Driving Your Model - Traxxas DRAG SLASH TRX94076-4RED Owner's Manual

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20 • DRAG SLASH

DRIVING YOUR MODEL

Your Drag Slash is configured to be easy to race and have fun with out of
the box. As you become familiar with your Drag Slash, you can begin to
step up to more speed.
• TSM is on.
• The speed gear is not installed.
TRAXXAS TRANS BRAKE
The Traxxas Trans Brake simulates the operation of a transmission
brake in a full size racer. The Trans Brake is able to apply full throttle to
your Drag Slash faster than you can pull the trigger to full throttle. To
operate the Trans Brake:
• Press and hold the Trans Brake button on the transmitter grip with
your thumb.
• Pull the throttle trigger to the desired launch speed. With TSM on,
try full throttle.
• With the Trans Brake active, the Drag Slash will not roll on the start
line.
• When the race starts, simply release the button and Drag Slash
instantly responds to your throttle setting (in our example, instant
full throttle is applied).
GOING FASTER:
DRAG RACING PERFORMANCE TIPS
Battery Selection
Most no-prep racing is done with 2-cell LiPo batteries. Your Drag
Slash was designed and optimized to use the Traxxas 2s 7600 LiPo
battery for maximum current output. It is available as part #2869X.
Charge the battery with a Traxxas iD charger to ensure maximum
peak voltage and battery balance.
If you plan to use a 3s LiPo battery in your Drag Slash, you will need
to monitor motor, battery, and electronic speed control temperatures
and adjust your gear ratio (pinion and spur) to account for the extra
voltage and motor speed (smaller pinions, larger spur gears). This will
help prevent damage to your motor and electronic speed control. We
recommend to always use TSM with 3s batteries.
Of course, when using LiPo batteries, follow all manufacturer's
warnings and instructions.
Burnouts
The vehicle's traction can be improved by doing a "burnout" to
warm the tires. As the rubber compound heats up, it has more grip.
To do a burnout, hold the wheelie bar as you apply the throttle
so the tires spin on the pavement. Do not press the tires to the
pavement; simply restrain the vehicle from moving forward.
Apply only enough throttle to spin the tires without causing them
to expand and only heat the center of the tire. The tire needs to
heat evenly across its width. Move the vehicle slightly side to side
to avoid grooving the tire on pavement that is not smooth. A small
piece of carpet can also be used for the burnout. This heats the tires
to increase traction but will cause less tire wear than pavement. A
burnout should last 5 seconds or less. It is normal to smell warm
rubber when performing a burnout, but the stock tires will not
smoke. Run the vehicle after the burnout to test the available
traction. If necessary, vary the time of the burnout to achieve the
desired level of traction.
Avoid many consecutive burnouts without making a pass or resting
the vehicle between burnouts, or you may overheat the electronic
speed control. Proper burnouts are important for strong launches.
Destroying your tires with excessive, high-speed or lengthy burnouts
may be fun, but will also cause greatly increased tire wear and not
help you to be faster.
Gearing
Once you are familiar with your Drag Slash, you can adjust the
gearing to go faster. Your model includes an additional pinion gear.
This gear is for maximum speed on race day. Using this high-speed
gear for other types of driving fun may overheat the motor, speed
control, or battery (see page 26 for more information on installing and
using the high-speed pinion).
Wheelie Bar
The wheelie bar should be set just low enough to keep the front tires
in contact with the ground when accelerating. The rear end of the
vehicle needs to "squat" in order to transfer weight and power to the
rear tires and allow you to launch with maximum traction. The stock
position described in this manual usually delivers the fastest, most
consistent passes. Raising the wheelie bar results in bigger wheelies,
but may not improve weight transfer and performance (see page 14
for more information on installing and adjusting the wheelie bar).
TUNING WITHOUT TSM
If you have progressed to racing without the assistance of TSM, here
are some tips to help you launch and track straight on the track.
General Preparation
Drag Racing cars exert maximum performance in short bursts.
It is very important to make sure that your vehicle is in excellent
condition with much attention paid to the details. Dirty, worn, or
loose components can cause inconsistent performance and make