Traxxas Nitro 4-TEC 2.5
Pond, Steve
1/10-SCALE NITRO
TRAXXAS IS THE COMPANY THAT MADE RTR A WELL-KNOWN ABBREVIATION. There were RTR cars before there was Traxxas, but it was that company who took the ball and ran with it to the point at which RTR and Traxxas became synonymous.
Before the very popular T-Maxx captured the limelight as the flagship RTR of the Traxxas fleet, the two currently available vehicles that were most responsible for cementing the association between Traxxas and RTRs are the Nitro 4-TEC and the Nitro Rustler. These vehicles have been around for roughly five years, and they offer an excellent blend of performance, reliability and durability and are backed with customer support. We’re taking a second look at both of these vehicles because in addition to various upgrades, they are powered by the new TRX 2.5 engine, which totally shatters the expectations of RTR engines and, to put it mildly, sets new standards of power and performance in RTR vehicles. Both vehicles were already favorites among RTR enthusiasts; the addition of the new TRX 2.5 engine kicks it up about 20 notches because it gives them the power and performance that was once reserved for racing vehicles with pure-bred racing engines.
TRAXXAS NITRO 4-TEC 2.5
The original Nitro 4-TEC received a lot of attention because it was the first RTR to break the 50mph barrier. This happened when most nitro touring cars cruised along at a leisurely 20 to 30mph; they were geared more for all-around driving than for blistering top speeds. Traxxas only had to listen to enough people ask “How fast does it go?” before it tweaked the Nitro 4-TEC to answer that question with a resounding “50mph!”
All bets are off with this new 2.5-powered version of the 4-TEC, which runs an engine that has roughly double the horsepower of the previous engine. Of course, that doesn’t mean double the speed, but it transforms the 4-TEC from being a car that had to work to reach 50mph into one that yawns at running faster than a mile a minute.
Along with the best of the 4-TEC’s “old” features, there’s a lot of new stuff in the TRX 2.5-equipped car.
RETURNING A-TEC FEATURES:
* Double A-arm front suspension with turnbuckle camber adjustment.
* Lower H-arm rear suspension with turnbuckle adjustable upper links.
* Double-deck chassis with aluminum lower plate and molded upper deck.
* 3-belt drive system.
* Adjustable cam-type 2-speed transmission.
* 6-gear, planetary-type steel-gear differentials front and rear.
* Disc-brake 4-wheel braking.
* Telescoping universal-joint drive shafts.
* Foam front bumper.
* Traxxas 2-channel Top Qualifier radio.
* Oil-damped and molded shocks.
* Prepainted and trimmed body.
* Die-cut decals.
NEW 4-TEC 2.5 FEATURES:
* Stiffer suspension-arm material.
* Revised 2-speed-shift clutch calibration and a stronger locking mechanism that handles the higher-revving, more powerful TRX 2.5 engine.
* 6mm-wide rear drive belt that handles more power.
* Stronger crosspin-style outdrive yokes.
* Mounted and glued tires with contoured inserts.
* Revised throttle linkage and servo mounting to accommodate a slide carburetor.
* Revised engine mount to suit the new engine.
* Improved EZ-Start 2 electric starting system.
TRAXXAS NITRO RUSTLER 2.5
The Nitro Rustler 2.5 is a 2WD stadium-class truck. It features wide suspension for stability and enough ground clearance to clear most of the obstacles you’d encounter during the typical bashing session. Traxxas understands that this truck will have to take harder lumps than the average stadium truck, so it’s built to withstand a little more abuse than purpose-built racers. Here’s the breakdown on the “classic” Rustler features and the new additions to the TRX 2.5-equipped version.
RETURNING RUSTLER FERTURES:
* Double-deck chassis with blue-anodized-aluminum power plate and a molded upper deck.
* Lower H-arm suspension with turnbuckle adjustable upper links.
* 3-gear transmission with a rugged 6-gear, planetary-type, steel-gear differentials.
* Rear disc brake.
* Adjustable peg-type slipper clutch.
* Telescoping universal-joint rear drive shafts.
* Oil-damped and molded shocks.
* Prepainted and trimmed body.
* Die-cut decals.
* Traxxas 2-channel Top Qualifier radio with upgraded high-torque steering servo.
NEW RUSTLER 2.5 FEATURES:
* More durable heavy-duty rear suspension mounts.
* More durable heavy-duty rear camber-link mounts on the bulkhead.
* Full set of ball bearings (wheels previously had bushings).
* Stronger crosspin-style outdrive yokes.
* Revised transmission brace to clear the new TRX 2.5 engine.
* Revised throttle linkage and servo mounting to accommodate a slide carburetor.
* Revised engine mount to suit the new engine.
* Soft-compound tires with inserts improve traction.
* Improved EZ-Start 2 electric starting system.
Copyright Air Age Publishing Jun 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
