TRX-4 free/cheap mods

[Bigbush979]

What’s up guys broke college kid here. I’m fairly new to the hobby and was wondering what kind of free or cheap mods you guys run on your TRX-4? I already upgraded the esc to a hw1080 and installed a savox 1230 Servo and that just about blew the crawler budget haha What kind of things have you done to improve suspension performance? What kind of brass upgrades do you recommend? I’ve also been looking into either the team rafee or yeah racing metal axle housings any advice on those? I have the bronco btw. Thanks in advance guys y’all are great!


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[Inspector86]

SSD portal weights. A free mod is to take the shocks apart and remove the lower O-ring retainer, lube the O-rings with Green Slime and replace the retainer leaving it about 1/4 turn loose. This will free up the shocks and make them buttery smooth. You can now tune the shocks with a number of optional rate springs from Traxxas and adjust the reaction time by changing shock oil weights.

 

[high plains drifter]

Don't go crazy with the brass. With all the aftermarket parts out there, it's easy to get carried away and add too much weight. Lotta ppl like the SSD covers and I too have no complaints with their parts but I went with MFR portal covers on my Bronco and LockedUp RC steel covers on my Defender. Both are machined very well... fit/ finish is top notch.

I would personally recommend holding off on the axle upgrades because 1) the stock axles can take a beating and 2) you may wind up wanting to put that money elsewhere. At least until you've run the truck for a while I wouldn't encourage swapping axles.

Read thru the TRX4 section and you'll start to find a great deal of cheap modifications and honest reviews on aftermarket parts that people have tried. This is a VERY helpful forum full of great people that know what they're talking about but idk how much traction this thread will gain. If you don't get a lot of feedback in this thread, don't let that discourage you from posting and asking questions. Just understand that a good deal of TRX4 topics have already been discussed so folks may not be all that inclined to chime in here.

The best and cheapest mod that you can do to your TRX4 is going to be to drive it. Learn how it handles and get to know the vehicle as much as you can. Other popular upgrades include tires, foams, wheels, radio/ receiver, and scale accessories to personalize your rig. Again... The direction that you decide you wanna go with any of those is going to depend on what you think the truck needs regarding performance. The more you drive, the more you'll know. You've already made a couple great upgrades in terms of ditching the stock servo and the XL5 for the Savox and the HW1080wp.

Btw... I see you're in College Station. I'm not too far from you... just down 21 headed towards Bastrop/ Austin. If you're ever planning to come down this way to do some trailing or rock crawling then just shoot me a PM and we can meet up. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Bigbush979]

SSD portal weights. A free mod is to take the shocks apart and remove the lower O-ring retainer, lube the O-rings with Green Slime and replace the retainer leaving it about 1/4 turn loose. This will free up the shocks and make them buttery smooth. You can now tune the shocks with a number of optional rate springs from Traxxas and adjust the reaction time by changing shock oil weights.

Awesome! I haven’t heard of this before. I’m gonna order some lower weight shock oil and attempt to remove this O-ring retainer you’re talking about. Now about this green slime. Who makes it, and is it an all around lubricant? If not what kind of stuff would you recommend for greasing the axles and bearings and what not?


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[Boogie]

Awesome! I haven’t heard of this before. I’m gonna order some lower weight shock oil and attempt to remove this O-ring retainer you’re talking about. Now about this green slime. Who makes it, and is it an all around lubricant? If not what kind of stuff would you recommend for greasing the axles and bearings and what not?


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Most people have success running 15 or 20 weight shock oil.

As for the Green Slime, it's made by Team Associated...

https://www.amazon.com/Factory-Team...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07CZQMX3D

 

[Bigbush979]

Don't go crazy with the brass. With all the aftermarket parts out there, it's easy to get carried away and add too much weight. Lotta ppl like the SSD covers and I too have no complaints with their parts but I went with MFR portal covers on my Bronco and LockedUp RC steel covers on my Defender. Both are machined very well... fit/ finish is top notch.

I would personally recommend holding off on the axle upgrades because 1) the stock axles can take a beating and 2) you may wind up wanting to put that money elsewhere. At least until you've run the truck for a while I wouldn't encourage swapping axles.

Read thru the TRX4 section and you'll start to find a great deal of cheap modifications and honest reviews on aftermarket parts that people have tried. This is a VERY helpful forum full of great people that know what they're talking about but idk how much traction this thread will gain. If you don't get a lot of feedback in this thread, don't let that discourage you from posting and asking questions. Just understand that a good deal of TRX4 topics have already been discussed so folks may not be all that inclined to chime in here.

The best and cheapest mod that you can do to your TRX4 is going to be to drive it. Learn how it handles and get to know the vehicle as much as you can. Other popular upgrades include tires, foams, wheels, radio/ receiver, and scale accessories to personalize your rig. Again... The direction that you decide you wanna go with any of those is going to depend on what you think the truck needs regarding performance. The more you drive, the more you'll know. You've already made a couple great upgrades in terms of ditching the stock servo and the XL5 for the Savox and the HW1080wp.

Btw... I see you're in College Station. I'm not too far from you... just down 21 headed towards Bastrop/ Austin. If you're ever planning to come down this way to do some trailing or rock crawling then just shoot me a PM and we can meet up. Welcome to the forum!

Dude I need some crawler buddies around me! I’ll definitely take you up on that offer since it seems like i’m all alone here in CS. I’m a bit bummed I’m not going to be able to make it to the Texas Crawlfest happening this coming weekend but oh well I’m sure there will be other get togethers soon.

Also The only reason I’ve been so set on axle housings is it seemed to be the cheapest way to add a good amount of unsprung weight. I’ve looked and looked at different brass options for the portals and other components and the housings just seemed like the direction to go. Since that’s off the list now what would be the first thing that needs to be upgraded to either brass or steel?

As for the cheap/free mods I’ll dive into the trx-4 section here soon. This is my first time using any type of forum so this is all uncharted territory for me. Thanks for all the advice!


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[Bigbush979]

Thank y’all all again for everything. I feel like I come with nothing but newbie questions that have already been answered before, but you guys continue to knock it out of the park with the help and recommendations. Y’all are seriously great!Thanks!


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[Topher Builds]

Flipping the bumper mounts upside down for better approach

With the littlest bit dremeling you can switch the rear shock towers around to get a forward angle out of them.

Rebuild your shocks for maximum smoothness.

Cut and sipe the stock tires (pic attached)
Add some CI foams and SSD steel beadlocks as well

Regarding the yeah racing housings, I really like them on my sport. Beefy.

 

[Bigbush979]

Flipping the bumper mounts upside down for better approach



With the littlest bit dremeling you can switch the rear shock towers around to get a forward angle out of them.



Rebuild your shocks for maximum smoothness.



Cut and sipe the stock tires (pic attached)

Add some CI foams and SSD steel beadlocks as well



Regarding the yeah racing housings, I really like them on my sport. Beefy.

I know people flip the bumper mounts on the sports but will it work on the bronco? What about the rear shock towers and why would a forward angle be preferred? I feel like I’m asking too many questions. I’ve already removed some lugs from the tires and plan on doing some siping whenever I can find a dremel. I love the way those wheels look!


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[Topher Builds]

I know people flip the bumper mounts on the sports but will it work on the bronco? What about the rear shock towers and why would a forward angle be preferred? I feel like I’m asking too many questions. I’ve already removed some lugs from the tires and plan on doing some siping whenever I can find a dremel. I love the way those wheels look!


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You should be able to at least flip the front on the bronco without much issue. The rear may not be able to. Some people put another front mount in the rear for more bumper height options.

For shocks, it’s a tuning option. No setup is perfect for everyone but I prefer the forward angle on my trucks.

And Thanks! They are ssd steel 8 holes. Only $26 a pair "thumbsup"

 

[high plains drifter]

Dude I need some crawler buddies around me! I’ll definitely take you up on that offer since it seems like i’m all alone here in CS. I’m a bit bummed I’m not going to be able to make it to the Texas Crawlfest happening this coming weekend but oh well I’m sure there will be other get togethers soon.

Also The only reason I’ve been so set on axle housings is it seemed to be the cheapest way to add a good amount of unsprung weight. I’ve looked and looked at different brass options for the portals and other components and the housings just seemed like the direction to go. Since that’s off the list now what would be the first thing that needs to be upgraded to either brass or steel?

As for the cheap/free mods I’ll dive into the trx-4 section here soon. This is my first time using any type of forum so this is all uncharted territory for me. Thanks for all the advice!


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Yeah... I haven't yet been to Crawlfest. I'm sure it's a lot of fun but that's a fair drive for me. We've got some cool areas around here mainly for trailing but there's some decent crawling spots too. I started out full size rock crawling many years ago and scale crawling just seemed like a natural transition lol.

I wouldn't be put off from doing axles but I'd def wait... idk just personal opinion since there's a lot of other ways to spend money and improve performance. For keeping weight down low I replaced the c-hubs and portal covers. I feel that those were both good choices and I have no regrets. Bronco = MFR brass covers & LURC steel chubs/ Defender = LURC steel covers & LURC steel chubs. Both are excellent companies. Btw: LURC is Locked Up RC.

Hopefully we can hook up sometime and go crawl or trail. I've got a couple buddy's that are into this hobby as well so maybe we can get a group together. Fwiw I think it's roughly about an hour drive for you to get down to where I'm at.

 

[AnimalHippie]

All those mods are great guys! A few from a crawler on a budget.

Anytime using the search on this forum always use advanced search. Just using regular search will make you not want to search anymore.

Drill or dremel any extra plastic on braces on the chassis. Just don't remove so much that you lose structural integrity.

Either a low center of gravity battery tray or mod yours to be one. There are a few videos and threads on doing this.

E6000 is your best friend. Lol!

Don't know about the broncos but on the defender. Raise your rock slides and trim them.

Best upgrades in my eyes. Not including servo and ESC. Cut tires or new ones (stock tires are really good), dual stage foams, beadlocks, low cog battery tray, lighter shock oil. From there some front axle weight. If your doing a scale rig. I would say add your scale accessories then decide on how much axle weight you want. If your going performance. A lighter body is always a big upgrade.

For weight My rig has a 6oz bumper, aluminum axle housing, aluminum knuckles, and knuckle weights on the front and samix outer portal covers on the rear to help balance out for decents and of course beadlocks.

Good luck brother! Keep us in the loop. We all like watching a build come together. Welcome to the forum!

 

[WHITE-TRASH]

If you want performance for free then simply removing crap that limits ground clearance or adds extra weight up high should be a focus.

Bumpers, slider extensions, fender wells etc are all in the way and add weight in the wrong areas.

I'm a proponent of brass knuckle weight so adding some brass from amazon or ebay will be a killer bang for the buck.

Tire tweaks are good too, shaving & siping the lugs will free them up to conform to terrain much better.

 

[mass-hole]

You can flip the stock bumper mounts to give some extra approach and departure clearance. You will probably have to trim or raise the body. Raising would have a negative effect on COG