So I've decided to build an emaxx to handle anything I can throw at it. I want it to be way faster than it needs to be and not break all the time. I'm not a really hard basher but I do beat on stuff a good bit. I ordered a used emaxx off eBay and it should be here friday. I want anyone and everyone to give me tips and opinions on this build as its my first big build. The maxx has some mods already and some on the way that I have ordered.

Mods already on the emaxx
-FLM aluminum towers
-Aluminium skids
-FLM aluminum bulk/hybrid diffs(these are new and he said only one is installed the other is still in the packaging.)
-RPM a-arms

Things I have ordered so far
-Proline trencher x mounted (got these yesterday).
-FLM extended chassis
-Custom motor mount for castle 1717 (stock traxxas X01 motor.)

I know I need shocks I'm thinking big bores with upgraded springs. As for axles I want mip. I'm gunna run it on the stock 2200 set up for now and order a 1717 soon. What other upgrades should I do? Any other suggestions in shocks (anything in the same price range as the big bores). Thanks for any advice! I'll post some pics when I get the truck.

I would suggest upgrading the slipper if it hasn't already. I run the Robinson racing gen 3 hardened spur w/ there hardened pinion. Nice setup, uses a hexagon pad vs. The conventional 3 pad.

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Good call, I forgot about the slipper. I run a rr in my e revo brushless I should order one for the max.

If you want a the toughest Emaxx you also want titanium skid plates. Great Assembly is the only place I know of with new ones, or you can hunt down the discontinued Hardcore Racing skids.

A more necessary upgrade is the hinge pins. Stock and Lunsford titanium hinge pins will bend, I've bent multiple sets. Getring bent hinge pins out of aluminum bulkheads is not fun. I haven't tried them, but FLM hinge pins are supposed to be about the best. Maybe BuggyBasher could chime in, I believe he's running them. The best is cutting your own hinge pins from ejector pins like the UE supermaxx guys do.

I'm running flm pins on the bottom and lungsford on top. Neither in my opinion are really good. I bend them all the time, which is why I have the lungsford on top since I have ruined the flm ones for the upper arm. The bottom doesn't bend as easy b.c the is maybe 3/8" of an inch that is actually out of the bulk. The top is the same on either side so I tend to turn those into macaroni/banana.

I've considered ejector pins but really curious is they hold up any better or not. Currently its a pain to bend back the pins I have now.......only making them weaker. So ya pulling bent pins out of an aluminum bulk is not fun at all.


However, I will say maybe I was bending pins so much due to the flex between my arm and shocks. I had the shocks fastened at the lower a arm by just threading a screw thru the plastic. I have since added a lock but to the back side, eliminating a lot of that flex. Now I haven't notice any bent pins yet but def seems a bit better.

Also I know there is a guy on eBay who makes ti skids, usually the front one can be found and I saw it the other day for $30. I have installed PVC between the front skid and bulk and did the same for the rear. Since then I don't bend the skid at all. Someone makes a spring steel skid and advertises it as not requiring a front bumper. If at any time I break or bend the skid with PVC there, I'll try the titanium. At the same time, if I'm bending the lungsford pins then my mind thinks I'll bend that skid too?

Front - its notched since its bent and I could bend it back so much lol.
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Rear. I believe 3/4" garden hose PVC at my local home depot.
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So if anything get the flm for the time being? I manage a body shop so i should be able to make something for the long term at work.

I had HCR titanium skids, trust me when I say they maintain their shape. They bend but they always come back. I guess they're a different alloy or hardness than hinge pins. Just make sure you use a good quality screw set with them, I once sheared the screws off in a really bad impact but the skid maintained its shape.

I think the reason Maxx pins bend is because they're only 3mm diameter. I always found the lowers bent more because the rear of the hinge pin is a single shear and not supported by the bulkhead. You don't want your shocks to stabilize the arm, you'll bend the shafts or snap shock caps. The lower ball end does provide some flex to help prevent this.

I was always tempted to drill the arms and bulkheads out for 4mm pins but I worried about having enough meat left on the bulkheads so I never bothered finding pins long enough. I found the ejector pin thing on rc-monster with no actual reviews but plenty of people doing it with no complaints. But apparently it originated on the UE forums where guys are running UE aluminum arms that don't flex like RPM arms do so the hinge pins take a beating.

Ya I would say flm, since I added that PVC they work like intended. One problem your gonna have is mixed opinions. A lot of ppl here and on other forums simply build these trucks and don't run them or run them like they are built.....I run the crap out of my truck. I bash the hell out of it and see what it can handle. So everything I share is just my experience, I'm sure the titanium would be good but I'm sure there is still a way to bend them.

Drilling them out to 4 mm kinda scares me lol. I'll probably order the flm and see how they do. If necessary I will fab something up, but I'm gunna grab some pipe to put in between the skids as well.

Ok I got the emaxx. Diffs are pretty much about ready to go but I'm gunna wait for the flm chassis to get here to install them. It came with so many spare parts I may build a second maxx lol! I just ordered the mip's, also ordered rpm true track for the rear. The front already has rpm arms. Looks like it has the upper flm hingpins because the look beefier than stock. The flm bulks come with the lower pins. What else needs to be ordered? I just sold my erbe so I got cash to burn for this build lol! It won't let me post links because I don't have enough posts so no pics yet.

Ordered t-bone bumpers front and rear. Stopped by the local hobby shop and got 5k diff fluid for the rear. Got some integy shocks and 70wt oil as well.

5K is thin for a MT basher IMO. When it heats up its gonna be like water in there. When I rebuilt my stock diffs I went 100K in the front and 60K in the rear.

Hopefully you have better luck with the Integy shocks than I did. My MSR5's or whatever they were leaked bad in a short time and eventually stripped the threads out of the caps on 3 of them. Waste of $130 for me You live and learn in this hobby tho....

I hope they hold up, they are the msr8's. The lhs rrecommend them. I said I want something a little beefier than the traxxas big bores. Looks like I'm way low on the diff fluid! I'll probably run it next weekend then open it up and drain it. All of my parts will be here by then hopefully so I can assemble it. Is there any way to post pics without links? Also what do you guys recommend for gearing? I'm gunna get the rr slipper because I liked it on my revo. Probably 60t spur. Are the flm hybrid diffs the same ratio as stock?

I hear lots of stories about the integy shocks being junk. Best to go with big bores. And remember, the gut behind the counter at your lhs is usually paid on commission. So they're gonna try to up sell you on the most expensive things on the shelf. I started buying all my parts on the Internet because the salesmen at my lhs are full of it

And also remember just because they work at a hobby shop doesn't mean they know what there talking about.