Dit kwam ik tegen op het maxxtraxx forum. Het is een erg interessant interview met mooie plaatjes. Enjoy!
Well I just got off the phone with Steve Slayden of Traxxas. Here is a interview we had with him on the new Traxxas Revo truck
MT: Thanks for taking the time for this interview for Maxxtraxx
SS Thanks it’s a pleasure
MT: What’s your position at Traxxas?
SS I write all the tech articles for the website and do the driving for the videos and pics for website and advertising. I also do a lot of testing on new products.
MT: Where did you fit in as far as any R&D and input on the new Revo truck?
SS: Well basically I would try out new prototype parts or Ideas that the engineers wanted in both race conditions and bashing conditions.
MT: What were your first thoughts when you first saw the Revo truck on the computer?
SS: Actually the first time I saw the complete truck was not on the computer but a hand built prototype complete truck in person. The truck was kept under wraps for a long time that no one outside of engineering knew about it
MT: What was your first thought when you saw the Revo that day?
SS I was just in total awe, it was such a drastic change from the Tmaxx or and other monster truck for that matter in design. My eyes were just all over it. I didn’t know what to look at first. Just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I just kept saying look at that, look at this. Then Brent (The engineer behind the Tmaxx, Emaxx,) kept pointing out more things I couldn’t believe it. I was so overwhelmed with the truck and design.
MT: You’re an avid racer and have been racing for many years and a great advocate for the monster truck racing. What were your first thoughts when you got to drive the Revo?
SS: The first time I got to drive it was in a full production type setup just like you would get out of the box. We went out to do a photo shoot at the track. I was amazing how well it was getting around the track. I was as fast out of the box as my race Tmaxx. It’s really awesome, really stable, really quick, and it just handles rough sections really well. It also is very responsive in the corners.
MT: What made Traxxas take the direction to go with this totally new designed truck?
SS: I only know a little about it. Brent and the engineering team wanted to up the bar with the monster truck just like we did with the Tmaxx. They really went for it on this truck.
MT: You have been around racing for quite a while as I have. I can’t really remember an R/C vehicle coming out other that the Tmaxx that was so industry changing.
SS: Well monster trucks like the Tmaxx have been raced for the last 4 years and its still growing. I t just goes to show you there is a great future with monster trucks.
MT: I take it you will have a lot of R&D time to put in to the Revo in the next few months.
SS: Yes some but what you see on the web site (
www.traxxas.com) is what is coming out. We have the truck coming out in about 1 ½ months. It will be a solid truck when it comes out. I think when the customer pulls out the truck from the box they are going to be extremely happy with it. There is no doubt about it.
MT: Now let’s get to the hot tech info.
MT: Many people have questioned the fuel tank location and the lack of protection?
SS: There will be a skid that will go over the bottom of the tank that will protect that.. Also the material and thickness of the bottom of the tank will take care of any problems of exposed of the tank. Even the testing we did without the tank skid showed us the material we use for the tank is really awesome and held up great. We went over some pretty crazy jumps and terrain in testing.
MT: What is different about the new 2.5 R motor that the Revo has?
SS: The R is the total package. The new formed header, the baffle pipe which is all power tuned to the design of the new truck. The new pipe was totally designed around the performance of the new truck. The engine has a new machined cooling head. It has more surface area and is machined to provide better cooling. The total package of this motor, pipe, and header and fuel tank make the 2.5 even more powerful. Easier to tune, Holds a tune better, runs cooler and makes more power.
MT: How does this new screw adjustment motor gear mesh assembly work?
SS: It has two screws, one screw that pivots and the other screw that slides. You will loosen both screws and pivot the motor, rather than slide it side to side. It will move diagonally. Its way easier to set the mesh and quicker than the old style. You just loosen the screws and set mesh than tighten down the two screws and you’re done. The carb bell crank is now fixed to the engine mount so that now when you make a gear change or remove the motor you will not have to re adjust the linkage. The bell crank is attached to the engine so you never lose that linkage adjustment when you remove the motor. No need to change radio EPA or adjust the linkage. There is a fork that throttle arm slides into the bell crank that has that fork molded it is all attached and pivots on the engine mount. So when you remove the engine with the engine mount it all comes out it. There will be no linkage to readjust.
MT: So this should cut down on repair time when reinstalling the engine and changing gear ratios.
SS: Yes You will remove the 4 screws and the pipe standoff screw then pivot the engine forward to release the throttle arm out of the bell crank slot and remove motor. No ball cup on linkage to remove to get engine out.
MT: On the Revo wheels and tires they are a bigger diameter will the standard Tmaxx tires and wheels work on the new truck.
SS: I have not tried all the different tire and rims out there and there may be some clearance issues. I do know that the Revo rims and the 40 series rims and tires will fit.
MT: One these new bead lock style rims will you be coming out with some new tires?
SS: yes there are more tires in the works I’m not sure on how many or when.
MT: On this new bead lock design how does this work?
SS: The vgrove that the bead of the tire sits into on the rim is very similar to a 1/8th scale buggy rim design. The rim actually surrounds the bead of the tire so the glue works its self around the bead and to the back side of the tire bead. This will help assure of a better surface for the glue and tire to bond to. It will make gluing tires quicker and they will hold onto the rim better. With this rim you won’t need that thicker, square, bead on the tire. This will also make the tire lighter.
MT: Traxxas tested the truck with a big block .15 motor did they try a .21 motor
SS: No we didn’t try a .21 motor. We ran a big block .15 motor and it held up great. The drive train is so much stronger and bigger everything held up great. No more universal balls that pop off. They are now through shafts that go through the shaft and e-clip on one pin and the other pin is keyed into the ball and slides through the ball then into the ears of the yoke. These are some really well designed and beefy drive lines and should reduce the drive line failure.
MT: On the new diff design what has changed on them? Did they make a bigger ring and pinion or spiders?
SS: I’m not sure on the size specs at this time. I know they are very strong and the tolerances are a lot closer. The design has changed over all. They have bigger bearings on the ring gear side of the diff. The case no goes together front to rear not side to side like the Tmaxx so there is no effect on diff gear mesh when tighting the cases together. Now there sealed with Traxxas Xring seals and you can tune the diffs with oil.
MT: With the tranny did change materials of the gears?
SS: I’m not sure about materials be the whole tranny has been totally redesigned.
MT: Is getting the tranny removed any easier?
SS: Accessibility is awesome. Getting to tranny is very easy. Now you just disconnect the brake linkage which nothing will have to be adjusted or reset. You unscrew the brake linkage screw and unscrew the 4 tranny screws and release the output yokes on tranny the tranny comes out. You don’t loose or have to re adjust you brake linkage.
MT: How or is it going to be easy to remove the reverse assembly for racing.
ST: There is less parts in the tranny with the reverse mechanism now than with the Tmaxx tranny. Some of the tranny design came from the Emaxx tranny. There is no more clutches in tranny. It operation is a lot smoother, no more jerking at low speeds. The tranny is a lot lighter than the Tmaxx tranny.
MT: Is it easy to get to the carb adjustment needles?
SS: Yes it’s super easy. The high speed is easily reached from the motor cut out on the body. The low speed needle is very easy to get to now that the engine is closer to the side of the truck and with the engine configuration its right there. It’s easy to see and reach with the body on.
MT: The new suspension is really trick and different what improvements does this cantilever system make on the truck with the new parts it adds to the suspension?
SS: There is a lot that the engineers can explain better. I know that engineers looked at every option and aspect of this design. Its is going to be easier for the consumer to get there setup and feel for the truck a lot easier.
MT: Do you think that these new suspension parts are going to hold up ok to the dirt and mud that the truck run in and what about mud and rocks getting to these parts?
SS: No actually these shocks now are safe from most of the elements you see at the tracks and fields today. There inboard now so there close to the center of the chassis as close as you can. There won’t be an issue with bent shock shafts or shock caps popping off. No more shock towers, the shock mounts are bolted with a bolt all the way through the chassis and into the bulk heads. It’s a very, very stiff no flex design and the shocks are out of arms way. They stay cleaner with the new design. Another big benefit to this rocker style suspension is you can now easily adjust progressive rate by changing the rockers which will be easily identified on the rockers. So there will be no guess work or mix up of rockers. There will be a stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 all identified for you. Also this threaded shocks it makes it east to set sag and ride height. Due to the extreme amount of travel of the suspension it will handle that rocks and bumps allot better. With this push rod suspension you can get 90mm of travel with the 1 2 3 rod configuration. Which is about 15 more mm of travel than the Tmaxx? So bump handling on the track is extremely well with out loosing any kind of response in the corners. It’s really designed to take the rough and bumpy terrain well.
MT: How do you think the new design is going to help the customer that just runs the truck in fields and on rough rocky roads or nails big air jumps?
SS: If you jump it off a house or cliff yes it Im sure its will break. It definitely goes over rocks and other obstacles a lot better. It climbs hills and jumps really good. With the longer suspension travel it handles all rough terrain extremely well, better than anything I have seen.
MT What is the story behind the optional gears for the tranny?
SS: Not only do you have the option of changing the clutch bell or spur gear but you will be able to change the tranny gear ratio. We will be offering three clutch bells and 3 spur gears as options. We will also have 3 different sets of 2 speed tranny gears. What’s awesome about that is now I can set a closer ratio configuration for first and second gear. Or set a farther ratio between first and second.
MT: So a customer could change the clutch, spur gear, and tranny gears and get some mad top end speeds.
SS. Yes a customer should be able to get some very fast speeds. We have not gotten any radar readings on MPH but it will be fast. With the close ratio setup is awesome, you hear it shift but you don’t fell it as much. It doesn’t upset handling at all. For the non-racer he will be able to get some really low gear ratios for running in really fluffy dirt or sand and for the speedster he will be able to get some mad top end speed. You got to remember this truck is not just built to race with but it was also primarily designed for the non-racer. With all the new features I know the non- racer is going to have a lot more fun with this truck.
MT: is it going to be easy for a customer to use his own radio?
SS: Yes it is just like when you upgraded the radio on the Tmaxx or Emaxx. Even if you want to keep the Optidrive system any 3 channel will work. For the people that only run the forward only setup you only need a 2 channel radio system. It’s like setting up a speed controller. Its self programming one touch setup. It reads your endpoints and neutral and programs its self to your radio settings.
MT: Explain the duel servo setup?
SS: They can run there big torque single servo or use two servos. What the dual servo system provides is if the customer wants to use the stock servos he can and still get great steering under load as opposed to running one stock Tmaxx servo. So the customer can use two inexpensive servos and get great performance out of them rather that having to buy one expensive servo.
MT: I think I know the answer but I will ask. Any hop ups you can tell us about?
SS: I will take the fifth on that one.
MT: Darn.
SS: Customers can expect from Traxxas to really support the aftermarket program for the Revo. Just wait till you see them. I will tell you that there will be 11 spring sets for the truck.
MT: What would be a word or words that would best sum up this new Traxxas Revo Truck?
SS: Totally Engineered.
MT: Thanks for taking the time on your off day to fill us in on the new truck. I know the Maxxtraxx members really appreciate your time.
Here are some close up pictures courtesy of Jake from Johnny cool guy raceway
zoals in m'n Ttech 
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