How To Make The Traxxas Slash Faster?

If you’re looking to make your Traxxas Slash faster than the typical 30+ mph speed it offers, there are a few things you can do, and this article is going to let you know exactly what they are. 

There are four basic things that you can upgrade on your Traxxas Slash to make it better. They are: 

• Motor and ESC
• Battery
• Tires 
• Gearing

We will discuss each of those in more detail a little bit later in this article. It is important to understand that upgrading any RC car to make it faster will require some time, money, and effort to do so don’t expect for your car to get faster with the flip of a switch. 

Before we get into more detail about these upgrades for speeding up your Traxxas Slash first, let’s take a look at the factors that generally affect the speed of an RC car.

If you prefer to watch a video instead the one below will give you some additional specifics that you can use to make your Traxxas RC car go faster. To see the most popular Traxxas RC cars just click here.

Factors that influence the speed of an RC 

Before we talk about what exact upgrades you should make on your Traxxas Slash it is important for you to understand what affects the speed of your RC car. The main factors responsible for how fast or slow your RC car will go are: 

Motor

The motor of an RC car is one of the most important determining factors when it comes to the speed of the RC car. There are two types of motors used in RC cars: the brushed motor and the brushless motor. 

Just as the name implies, brushed motors are motors that come with brushes while brushless motors, just as their name also implies, are motors without brushes. 

Now, although the two types of motors perform the same basic functions, the brushed motor doesn’t offer maximum speed because when it is fitted into the RC car, the friction it causes takes away some of the power that would have enabled maximum speed and hence, it slows down speed. 

The brushless motors, on the other hand, deliver up to 15% more efficiency because they do not cause friction like the brushed motors do. In addition, they produce less noise and heat, and because of that, they make it possible for you to get a lot more speed with this type of motor. 

The gearing

This is another important factor in determining the speed and acceleration of an RC car. The state of your gearing will determine not only the top speed of your RC car but also the performance. 

All RC cars come with pinion gear and spur gear, and you can modify both of these to achieve the performance and speed that you need. If you want to get a slight change in the performance of your car, it is better to change the pinion gear than to change the spur gear. It is also best to choose the smallest pinion gear in order to get a greater gear ratio. 

When you have a greater gear ratio, you can be sure of getting better acceleration too. But, on the other hand, a smaller gear ratio will help you get a better top speed. So, if what you really want is speed, you might want to consider picking a smaller gear ratio instead of a bigger one.

The size

The size of an RC car also has an immediate impact on its speed. For starters, the size of an RC car affects the acceleration of the car. If the car is big and heavy, it can slow down the acceleration, and so, the bigger it is, the slower the acceleration. 

In the same way, the size of the car affects the speed. The bigger and heavier the car, the slower its top speed will be. The size of the RC car will also affect the aerodynamics of the car as the larger car will catch more air which in turn will slow it down. 

The batteries

Generally, there are two types of batteries used in RC cars; lithium-based batteries (LiPo)and nickel-based (NiMH) batteries are used.

Cars that use the lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries are typically more powerful and faster than cars that use nickel-metal hydrate (NiMH) batteries. So, if you want a faster car, consider picking one that comes with LiPo batteries or is at least compatible with them. The lithium polymer batteries also often offer higher runtime as well as lower resistance. 

The only disadvantage of LiPos batteries is that they have quite high discharge rates, which means that you would need to charge them very frequently and they also wear out faster than NiMH batteries so the lifetime of the LiPo is shorter. 

The NiMH batteries, on the other hand, do not come with the same power and speed that lithium-based batteries offer. The main advantage of NiMH batteries, however, is that they’re cheaper and do not need a lot of maintenance. But, if speed is what you are really looking for, you can’t trust NiMH batteries to deliver that.

The surface

Under normal circumstances, RC cars will run at a faster speed when you’re racing on smooth surfaces. So, if you are hoping to get the best speed you can, stay on the paved and smooth surfaces when you’re racing with your RC car. 

Uneven terrains will typically make it tough for you to race easily and stand in your way of getting top speeds. If the area you are at has many hills your RC car could be in the air more often than not which means it can’t speed up as fast. 

So, now that we have talked about the factors that generally affect the speed of an RC car let’s talk about how you can improve the speed of your Traxxas Slash.

How to Make Your Traxxas Slash Faster 

The Traxxas Slash typically comes with smaller tires, and even though this might seem like a reason for it to offer more speed since smaller tires are less heavy, other parts of the Traxxas Slash are big and heavy. The Slash also comes with a bigger and taller chassis as well as a large front and rear bumpers to go with its equally large body. 

Also, because of the size of the Slash, it is a lot less aerodynamic and, as a result, would normally offer less speed. So, generally, because of the bigger components of the Slash, it offers a speed rate that is not very high even though it actually offers a fair amount of speed.

So, to get more speed from your Traxxas Slash, here are some things you can do. :

• Use a brushless motor and ESC: We already mentioned that brushless motors generally offer more speed than brushed motors. So, if you want to get more speed out of your Traxxas Slash, start by making sure your Slash uses a brushless motor.
  
• LiPo battery: Just like brushless motors, LiPo batteries are known to offer better performance and more speed than any other type of battery. So, go on and get LiPo batteries for your Slash.
  
• Better tires: Better tires can also help you get more speed, but more than just that, they help to provide you with better handling. You will likely want to get tires that are wider so the new speed that you get from your new motor and battery can more easily get to the ground.
  
• The gearing: Also, think about the gearing if you’re looking to get the fastest speed possible.  Consider getting a bigger pinion gear to give you a smaller gear ratio and hence, more speed. Remember when you do this though that you will sacrifice some acceleration. 

Conclusion 

Making yourTraxxas Slash RC car faster is relatively simple in that there are no complex things to do however what you need to upgrade to get better speeds can quickly add up in cost as well as time. 

For many people it is easier (and possibly cheaper) to simply purchase a different RC car that is designed with higher speeds out of the box rather than upgrading your current RC car. 

Ultimately it is a decision that you have to make on whether these upgrades to your Traxxas Slash are worth it to you or not.