only downside to that would be if I’m trying to film a video or bash two rcs that are bound on the same transmitter at the same time lol 😂
I had the first Rustler VXL. It was a standard rustler with a brushless and 3S. Only traction control was your finger. The receiver controller was exactly the same as the one I had for my standard rustler. Traxxas has come a long way.
I got my first rustler in 97 Novak duster speed controller and nicad battery's you guys have no idea how far they have come. We used to discharge are batteries with light bulbs lipo wasn't even around I remember being my first nimh battery 7 cell hump pack that was fast at almost 30
There is a simple solution with the 2wd high center of gravity chassis. Just have a buddy who also has a 2wd slash drive his car over and flip your car back over it’s crazy how good slashes flip each other back over lol
Or actually could be called the Platinum edition not the Unlimited edition Slash... I forget but one of those is the edition that comes with the LCG chassis stock!
@@nkastis8211 yeah that’s not a 2wd model. I was referring to the 2wd model specifically. That is a Traxxas Slash 4x4 Ultimate basically with an unpainted body and no radio system included
@@RCKnockout I just got a Traxxas Slash vxl yesterday, it’s my first rc car so I don’t know much about them or anythint about them. but I found your video very informative
@@miltonsanceno6970 I’d say it’s best to run it and upgrade as you break stuff. I’ve been pretty impressed with the stock driveshafts on the 2wd Slash so far though. I’m definitely not easy on it! Lol 😂
Bro please do a video on the Traxxas Slash two-wheel drive RTR xl5 and the Traxxas Slash XLV 2 wheel drive I have upgraded all my stuff on the RTR xl5 the millennium servo and motor and now doing the axles but what else is different
The main difference is the esc and motor. They should have the same 2075 Servo unless they’ve changed it since I bought mine. The Tsm receiver and Tqi Transmitter is different from the Tq one. Wheels and tires could be slightly different too. That’s basically it though….I could be forgetting something though
@@RCKnockout okay so I upgraded mine to everything that came on my friend's truck and still came out cheaper than what he bought his for which I thought was kind of crazy but love your videos
The transmission is also different. The 2WD VXL models now come standard with the magnum 272R transmission while the XL-5 models still use the older magnum 272 transmission. *Just a heads up, a fully assembled magnum 272R transmission runs at about 140 dollars.
I have slash 2wd vxl, 4wd vxl, and nitro slash. Don’t ask why. 4wd better overall control and power through grass and heavy stuff, though less battery life. 2wd is fun and really engages you when driving. 2wd best on loose flat terrain and thus also drives more realistically, better battery life. It depends where you will be running the vehicle and what you want for battery life.
Yeah I’d agree that the 2wd takes much more finesse to drive…..and it struggles in tall grass….also it doesn’t have the pull out of corners that a 4wd machine has…
@@tmar352 actually I think the 4wd still launches a lot harder than a 2wd does….if someone were to build a 4x4 drag car it could probably still launch harder than a 2wd drag car can….I think the only reason they designed it that way is cause it’s more realistic
@@RCKnockout I know that the 4x4 accelerates better because it has more grip. The two wheel drive has a better top speed though because all the power is just going to two wheels. Once you put drag tires on it takes off a lot better and then you get the benefit of the top speed
I (Santa) bought my 6yr old son the 2wd base model. I bought the 2wd VXL. Both are great and plenty of fun. The shop said for me not to get Tue 4wd BC 4wd are slower as it has more weight, and more moving parts, which also mean more possibilities to go wrong. So I got the 2wd.
I gotcha…..as for slower….that might be true for a brushed slash 2wd compared to a 4x4….but with the VXL models the 4x4 Slash usually can launch harder and stay on the ground compared to the 2wd vxl model
@@RCKnockout man, I wish I watched your video first and asked you a few before the buy. Next, what do you recommend I upgrade without breakog the bank and will save me issues later? I know the servo being plastic can be an issue. It was for my truck 20yrs ago. This is the first RC car since then. Technology has come a long way
@@RCKnockout @RC just watching your video, you know your stuff man. Keep it up bro. What's your opinion on these guys lifting the mounts for the body and putting on larger tires and such? Worth it or nah, keep it the way it is? It looks almost like a loft kit but for the slash
@@TheYoungerSemiOldMan thanks…..it depends on what you wanna do….I know some people convert the slash into a monster truck……not really sure how well it would drive after that…..I’m sure the handling will be different though
I have the ultimate version. I switched over to proline trencher 2.2 and regularly go back and forth between 2c and 3c lipo on VXL system. I took out the slipper clutch and now have a center differential 54t and stock 13p gear. Dual fans on motor and fan on esc. I’m more of a on road guy but love off-road as well. What’s you’re opinion of changing to a 14p or 15p gear and run that all the time? I want a touch of more speed but not to kill the vxl. Just safe enough
You’d probably be alright for bashing. The high speed gearing I think is an 18t pinion isn’t good for bashing. I had lots of cogging problems. Even on the road actually. But gearing it up a tooth or two might still work for bashing.
@@christiantrevino8378 not really. I do think since they are beefier tires overall. The front ones are actually slowing me down especially in the snow. Not to mention these are technically 4x4 slash tires that aren’t supposed to be mounted on a 2wd. But I think the rears help with grip significantly
Ur esc overheated.... that’s what happened to mine because when u run 3s and the upgraded gear, if u don’t have an esc fan it will 100% catch fire on the first run. The motor had nothing to do with it cause the esc has a cutoff when the motor gets to hot which means it was the esc. Suggestion would be to get your new esc get an esc fan and if u wanted get a motor fan with a heat sink.
@@RCKnockout oh I barely read his problem I didn’t see that his battery went on fire, but yeah for mine the battery was completely fine I still use it lol. It was the esc because at first I lost all power on the trail, then I took it back home and tried turning it on and the esc started smoking so much and it basically got fried. When I went to the shop they said when u run 3s it is recommended that u have the esc fan....and when u run 3s with the upgraded gear, you NEED IT.
@@kamillbadell3244 HOW to REMOVE and REPLACE a TRAXXAS SLASH 4x4 VXL 3500kv VELINEON BRUSHLESS MOTOR ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jdp29or8VZo.html
That works well when someone else does the work and you get a good deal!! I’m really surprised Traxxas hasn’t offered the 2wd slash equipped with the lcg chassis though
@@RCKnockout No they did I have one it had the rambler on it that sounded like the real truck it came with the low center gravity chassis apparently they discontinued that straight out of the box with a 3500 motor
@@RCKnockout Are you aware of the Traxxas/that had the built in speakers to the body you might be able to RU-vid it I’m not sure it was a special edition when I bought it but they don’t make it anymore I still have the car I disconnected the speakers and now it has a buggy body
Im new to rc cars. I remember rc cars having a box receiver. Remember Back to the future? Doc using that square remote for the DeLorean? How comes those arent around anymore?