Tamiya Hilux Monster Racer-VXL transmission conversion

[Tyco Bandit King]

I have spent the last 5 years beefing up the stock transmission in this truck trying to make it hold brushless power, I even went as far as to machine out the diff housing. Well I got sick of replacing parts over the years and decided to swap out a Traxxas full steel VXL transmission. It took a bit of work to get it to fit and work right but it is by far the best mod I have done to it.

Now.......

It uses traxxas driveshafts(had to modify the hubs).

Can handle all the power I wanna throw at it.

But best of all, it looks bone stock.

This truck is now 23 years old but runs like a bat out of hell. Using the same motor, speed control, transmission etc on my stampede I can get 74mph w/11.1v lipo on radar using a brick to keep the front end down. This chassis is lighter and has much better weight balance and center of gravity so I think 85mph shouldnt be a problem just I wont be using the body it took 2 days to paint to try it out.

[czstycor/c]

nice!

[jeffescortlx]

Does the Blitzer Beetle also have a weak tranny?
I'm a huge Tamiya fan and always wanted one.

[Tyco Bandit King]

Yeah they all had weak plastic gears. I tried and tried to keep the factory trans and i even went as far as to maching out a diff housing out of 6061 aluminum. the biggest problem was the brushless motor chatters on take off and actually chips teeth off the gears. It even broke the bracket 3 times that holds the idler gear in place.

I was drag racing the truck against my buddies 11.1v brushless slash and it consistanly out ran his on grass. We both had all the same battery motor and electronics. It also out ran the slash on a baseball diamond. Who would of thought a 23 year old tamiya would out run a new traxxas. I love the old tamiyas

[jeffescortlx]

Tamiya seems to be hit and miss with the gear box's. Some are really tuff, and some not.

I've had good luck with all mine, but I dont run any crazy motors.

[Tyco Bandit King]

Yeah my favorite chassis was the baja prerunner ta02 f150/s10. The plastic gears wouldnt hold much motor and the dog bones were weak but the biggest problem was actually the pinion gear which liked to literally wear down.

Im gonna be talking to machine shops this week and see who can start making gears

[scorcher]

nice job my im getting a tamiya blitzer beetle next just to black can and use as a basher i like the old school tamiyas i have a lunchbox and gone brushless on my tl01 and a tl01b

[Mark]

Thats cool, I put a VXL tranny in mine a couple years ago...

[Tyco Bandit King]

Sweet looking king cab, I see you swapped out control arms and hubs too. Are those SEE's wheels and dirt paws? Im actually goin to be painting another king cab body tonight. Heres a few different king cab variation I have:

[Mark]

Yes they are Sees with some worn Dirt Paws. I did use traxxas a-arms, but I shorthened them to keep the same width as stock Tamiya.

Hmmmm my pictures are not showing anymore...

[Tyco Bandit King]

Yeah i opened the stock hubs to fit the traxxas axles. Ive got mine setup with a 5400mah 11.1v mounted under the front body mounts and under full throttle it keeps the front end down very well. Its soo nice not having to worry about breaking gears anymore.

Any chance you would sell those wheels?

[jeffescortlx]

Yeah my favorite chassis was the baja prerunner ta02 f150/s10.

I had one of those!
I put a mod motor in it and was a challenge to drive it around a corner with out it rolling over 100 times.
Tons of fun.
I ended up breaking the chassis and gave it to a friend about 10 years ago. Kinda wish I would of hung on to it. Gave the same friend a vintage wild willy jeep.

[Tyco Bandit King]

Hahaha yeah, I actually drove mine last week and had to really try not to roll it over. It seems like one wrong move and it goes barrel rolling 100 times.

Ive actually still got mine from 13 years ago, it was the first hobby car I bought and built. I built another 5 years ago thats a shelf queen and its running the stock motor and an 11.1v lipo. Hauls ass for a stock motor

[jeffescortlx]

I really like the scale look of the truck. That the tires are proportional to the size of the truck.

yep, I don't doubt you one bit that it hauls with 11v. I ran a tamiya at 14v with stock silver can motor's and clocked it at over 40mph.

[Mark]

Yeah i opened the stock hubs to fit the traxxas axles. Ive got mine setup with a 5400mah 11.1v mounted under the front body mounts and under full throttle it keeps the front end down very well. Its soo nice not having to worry about breaking gears anymore.

Any chance you would sell those wheels?

I actually sold the truck last year