Traxxas T-Maxx 3.3 review
By Jason Petty
Intro
Do You remember the first, Pro.15 T-Maxx? What about the upgraded TRX 2.5 Maxx? After the 2.5, nobody thought Traxxas could out do themselves again, but everybody was wrong. In February, Traxxas released the new 2.5R and 3.3 T-Maxxes. For my first review, I thought we would take a closer look at the Traxxas T-Maxx 3.3, so here it is.
How It Drives
Off road handling and jumping
The T-Maxx 3.3’s huge .20 engine and soft Maxx suspension are a great combination for off road racing. It soaks up the small bumps and jumps like they are not even there. For off road use, I would recommend tightening the Jato slipper clutch and removing the wheelie bar. I have not yet jumped this beast over anything but Garden Tractor ruts, but it seems to take the jumps well. I would suspect that it would do better on proper jumps with the springs pre-loaded a bit. I have heard of others snapping the wheelie bar on bad landings.
Steering
Steering the 3.3 takes some practice, but is manageable. Full throttle steering requires a very large radius, and the less throttle, the tighter it will steer. On a loose off road surface, going into a turn at speed and coasting or braking while turning will make the rear tires break lose and spin the truck around. On pavement or other high traction surfaces the truck will turn on a dime. One downside to the steering is the servo, it wears out quickly and is not very quick.
Going and stopping
Out of the box, the truck has unstoppable acceleration and torque. After a few runs, though, the slipper clutch either wears out or loosens, causing a loss in acceleration, wheelie popping torque, and it makes the engine overheat. The brakes work well at first, but wear out quickly. The cushioning fuel line on the brake linkage also gets cut down the side too easily, I have already gone through two.
Equipment, needed upgrades, and durability
What is in it?
The 3.3 comes with the namesake TRX 3.3 Racing engine. Traxxas claims that the 3.3 has 60% more peak power than the 2.5. The engine requires little maintenance, but the two clutch shoes do wear unevenly.
The electronics and driveline are identical to the Revo except for the RX pack, which is set up for four AA alkaline cells. I find that if it is idling too fast the Opti Drive makes shifting hard.
Also, make sure not to over tighten the Jato slipper. If it idles too fast with a tight slipper, the spur gear will most likely get stripped.
The wheelie bar is only effective on hard packed, smooth surfaces such as pavement. The wheelie bar is offered separately for older Maxxes.
The Revo Talon tires workm well for somebody who likes the vehicle loose on dirt and a little tight on pavement.
The EZ Start 2 started the truck quickly and easily.
The grey bulkheads, skid plates, chassis braces, tranny, radio and RX pack boxes, and shock bodies add a nice touch.
What needs upgrading?
The steering servo should be swapped out for a good, high torque, metal gear servo. The alkaline cells trigger the Opti Drive’s fail safe almost immediately, so I put in the Traxxas wire harness with a Duratrax 1100Mah RX pack, and have about two hours on it and only charged it once. The heat protector on the pressure line rests on the exhaust manifold and melts to it. To fix this, I just zip-tied the line to the rear body mount. I also added a Du-Bro in-line fuel filter for added protection.
How durable is it?
This is a very durable truck. I was running down the driveway fairly fast, and the brakes didn’t slow it much, so, fearing a rollover-collision with a full scale snow plow, I released the trigger completely and took it head on. Nothing was broke. If that isn’t durability, I do not know what is.
Problems to look for.
What kind of problems are there
The biggest problem I have had is the engine came loose, stripped the screw, mount, and spur gear.
Conclusion.
This is a good, high powered, fast truck. Other than the previously stated, all breaks and problems where driver error or other outside force. It is easy to start and even fun to break-in. I wouldn’t recommend it to a first time hobby-grade R/Cer, but it’s a good first nitro. I have yet to try, but I think a 3.3 would be as good, if not a better racer than a 2.5 Revo.
What I Used during my testing and review,
Traxxas Top Fuel, 20%
Traxxas wiring harness
Traxxas TRX power charger
Duratrax 5 cell 1100Mah hump pack
Duratrax Shark stick pack
Du-Bro inline fuel filter
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