Review - Traxxas Maxx 2.0 WideMaxx Monster Truck

The larger, more aggressive, and ready-to-bash Traxxas Maxx has been revised. We test drive the truck, check its speed, and then dirty it up a bit. What is the new WideMaxx's quality? Let us demonstrate.

It goes without saying that the Traxxas Maxx WideMaxx is a powerful electric 4X4 monster truck with a 60 mph speed rating, brushless design, waterproofing, and 4S LiPo compatibility. Furthermore, the truck's drivetrain is factory-specified for 6S power. For serious aficionados, the Maxx is a serious vehicle, and it just got better.

Which is better, the new Traxxas Maxx WideMaxx or the original Maxx with WideMaxx upgrade kit?

So, what makes the WideMaxx so awesome? You have a WideMaxx, correct? You can use the update kit on an older Maxx. Yes, without a doubt, but the chassis is the reason why the WideMaxx and the WideMaxx kit are different.

This new truck's primary focus is on the WideMaxx accessory kit, which was previously a $50 premium and is now standard equipment. It's also important to note that the new Maxx trucks only come with the black WideMaxx upgrade kit, even though it comes in six other colours.

Below, the new Maxx and the previous Maxx are seen side by side. The new truck is about 1.5 inches wider, which improves cornering performance and stance stability.

Next, we contrast the new Maxx with the 4S BLX Kraton, another truck in its class. The Kraton's large offset tyres make it impossible to see that the Maxx is roughly a half-inch wider. After removing the tyres, we discovered that the Maxx is, in fact, a quarter-inch wider.

To give you an idea of the size difference, the new Maxx with an Arrma 3S Big Rock is shown on the right. It is not precisely in the same category, but it is noticeably broader.

New Longer Chassis & More

The most significant change made to this new Maxx truck is not the WideMaxx kit. One of the best characteristics is the redesigned, more extended chassis. By making this truck nearly an inch longer than the previous one, the wheelbase is increased by 7%.

A more extended chassis offers advantages and disadvantages. For stability in a straight line, they are superior. They assist in keeping the front tyres down if you're doing a lot of wheelies, something the original Maxx was prone to, and they are a little more forgiving in extremely tough terrain. Whether you wanted it or not, the truck would constantly do wheelies. Therefore, this is an excellent improvement for heavy-footed drivers who prefer to drive as strapped as possible.

Having a more extended chassis has several ramifications. First, in order to fit correctly, a new, longer body is required. Although the tubing is longer, the body is the same as the original and still has the structural tube, skid plates, and clip-less body attached. The previous Maxx body and the new Maxx body are incompatible due to their different lengths.

One of the other significant chassis improvements is a new, longer centre driveshaft. It's slightly longer, but it's still metal. For clarity, Traxxas states that the lengthier pieces suit the Maxx with the extended chassis.

There is now a longer and larger battery compartment to accommodate a wider variety of batteries, including the flagship 6700mah 4S Traxxas LiPo. Originally made for the large X-Maxx, this battery is now compatible with other trucks.

Traxxas Maxx WideMaxx Tires & Wheels

The new tyres that are standard on the Maxx are called Sledgehammer tyres, and they are the final but no less significant modification. With their open block tread, these motorcycle-style tyres perform well in loose terrain and hook up just as well on the street. The tyres have the same TSM rating as before, but they are larger and non-directional. When driving in rainy or dusty circumstances, it is necessary to cover the vent holes with tape to keep water and grit out because the tyre venting is done on the wheel rather than the rubber.

Almost any other 17 mm-sized tyre or wheel will fit the wheels, which use a 17mm hex with an axle hole insert. One example is the Road Crusher belted on-road tyres from Sweep Racing.

These are the 3.8" Pro-Line Badlands; they fit the Traxxas Sledgehammers despite being only somewhat taller.

Finally, the UDR tyres and wheels are one of our favourite tyre combinations for the Maxx, though they appear a bit smaller than the Sledgehammers.

Since taller tyres act as gearing up on the transmission, especially when they begin to bloat, the Sledgehammer tyres are now taller than the original tyres. To compensate for this, the new Maxx has a 23T pinion gear rather than the previous 24T, which is one tooth smaller. However, speed runs appear to be unaffected.

How fast is the Traxxas Maxx 2.0?

With a fully charged 4S battery and our GPS speed meter, we headed out to test top speed. After a few passes, we discovered that the out-of-the-box gearing had a top speed of 52 mph. As can be seen from this speed rating chart, the Maxx will obviously require new gearing for both the spur and pinion gears in order to reach the 60 mph top speed. However, we will not do this since we would need to do it immediately after in order to bash the truck correctly without overheating it.