T-Maxx 3.3
Imagine a time if you will, when there were no radio control monster trucks, a time when stadium trucks and rallycross buggies ruled the roost when it came to off-road action. It seems like a lifetime ago when this was a reality and just the thought of a truggy was completely absurd. Dark sad days they were. A lot has happened since though, with research and developments reaching new heights that now bring us almost the ultimate in radio controlled racing machines, and who have we to thank for all this? Traxxas of course, and they’re back with the truck that kick started the whole movement… the T-Maxx!
My affinity with Traxxas goes back beyond the T-Maxx though as I worked my way through two Nitro Rustlers, a Nitro Stampede, a Nitro Sport and a Nitro 4-Tec. Then, after the original T-Maxx entered the fray and over a period of time, a pair of T-Maxxes found a loving home with me, then a SportMaxx and finally a Jato concluded my Traxxas homage. So imagine my surprise when I found Mystic Meg informing me via the horoscopes that along with a new love interest where TV theme music plays and Venus travelling across my money chart, an opportunity for a new T-Maxx 3.3 would arise! Ooh, she’s good isn’t she, but saying that I never did get a new love interest or any money.
First meeting
For me the T-Maxx 3.3 is my new love interest and I liken it to a woman of a certain age, but with not so many years on her for me to say no to, so in other words it still has a great deal of appeal because she reminds me of someone. For starters, the old girl has got a new coat, there are four body shell colours available in black, grey, blue and the red one that we have here. Poking out of the rear is the unmistakable blue cooling head of a TRX engine, but being a slide carb TRX 3.3 racing engine, it’s rather more imposing than ever before. Traxxas claim this engine has 60% more peak power than its forerunner, the TRX 2.5, and this is derived from its TRX IPS crankshaft, the super-light piston and knife-edged con rod, as well as its larger capacity and straight through exhaust flow. Even the engine mount has been beefed up to cope with it and the whole mill is then backed with the Traxxas lifetime replacement guarantee!
As with all Traxxas predecessors, it has the EZ-Start push button electric starting mechanism that requires a 7.2 volt battery pack and when she drinks from the nitro fountain that is the 150cc fuel tank, it enables the drive to pass onwards through to the 22T clutch bell and new 54T spur with its fan-cooled torque control slipper clutch (from the Revo), before reaching the Revo spec two-speed forward and reverse transmission. Inside the bland grey sealed casing is a more compact design of gears that has less moving parts for a faster, higher revving and smoother take up from the constant drive engagement that has no need for an internal clutch. It also has an OptiDrive system with a microprocessor to electronically monitor vehicle speed so as to prevent the engagement of reverse gear when the truck is still in forward motion.
As most previous Maxx owners who chose to upgrade to a big block conversion will know, the drive shafts need some attention to stop them twisting and snapping under power, Traxxas have pleased me here with Revo style rubber sealed heavy duty shafts to cope with the added grunt of the TRX 3.3. The Revo influence continues with the axle carriers and the powerful semi-metallic brake pads that clamp onto the cross drilled 40mm steel brake disc situated on the yoke of the front output shaft. All this work and attention to detail in the drive train will no doubt be a Godsend to us twitchy fingered Maxx lovers who feel the need to squeeze all the power that the throttle can give.
Whilst having a squeeze, it was accepted that older T-Maxxes would occasionally pop a wheelie, but this 3.3 variation is now fitted with an adjustable four position wheelie bar that snaps on and off the rear bumper. Coupled with the newly found power, you just get a feeling that it will rear up at any given moment.
So the chances are you’ll see two of the 3.8 inch five split-spoke mirrored chromed wheels, wearing pre-glued soft Talon tyres, waggling about in the air whilst leaving the drive to be taken up by the back end. And when she comes down the bump will be absorbed by the eight red spring covered oil filled ultra shocks that are filled with 30wt oil as standard.
These in turn connect to the chunky durable plastic shock towers – with the rear one being home to the EZ-start plug - and they fix onto the newly designed, bland grey strengthened bulkheads that sandwich some stronger diff housings. The A-arms are slightly different too, they feature four lower mounting positions for the shocks and together with the three on the towers, you have a large choice of ride heights to appreciate. When set high it boasts a four inch ground clearance, or alternatively if racing, the low down bones level approach can be achieved in minutes. The rubber sealed Pillow Ball Suspension (PBS) units which are again from the Revo, are easily adjustable too and inside them and scattered amongst various exposed places on the Maxx are rubber sealed bearings to aid smoothness and aid low maintenance.
Taking us back inwards, the fat turnbuckles meet the steering assembly that’s controlled by a high torque Traxxas 2055 servo in its usual upside down position on the 4mm thick 6061 T-6 blue aluminium chassis, graced with plastic braces and further by front and rear skid plates… all in bland grey.