Table Of Contents
Introduction
The E-Maxx is a very versatile monster R/C truck. As a
toy, it rocks right out of the box. As a starting point
for a serious R/C monster truck, it rocks. As a base
platform and drive train for robotics use, it rocks. In
short, you simply can't go wrong with this little truck!
I originally purchased mine to be the base of a robot, but
I routinely drive it around the yard under R/C control just
for the fun of it! So far I have built two different
experimental electronics packages transforming this little
car into a fully autonomous robot can can drive itself
around the yard following squirrels and ducks while
avoiding the pond. I'm currently working on the 3rd
generation electronics package for this same platform! All
that said, this page is about E-Maxx and R/C, so I will
keep to the topic of the E-Maxx as an R/C truck, and how to
get the most out of it in that respect.
When to buy aluminum parts...
I don't think about the E-Maxx as a "hop up"
project, but as an R/C monster truck that wants to be
driven hard, fly over dirt piles, and crash into yard
debris. My has been repeatedly "driven hard and put
up wet" over the last few years. At this point it has
almost none of the original parts that came in the box
left! If a part has an aluminum replacement, then I have,
at one time or another, installed it at one time or
another. After some hard experimentation, I have come to
the conclusion that the common "make everything
anodized aluminum" battle cry coming from kids at the
local hobby shop is very wrong! Some parts should be
replaced with tougher aluminum, while others need to be
more breakable -- just like real cars have crumple
zones.
It is important that your E-Max have a solid aluminum
frame. The framework consists of the following parts:
- Front and rear skid plate (part 4938 and ?)
- These take quite a bit of frictional abuse when the
truck is driven over concrete (curbs are particularly
hard) or gravel. The stock plastic parts don't last
long
- Drive shaft cover (optional part 4947)
- This is an optional part many don't put on the truck,
but it is a real life saver if you drive over gravel
or rocks as they can easy get between the frame
struts and tear up the drive shaft - which is
expensive and a pain to replace.
- Front and rear bulkheads (part 4930 or 4930X)
- These take a lot of stress on rough terrain, rolls,
and jumps. They are also a serious pain to replace
when they break.
- Lower frame struts (part 4923 or 4923X)
- This is a must-do upgrade no matter what you use the
truck for. These provide the primary connection
points for the body and the wheels. The stock frame
struts are strong, but not strong enough if you take
the truck too high on a jump or hit a wall at full
speed.
- Front and rear shock towers (part 4917 or 4917X)
- These simply take too much abuse when hitting hard
after flying through the air. They frequently snap
off. This is especially true if you have upgraded
the shocks, or changed to a harder suspension for
better cornering and control at high speed
In addition to the frame components, the following should
be aluminum:
- Front and rear bumpers (part 4935 or 4935X)
- These just break too easily. That is why you see so
many trucks on the track with no bumpers! Still,
they provide good protection for the shocks and front
wheel wish bones in a crash.!
- Steering servo skid plate
- The steering servo is very exposed, and if you drive
over rock or gravel it will get destroyed. The horn
frequently snaps off if you drive over the wrong
thing.
- Front and rear axle carriers/steering blocks (part
4932)
- The stock plastic simply can not take the force of
higher speed steering with a brushless motor on
board.
Some parts should NOT be aluminum:
- Bumper mounts (part 4936)
- When the truck hits hard, the damage could be
traumatic. In the worst case, the expensive frame
components like the bulkheads or frame struts could be
damaged. In the best case, the expensive bumper mounts
or bumper will be destroyed. OTOH, if the bumper
mounts are plastic, you can fix the damage for less
than a dollar. The plastic bumper struts also serve
as a "crumple zone" just like the ones in
real cars. By allowing the strut to crush, shock
impact on the rest of the truck is greatly reduced.
For example, I have seen receiver boxes and motor
plates ripped out in crashes involving trucks with all
aluminum chassis components and aluminum bumper
struts.
- Body mount posts (part 4914)
- Then a roll could damage the expensive bulkheads or
shock towers. Ouch! OTOH, if the body mount posts
are plastic, the cost will be minimal. If the roll
was so violent, that the shock towers get damaged
anyway, then you were in for some trouble anyhow --
and the towers would most probably be have been
destroyed anyhow.
- Wish bones
- This is a horrible prospect in a crash. They will
bend, or bend your frame. If the truck hits hard enough,
they can rip the bulkheads off. Bad news!
Here are some photos of the most important aluminum parts:
- Replace the front skid plate, rear skid plate, add an
axle skid plate, and chassis struts.
- Good side view of the axle skid plate and the chassis
struts.
- A view from the top of the bulkheads (blue) and the
shock towers (silver).
- A front view of the shock tower and the bulkheads.
- Get some aluminum inside of the wheels!
What to change on the electronics side...
On the electronics side, the stock E-Maxx can use several
upgrades that will make it a stronger, faster, more controllable
truck. Some of these are controversial. For example, I
would rather use my stock radio transmitter on all my cars, so
I always switch out the TX/RX on a new vehicle as standard
practice. If this weren't the case, I might not as strongly
suggest a TX upgrade at all as the one that ships with the
E-Maxx is better than most RTR setups - I would still make the
suggestion, just not as strongly.
- Stronger steering servo
- This is simply a must even if you leave the stock motors in
the truck. The stock servo is not strong enough to get
tight cornering at high speeds, and the servo will quickly
deteriorate if you ride it too hard.
- Better receiver
- The stock transmitter and receiver are OK, but not fast
enough to provide good control at high speeds. The best
option is to upgrade to a 2.4GHz system, but even a high
quality 75MHz system is better than what comes in the
box.
Other Mechanical modifications...
The mechanical modifications in this section can be more
difficult in some ways than others on this page because they
involve non-standard components, hacking into the frame of the
truck, and generally being a bit more destructive. That
shouldn't discourage the budding E-Maxx trickster from giving
these a try.
- Steering servo saver kit
- This can really help extend the life of the servo, and make
stirring much more precise - especially at higher speeds.
This is the easiest change in this section.
- brushless motor
- Hacker has some nice units that fit right in the stock 550
motor mounts. With just one brushless motor, the truck is a
much faster. I have put two in the chassis, and that made
for a crazy ride - upgrade the transmission gears if you do
this!
- Rear steering
- The rear end of the E-Maxx has a similar construction to the
front end, and the rear wheel may be fitted with steering
control rods just like the front wheels. The rear wheels
should turn the opposite way as the front wheels. For R/C
control, I find the best option to have the rear steering
kick in at about a half a turn on the steering wheel -- so
it is only used when you want to steer sharply. This can
cut the turning radius of an E-Maxx in half.
