Advanced Tuning Adjustments; Gearing; Lipo Batteries; Electronic Speed Control Setup - Traxxas RUSTLER VXL Owner's Manual

Gearing Compatibility Chart:
The chart below shows recommended
gear combination ranges when using a
NiMH battery pack to power your model.
In the red range, use a battery that has a
continuous rating of at least 70A.
Spur Gear
76 83 86 90
12 - - 19.50 20.40
13
- - 18.01 18.82
14
- - 16.70 17.49
15 - 15.04 15.58 16.32
16 - 14.12 14.63 15.31
17 - 13.27 13.76 14.39
18
- 12.54 13.00 13.60
19 - 11.89 12.32 12.89
20 - 11.28 11.69 12.24
21 - 10.75 11.14 11.66
22
9.38 10.25 10.63 11.12
23 8.97 9.82 10.17 10.63
24 8.62 9.41 9.74 10.20
25 8.27 9.03 9.36 9.79
26
7.94 8.67 9.00 -
27 7.64 8.35 8.67 -
28 7.37 8.05 8.35 -
29 7.12 7.78 8.08 -
30 6.88 7.53 - -
31
6.66 7.29 - -
32 6.47 7.04 - -
33 6.26 - - -
34 6.09 - - -
35
5.90 - - -
Thick black border indicates stock settings.
Use NiMH batteries with:
All Models
Only Bandit VXL and Rustler VXL
Only Bandit VXL
Do Not Use NiMH (battery must have
a continuous rating of at least 70A.
Consult with your hobby dealer or
battery manufacturer.)
6 • TR A X X AS

Advanced Tuning Adjustments

Gearing

One of the more significant advantages to your model's transmission
is the extremely wide range of available gear ratios. Changing the
gearing allows you to fine tune the speed of the model and control
the temperatures of the battery pack and motor. Use a lower gear
ratio (numerically larger) to reduce current draw and temperatures.
Use a higher gear (numerically lower) to increase top speed. Use the
following formula to calculate the overall ratio for combinations not
listed on the gear chart:
# Spur Gear Teeth
x 2.72 = Final Gear Ratio
# Pinion Gear Teeth
When using higher gear ratios, it is important to monitor the
temperatures of the battery and motor. If the battery is extremely
hot, and/or the motor is too hot to touch, your model is probably
over-geared and drawing too much current. This temperature
test assumes that the model is close to factory stock weight and
operates freely with no excessive friction, dragging, or binding, and
the battery is fully charged and in good condition. Note: Check and
adjust gear mesh if a spur and/or pinion gear is changed.
This model is equipped with a Velineon 3500 motor. The gear
combination that comes stock on each model provides good overall
acceleration and top speed. If you want more top speed install the
included optional large pinion gear (more teeth). The included
optional large pinion gear is intended for high-speed running on
hard surfaces, and this gearing is not recommended for off-road or
repetitive starting and stopping.
Bandit VXL Bandit VXL
Rustler VXL Rustler VXL
Stampede VXL Stampede VXL
Bandit VXL Bandit VXL
Rustler VXL Rustler VXL
Stampede VXL Stampede VXL
Battery Battery
Nominal Voltage Nominal Voltage
mAh mAh
Skill Level Skill Level

LiPo Batteries

LiPo batteries are intended only for the most advanced users that are
educated on the risks associated with LiPo battery use. It is critical to
follow all instructions supplied by the battery manufacturer and the
charger manufacturer for proper charging, use, and storage of LiPo
batteries. Make sure you understand how to use your LiPo batteries.
See Safety Precautions and warnings on page 4 for more information.
Advanced VXL-3s Electronic Speed Control Setup
The VXL-3s electronic speed control is capable of controlling
brushed, brushless, and sensored brushless motors. The VXL-3s auto-
detects the motor type and has numerous built-in safeguards to
prevent damage from miswiring or damaged wiring.

Sensorless brushless motors

Sensorless motors are the easiest and most reliable brushless motor
type. The VXL-3s is optimized to deliver the smoothest possible
sensorless motor performance. The Velineon 3500 is a sensorless
brushless motor (see sidebar for specs). The wiring (phase alignment)
of the motor determines its direction of rotation. Refer to the wiring
diagram on page 11.

Sensored brushless motors

The VXL-3s is fully compatible with sensored brushless motors.
Sensor motors use an additional sensor installed in the motor
to communicate rotor position to the speed control. The VXL-3s
features a covered auxiliary port that accepts aftermarket motor
sensors on the front face of the unit.
35+mph 35+mph 45+mph 45+mph
35+mph 35+mph 45+mph 45+mph
30+mph 30+mph 40+mph 40+mph
28/76 28/76
26/76 26/76
(Included)
28/83 28/83
25/83 25/83
(Included)
25/86 25/86
19/86 19/86
(Included)
6-Cell NiMH 6-Cell NiMH 7-Cell NiMH 7-Cell NiMH 3S 20C LiPo 3S 20C LiPo
7.2V 7.2V 8.4V 8.4V
3000+ mAh 3000+ mAh 4000+ mAh 4000+ mAh 4000+ mAh 4000+ mAh
70mph & Beyond 70mph & Beyond
65+mph 65+mph
65+mph 65+mph 70mph & Beyond 70mph & Beyond
60+mph 60+mph 65mph & Beyond 65mph & Beyond
33/76 33/76 33/76 33/76
(Sold Separately) (Sold Separately)
31/76 31/76 31/76 31/76
(Sold Separately) (Sold Separately)
26/86 26/86 30/83 30/83
(Sold Separately) (Sold Separately)
3S 20C LiPo 3S 20C LiPo
11.1V 11.1V 11.1V 11.1V
8000+ mAh 8000+ mAh