REVIEWING THE TRAXXAS DRAG SLASH RTR DRAG RACER
The Traxxas Drag Slash RC Drag Racer is being reviewed. Of course, we do some speed runs, drive it, and beat it up. In addition to the 1967 Chevrolet C10 body and scale authenticity, the Drag Slash has a powerful Traxxas Velineon power system. One of the simplest methods to enter the RC drag scene, it is also optimized for no-prep drag racing.
Traxxas is no stranger to the drag strip; years ago, they introduced the Traxxas Funny Car, one of the most stylish vintage drag vehicles ever made. Traxxas released their "How to Drag Slash" conversion kit video a few years later, and it has gained popularity ever since. A few years later, the Traxxas Drag Slash is another specially designed RC drag car.
This car is entirely completed and ready to go, including the transmitter, painted C10 body, electronics, and more. A few things are needed, such as a power pack for the truck and four AA batteries for the transmitter.
DRAG SLASH SCALE LOOKS & STYLING
This drag car features an authentically licensed 1967 Chevy C10 body and a fresh, drag-inspired design. "Brilliant Blue" is the official name of the metallic blue paint that Traxxas pre-paints on this Lexan body, and it looks fantastic for an RTR paint job. Redline, Green Machine, Ultra Violet, Diamond White, and Midnight Black are the other five colour choices.
LED System & Chevy C10 Details
Traxxas used injected-moulded rugged plastic accessories, such as the headlights, parking lights, and hard plastic front grill pieces, to give the body a more realistic appearance. Although these are legitimate LED-ready light buckets, they do not come with LEDs; hence, if you want them, you will need to install them yourself.
The front bumper, which is attached to the interior, is likewise composed of hard plastic beneath the grille. (The remaining accessories are also fastened from the inside.) The grille's Chevy emblem is a decal.
With a blacked-out door handle and a Chevy C10 badge, the body is left clean on the sides. Additionally, decals are used to black out every window.
LED System & Chevy C10 Details
Traxxas used injected-moulded rugged plastic accessories, such as the headlights, parking lights, and hard plastic front grill pieces, to give the body a more realistic appearance. Although these are legitimate LED-ready light buckets, they do not come with LEDs; hence, if you want them, you will need to install them yourself.
The front bumper, which is attached to the interior, is likewise composed of hard plastic beneath the grille. (The remaining accessories are also fastened from the inside.) The grille's Chevy emblem is a decal.
With a blacked-out door handle and a Chevy C10 badge, the body is left clean on the sides. Additionally, decals are used to black out every window.
Brett's Notes: According to what I could discover online, the original 67 C10's front-end parts were more chrome; thus, having them wholly blacked out makes it appear more aggressive and sporty.
Scale Drag Features
The C10 has a suitable drop bed at the back of the body, which can be challenging to construct with Lexan material. Similar to genuine drags, this bed has a "tubbed" shape, meaning that the inner wheel wells are shifted inward to accommodate wider drag tyres. Decals are often used to provide additional detailing to the bed.
Additionally, a pro-street-style injected-moulded wing that is bolted on from the inside is located back here. In addition to being functional and assisting in lowering drag-induced turbulence, this wing also looks excellent.
Lastly, the Drag Slash has additional decals for the taillights and Chevrolet branding all the way to the back. The second rugged plastic bumper below is blacked out once more and has a tiny slot to accommodate the wheelie bar.
Realistic Styling with Real Performance Upgrades
By removing two screws, you may access five different height adjustments on this great wheelie bar. In order to adjust the bar height, two distinct wheel sizes (18mm and 26mm) are also supplied. These wheels roll straight on the plastic rod.
Brett's Notes: The wheelie bar has a decent amount of flex overall, which is terrific for collisions and crashes or for playing around. However, it is not the best option for serious racing, where an aftermarket wheelie bar that is more solid and stiff is preferable.
Traxxas Drag Slash Tires & Wheels
Another excellent feature of the racing Slash is the tyres and wheels, which are fully licensed Mickey Thompson Drag Tires adhered to Weld racing wheels. Because the wheel fitting is a 12 mm hex, it is compatible with all other drag wheels and tyres of this type.
The rear tyres are ultra-wide drag slicks, while the front tyres are treaded skinnies. They're also broad. These should be promising because they are wider than your typical drag tyre, and the rubber feels reasonably supple.
QUALITY PERFORMANCE PARTS
Traxxas has included a unique set of components, such as the low centre of gravity 2WD slash chassis, to ensure that this Slash is suitable for the drag strip. Additionally, it has suspension arms with a reduced bandit buggy length. Following that, Traxxas added a new foam bumper and bumper mount. The front shock tower has body attachments that can be adjusted, which is convenient because there are many various aftermarket bodies available. This may explain why the drag slash employs body clips rather than the more contemporary clip-less systems used by Traxxas.
Traxxas Drag Slash Shocks
The Traxxas Ultra shocks are used and modified for drag racing. They have more rigid springs, 20wt fluid in the front shocks with bump stops on the shafts, and 60wt fluid in the rear shocks. Additionally, a pass-through hole for the motor cables and body mounts on top of the rear shock tower has been added.
Pro Series Magnum 272R ™ Gearbox
Another significant upgrade is the transmission, which uses the new Magnum 272R, which is made to withstand sudden torque spikes. This Gearbox has a blue anodized aluminium motor plate and is composed of two case halves. The differential is conveniently accessible from the bottom, so you don't need to disassemble the Gearbox to reach it.
The Gearbox and differential use all-metal gears. The diff has 500k fluid added, which is ideal for drag racing. Additionally, the rear driveshafts have been modified to match those seen in the Slash 4x4 off-road vehicles.
Naturally, a plastic gear-mesh insert is used to configure your gear mesh for you, and there is an adjustable slipper clutch behind the motor guard.
The installed insert and the one with the optional high-speed gearing, which isn't installed, are both included.
Traxxas advises using the high-speed 29T pinion gear exclusively during drag passes and the fitted 22-tooth pinion gear for everyday driving. Otherwise, it can put too much strain on the VXL brushless system, which consists of a Velineon 3500kv brushless motor and the VXL-3s ESC.
HOW FAST IS THE DRAG SLASH?
As you may already know, only a 2S lipo is permitted for drag racing, and a 3S lipo is not. Traxxas recommends this 7600mah 2S LiPo because the Drag Slash is geared and designed for 2S use. The truck can also be used with 3S LiPos, and we test both, of course.
We reached a maximum speed of 39 mph with our fully charged 2S LiPo battery and the attached 22T pinion gear. After switching to the high-speed 29T pinion gear and trying again, we were able to reach a top speed of 54 mph after a few passes.
As we previously stated, Traxxas adjusted the Drag Slash gearing for 2S use because 3S is not permitted for drag racing, even though we now know the VXL-3s system is compatible with 3S lipo. As stated in the handbook, this places us at a level 5 skill level, meaning a 3S is only suitable for professionals, and it can only be used for a limited high-speed run.
Let's give it a shot.
We gave it another go with a 5000mAh 3s Traxxas LiPo. The essential 22T pinion gear, which we first used, had a top speed of 48 mph.
Last but not least, the car is too powerful after we shifted into the 29T high-speed gearing and let it go! If you pull the trigger all the way, it simply wheelies. Even if you have a reservation already. However, we eventually hit 62 mph.
To keep the front down, we quickly applied a 55-gram strip to the front bumper using adhesive ProTek RC weights. We then made another attempt, but it didn't really help. We added a second strip for an additional 110 grams of weight, which was quite beneficial. We eventually managed to reach a high speed of 65 mph.
The Drag Slash has Traxxas Stability Management, or TSM, just like previous VXL vehicles. We discovered that during high-speed, straight-line runs, it was beneficial to turn down the TSM. Although the TSM can be very helpful for other purposes, it is not permitted to assist anyone who wishes to participate in drag racing. This vehicle was equipped with Traxxas' Drag Mode, which disables TSM assistance and provides visual feedback through a flashing light on the receiver. The idea is that the technicians may visibly verify that the TSM assistance has been turned off if you go through a tech check before your race. The TSM is a massive no-no for racing, but it may be a gigantic aid for everyday driving and crashing around.
The new Trans Break, which is meant to enable you to launch the automobile more quickly, is permitted. In order to launch, you use your thumb to hold down this trans brake button, draw the throttle to the desired level, and then release the trans brake. After some practice, releasing the trans button becomes quicker than pulling the throttle trigger. On the stip, this great drag-inspired feature is helpful.
Installing the Traxxas aluminum steering rack set is an additional helpful addition if you intend to race. In contrast to the drag-slash technique, it is a straight system without a servo saver. Although servo savers are excellent at absorbing impact energy and protecting your servo, they can also cause the steering to feel mushy, less accurate, and less centred.
CAN IT BASH?
This car's extra-wide Mickey Thompson tyres are excellent and the best RTR drag tyres we've tested thus far. In addition, they are among the most attractive tyres and wheels we have ever seen.
However, street pounding on abrasive, high-traction surfaces is not as good because it produces a lot of traction. Tossing the car around, power sliding, or anything similar is far more complex. If the vehicle is driven in that manner, it will traction roll.
Low-traction surfaces, on the other hand, make the car considerably more tossable and improve its ability to move around without rolling over. This is possible, even though the performance is not as good as that of a committed street basher.
The Drag Slash is ultimately a drag vehicle. Traxxas has configured and adjusted the car, primarily for drag racing, so it not only looks the part but also goes straight and fast.
Although the tune might be adjusted for smashing, the car is designed to be a drag car from the manufacturer. With drag-tuned shocks, differential, transmission, transmitter, tyres, and wheels, Traxxas has done it very well.
With a few minor problems, mainly with the tyres, the Drag Slash handled us quite well. They brushed against the side guards and chassis since they grew so much. It's most likely on our 65 mph speed run. When the body is brand new, you can fix the paint removal caused by the tyres rubbing against the wheel wells by applying decals over these areas.
We thought the Drag Slash was fantastic overall. The Drag Slash's $499 price tag is its worst feature, which may throw off some people but make it well worth the investment for others.
