Everything you need to Know About Protrac - Massive Thread.

[AbSoLooT1]

Okay, so reason I created this is to answer questions of those whom have questions in regards to Protrac.

What is the Protrac kit?

The Protrac kit is a suspension “kit” that includes parts to better the Traxxas 2wd vehicles. Reason it was designed, was to make the Slash 2wd more competitive against short course vehicles better designed for racing. However quickly it became apparent the kit not only fit the Stampede, but it had excellent effects on the Stampede on its handling. This became some what of a “secret” to members here on the Traxxas forums. Some of the other forums, are more afraid of taking the leap, and are still stuck in the old wide mod ways. Or thinking that there is no alternative to the Stampede flipping over so much. This is both not true, and like you may have observed with other issues, this is the best place for information regarding the Stampede. Here on Traxxas.com community.(as it should be)
Okay so what are its benefits?

The Protrac kit does a few things. It is much more than just some extra width. The Protrac kit adds 11mm to “each” front arms, for a total of 26mm increased arm length on the front, and 3mm rear arm length for the back. It also comes with both Front and Rear shock towers, Reason for this is because of the Shock mounting points. It is set at a wider location. This is again more than just the extra width, but this is was specifically designed this way. On top of that, the Protrac adds rear “toe-in” to the rear wheels. For those who don’t know what rear toe in is, Its basically what it sounds like, The rear wheels facing “inwards” more than it is commonly. This increases its “bite” on turns, and further improves handling. How much so has came into recent debate. Proline has had the information out for a while that it is 1 degree of toe-in. But user Baldydaniels has shed some light on a post, from Proline’s own member of their R&D department stating that it is actually 3 degree. Regardless, it works, and improves stability as well.

Info on Toe in/out to and how it affects your vehicle:
http://www.rc-truckncar-tuning.com/toe-in.html

Benefits of the kit:
-Faster more consistent lap times
-Increased forward acceleration
-More fluid suspension geometry for jumping
-Light weight/race inspired design
-Increased Tunability
-Double jump durability
-One easy Install Kit

So where can I purchase the kit, and where does it come from?
The Protrac kit was designed, and sold by the infamous Proline. Proline.com, Local Hobby shops, and other retailers carry the very popular item.
The Protrac kit can be purchased as a Kit, which includes:

Proline Protrac Part # 6062-00 For Slash 2wd



The kit includes:

• Front Arms 6062-01 (2 pcs)
• Rear Arms 6062-02 (2 pcs)
• Front Shock Tower 6062-03 (1 pc)
• Rear Shock Tower with hardware 6062-04 (1 pc)
• Rear Hub Carriers 6062-05 (2 pcs)
• 50mm x 4 Camber Links 6062-06 (4 pcs)
• 70mm x 4mm Steering Links 6062-07 (2 pcs)
• ProTrac Split Six Wheels 2723-00 (4 pcs)

The kit can either be purchased as a whole, for 60 dollars. Or in separate pieces. The part of the kit that is needed for the Stampede, is essentially the Front and Rear arms, and the Front and rear towers. You will also need extended links. Either Protrac links or custom links (will go more into below)
The kit also comes with Rear bearing carriers. These are rumored to be the weakest part of the links, and although have a large amount of mounting points, they are hardly used. More often stock, RPM, or suggested Aluminum Bearing carriers.
Also you will notice it comes with wheels. If the entire kit is purchased separately, besides the wheels It comes out to be very close to the price. So most just by the entire kit. This is not used for the Stampede, as it is Short course Wheel style. I myself sold the wheels locally for 15 dollars.

As for the links, There are a few options. For example, One may use the links provided with their rod ends.

To do this, you will be using the rod ends provided with your truck. This is only if you have a VXL, or Steel adjustable links on your vehicle. If you have the plastic cambers like the XL-5, or Monster jam you do not have them, and only have the 3mm turnbuckle rods that are not used here also. If you do not you will need to purchase separate rod ends, that are 4mm sizes.
You will need Traxxas #5525, or there are a few other combinations available of short and long, or just long.




*Side note: another option here Is RPM long rod ends*

Also, You will gain another benefit here. Rod ends compared to plastic cambers, allow your suspension to flex without moving your wheels to in inwards position. This should be done if you decide to never go with Protrac, or do. Do not purchase RPM plastic Camber links here, as It is not the best option.

Another option is using Traxxas Blue/Red aluminum links. Especially for those who already have em, and do not want them to go to waste. You can just extend the rear links by 3mm, and use the turnbuckles with short rod ends, on the front camber links. You can also purchase another pair of rear camber links, cut off a few mm, and use them on the front camber links for a little more strength. As for the Turnbuckles, Believe me there are NONE that fit with “this”set-up.

So for Turnbuckles, I used Traxxas 3941. In this pic below you can see the Traxxas Red alum links, and Traxxas 3941 used as camber link, and turnbuckle.




Another great, and newly added to our recent sights, is User: Dreadedends Monster Alum tube links. More information found below, but this Is a very nice looking design, and very strong.
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...-monster-links


Another option, is to use Lunsford Titanium links. Arguable the strongest option, and also the most expensive. To know what size to use here, you will need to determine whether to use the “short” rod ends, or long rod ends with your set-up. This is up to you. One option is to ask them what sizes fit the Stampede, Or look it up. Then add 11mm to the front, and 3mm to the rear.


Regardless you do need to know the size, and what the kit provides. Here are the link sizes.


*The Protrac Arms, Add 11mm of length to each side, and 3mm to each side in the rear, These changes are directly transferred to the size of the camber links, and turnbuckles.


Stock
Front Camberlink 69mm
Rear Camberlink 82mm
Front Turnbuckle 96mm

Protrac:
Front Camberlink 80mm
Rear Camberlink 85mm
Front Turnbuckle 107mm

*note, these may change slightly based on your specific set-up, and how much Toe in-out for front wheel.



As Noticed here, The Protrac adds a Total of 26mm to the front arms, and 6mm to the rear. On top of that, This change allows you to run (4) Front offset wheels on the front and back. This takes a slight investment at first, but ends up being a cost, and time saver when one can rotate the wheels to get better wear out of their tires. Just like a 1:1vehicle. To get an Idea of what it will look like on your truck, Take your front wheels and place them on the rear arms, and add 6mm and you will get an idea of how much wider your truck will look like.

Direct effect: Before and after the kit…

BEFORE





AFTER




As you can see, The difference is large. This has an even bigger impact on the actual drive of the vehicle. If anything else, your vehicle will have a very large reduction in rollovers. In ceratin set-ups will even become obsolete.


Here you can get a good view of underneath of what the arms look like from an underside perspective.



View of the Arms, You can see their length, and how it equals out the vehicle.




Okay so how hard is it to put on?
The Protrac kit was designed to be a direct bolt on. It was made so that no other changes had to be made to the vehicle. It is a direct fit, that most of the time goes on in under an hour easily. To help Here are videos on how to install. This also helped my decision in the beginning, knowing it would be an easy project.

Youtube videos on how to install Protrac kit on Stampede.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rOAR0uPbMQ

Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMeoW_OrXks

*take note, The video shows them installing new shocks, but this is NOT needed to bolt on the kit. They just took the chance to show their items.

Here are set-up sheets from Proline, you can see directly where the bolts go in each and every location.
http://prolineracing.com/images/howt...t6062_BASE.pdf


Wheels and Tires:
As read above, The protrac kit uses (4) front offset wheels. With the Slash, the wheels provided are zero offset, so with the increaded width, the Slash stays under Roar specs. However since we don’t race Stampedes, and have a high center of Gravity, this isn’t needed. We can go for the most width. That being said again, you will need 4 front. This is an excellent chance to pick up new wheels and tires. However if your budget does not allow this, this can be overcome for very inexpensive cost. To solve this issue with stock wheels and tires. One may remove, JUST the rear wheels, by baking them in the oven. (lots of info on that on the web) Doing so, You can pick up a set of front wheels matching your current stock wheels for 9 dollars, and then mount them to your truck. This will also be a great chance to tape up the back tires, to reduce ballooning. This will greatly pay off in the end, as said above you can rotate your wheels and tires to keep tire wear even. This should also be done even if your purchase new wheels and tires, so you have a second set to play with. New wheels/tires are strongly recommended as Stock Talons are nothing compared to some of the options out there. Proline is also the best choice for this matter.

As for wheel size, you can run either 2.2 or stock 2.8 wheel size. However 2.2 will not fit with Protrac’s Rear carriers.

So big question: Why not Run the Jang/Wide mod.
A lot of newer folk hear the rumor that RPM parts are both indestructible, and the best solution for everything they have to sell. Both of these statements are not true. RPM parts are in no way indestructible, and not the best option for everywhere. For example their castor blocks, are to flexible and bend suspension pins. You will notice that most veterans, and the wisest Stampede users only have a small amount of RPM on their vehicle. They/we run a combination of Proline/RPM/Aluminum.

Also, the Jang/Wide mod is both outdated, and more complicated way to go. It involves drilling out pieces to fit the rear suspension pins, and purchasing a second set of suspension pins. It also does not allow someone to purchase the STRC lock pin set, and bolt it on because of the side. It also involves adding select spacers to compensate for changes in rear/front arm dimensions.

Also, here you are just getting “one” benefit. Just wider front arms, instead of added rear toe in, and changed (for the better) suspension geometry. Also, Rear RPM arms, on the front of the stampede is arguable not the best looking option either. It looks like buggy arms, on the front of a monster Truck. Another downside. Again this was the trend, prior to the Protrac Option.

*There is an exception to this rule, such as member Dr Isotope: he has used a specific RPM arm, (not Rustler/Stampede rear) and has fabricated his own shock tower to match the Protrac’s geometry. This is both not a common practice, and not for the common basher. He has a backyard track, and runs an average of 6 packs daily. He puts his vehicle through more in a few weeks, than a lot of people do in a year. For this reason, its is an exception to the rule, and somewhat of the best of both worlds.

As for strength, The Protrac Arms are still unarguably stronger than stock. They are not “as” strong” as RPM because they are not as flexible. Both a plus for suspension(stiffness), and a downside to heavy heavy abuse. (I mean jumping 50 feet abuse)

The Protrac arms have withstood up to aprx. one year of trails that our original members have had em, with both very little broken pieces, and still just as high reputation.

Btw, Most of us have learned that we can take off a lot of the abuse on front arms, with a decent Slash bumper that sticks out past the front wheels. Thus eliminating the transfer of energy to the Arms, Castors,Suspension pins, wheels/tires.
In conclusion: The Protrac is an EXCELLENT upgrade, and what I consider a MUST for the Stampede. It should also be one of the first things done, and Is a dramatic change. It is also not costly when it comes to all you get, and especially when u compare, that just Proline’s shocks are double the price of the entire kit. For those on Youtube, and other forums, it hasn’t seemed to click In yet for Stampede owners. However for Slash 2wd owners, everywhere and us Stampede owners, it’s a must and a given.

[AbSoLooT1]

Protrac Q&A

-Question: Will this fit my Monster Jam model?

Answer: Yes, A Stampede is a Monster jam, a Monster jam is a Stampede. It will fit, and should be installed for dramatic handling improvement.

-Question: It works with 2.2 and 2.8, but will it work with my Monster Jam wheels.

Answer: Absolutely, U will just need some (front) offset wheels. Sold separately, and take the same steps to replace them. Lots of info online on how to do so, in short bake at 360 for 25 or so until it slowely losses the glue, then reglue on new wheels.

-Question: Will this fit my Rustler?

Answer: Absolutely.. its becoming a trend on the Rustler side of things also, Great improvement for them, But Stampede still takes the cake since the Center of Gravity is much higher. Here is a link with more info on the Rustler Protrac installation.
http://www.prolineracing.com/blog/pr...stler-project/

-Question: My Rear wheels look funny, this normal?

Answer: yes, this is the Toe-in. Your rear wheels will be facing inwards towards the chassis.

-Question: How long does install take?

Answer: Under an hour, Well under an hour.

-Question: This is a “race” inspired product. I just bash, Why would I want this?

Answer: For all the reasons stated above, and none of us Race Stampedes. It makes “bashing” that much better, especially when your not going to roll over ur truck back on its wheels every 30 seconds.

-Question: I have plastic camber links, where can I get rod ends?

Answer: Anywhere, U can get a set from Traxxas with Part number above, or RPM sells Long Rod ends for the 4mm links. Adjustable links should be done no matter what. Even if for some reason you don’t install this kit.

-Question: I heard they were sold out on Proline. What do I do?

Answer: They are back in stock right now. Who knows for how long, They have become a given and a must for Traxxas 2wds, so their popularity has sky rocketed. Also, there pretty much always available on EBay for close price.

-Question: Since the arms are the same length, What do I do about my hex’s because they are thicker up front than they are in the back?

Answer: Nothing, It will work directly

-Question: Will this work with My Old Style MIP CVDs? #08123

Answer: No they will not, I know this well from personal experience. But have no fear, they won’t hold up long anyways. As for Telescoping driveshaft’s, They will ALL work.
However there is a way to make them work. Thread linked here.
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...Rear-Arm-Width

-Question: Will this work with RPM Shock guards?

Answer: Yes and they look great.

-Question: Will This work with the STRC lock pin kit?

Answer: Yes, another plus. Where as the RPM wide mod would require modification, and getting more parts for the kit.

-Question: Will my Fiberglass tie-bar still fit.

Answer: Definatly will

-Question: Will the front tower work with RPM front body mount?

Answer: Yes, and again, very well. Just needs a tiny adjustment.
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...c-Shock-Towers

-Question: Can I run the Protrac, with Aluminum Shock Towers. Like STRC, Or FLM.

Answer: You “can” run the arms with the aluminum towers, but their shock points are not wide enough to give you the proper height. So your Stampede will look “saggy” Alum shock towers are more appealing to newer folk, but it becomes apparent that they bend, and when they bend they cost money. This was my thought at first also, but now I wouldn’t change it on my Pede.

-Question: I really like Dread’s Alum links on his truck, what do I need to do the same on mine.

Answer: Ask him! But read the thread first..

-Question: I’ve read this all, and really would love the same thing for my Truck, but I have a 4x4. Will it fit on my 4x4?

Answer: No, however… After a year or so of the 2wd being on the market, the 4x4 is in final stages of production, and expecting to be hitting the market anytime soon.

-Question: Should I really install this on my Truck?

Answer: YES!!

[scorpio1026]

Loot you are the man! Very nice thread. The protrac is just awesome and worth it!

[MotorStuff]

Man this thread took some time! Great job absoloot and right on. Protrac is a GREAT mod for the pede. It also increases durability IMO.

[Raptorpede]

Yes it may not be RPM strong but the performance benefits out weigh that. I agree it's a must have, also it allows you to run body's lower. Before I could keep with 2wd slashes by being on top of the wheel and driving on a glass thin razor edge now it's much easier. Best thing you can do for your pede.

[AbSoLooT1]

Thanks fellas. ya id did for sure And the worst part, I wrote it all out, and was almost done, then hit some wierd button on Microsoft word, and it ALL deleted. Than I could not recover it. And this was 2:30 Am with work in the morning. lol. I couldnt go to bed without finishing what I started, or id go nutz.. So I had to do it all over again. lol.

But ya, There has been alot of questions about it lately, with all the new comers. Which is great, so I figuered id try to combine all the Info on the Protrac I could think of so there is somewhere to resort too.

[Raptorpede]

Good idea and write up you nailed it. I know how you feel, it was school work instead.

[DiggerPede]

Good job LooT! Very informative and nailed to a T. Keep them coming.

+1 on the Transformers Pad.

[MotorStuff]

Maybe we can get this made into a sticky??

[Stampedenit]

Awesome thread. Just ordered my out last night. Saving this link for future references. Thanks for you time and effort. Us newbs appreciate it. I think this warrants sticky thread status.

[AbSoLooT1]

Thanks guys I was hopn to cover it all and not miss anything

[rag6]

The only thing I can add, is that my second protrac kit was not a direct fit. All of the suspension arms needed to dremeled and sanded to fit the bulk head, trans arm mounts, c blocks and rear carriers. Without the "massaging" these parts would not even fit into the arms. My first kit a year earlier was a direct fit, but that is the kit that seemed to break constantly. The most recent kit is tough as nails.

[thedreadedend]

Awesome thread, should be a one stop info spot from here out. I'll be bookmarking for linking members that ask for info. Oh, thanks for linking my pushrods mod page. I have a set of toe links on order that may be the bees-knees lol. They look monstrous and strong. If it works out, I'll update my page with pix and info.

[dave00bear]

First off let me say GREAT write up there Loot! IMO would be a great sticky!

I have been looking into getting/building another 2wd Pede, and was defiantly gonna go with this set-up.

The only thing I can add, is that my second protrac kit was not a direct fit. All of the suspension arms needed to dremeled and sanded to fit the bulk head, trans arm mounts, c blocks and rear carriers. Without the "massaging" these parts would not even fit into the arms. My first kit a year earlier was a direct fit, but that is the kit that seemed to break constantly. The most recent kit is tough as nails.

Not that I'm scared of a little bit of dremel work, But interesting you mentioned this, I have heard a few others having some "fitting" problems around bulkhead (not so much rear mounts or C's and carriers)

Also is mentioned on Prolines site where a ProTrac installation/review was done on the Monster Mutt, where some "filing" was needed to fit front bulkhead. Also the guy claims he boiled his parts to increase flexibility and durability.

http://www.prolineracing.com/blog/rc...nstall-review/

On your set-up rag, was this using a stock bulk and such or alum? Just curious?

Or could it be a "new improved" batch thats just a bit beefier around the edges so to speak.

Wondering just how durable are the Protrac parts, not a skate park 20 ft free-fall basher, but like to run it hard when I feel like it.

[DiggerPede]

I agree with everyone else this needs to be made into a sticky note.

I've done the dread mod and used slayer push rods in lieu of the links in the protrac kit. They are totally beefy looking, plus i like the pop of the red aluminum. Cudos to dread on that mod, very open minded thinking.

[thedreadedend]

First off let me say GREAT write up there Loot! IMO would be a great sticky!

I have been looking into getting/building another 2wd Pede, and was defiantly gonna go with this set-up.



Not that I'm scared of a little bit of dremel work, But interesting you mentioned this, I have heard a few others having some "fitting" problems around bulkhead (not so much rear mounts or C's and carriers)

Also is mentioned on Prolines site where a ProTrac installation/review was done on the Monster Mutt, where some "filing" was needed to fit front bulkhead. Also the guy claims he boiled his parts to increase flexibility and durability.

http://www.prolineracing.com/blog/rc...nstall-review/

On your set-up rag, was this using a stock bulk and such or alum? Just curious?

Or could it be a "new improved" batch thats just a bit beefier around the edges so to speak.

Wondering just how durable are the Protrac parts, not a skate park 20 ft free-fall basher, but like to run it hard when I feel like it.

K, I've got a durability example for you. I've busted up 2 front arms and 2 rear arms. I've also broke 1 of each, f/r tower. Recently, I bent a toe link but all my broken parts are do to either 20°F weather or extremely hard bashing. Here are some pix and video to show you just how hard I can be on it. You may ask how often could I possibly get out to do that? Well about 2-3 times a week lately and im much harder on it around the house believe it or not, this is an easy day for this truck. Your welcome to browse through my youtube vids, their are many more videos like it on my page. Not trying to toot my own horn but, these pix/vids are nothing less than impressive. The only part broken that day was a plastic shock cap.
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...pix-xlmt-style
And this is the truck with protrac that im bashing
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...h-monster-mods

I agree with everyone else this needs to be made into a sticky note.
I've done the dread mod and used slayer push rods in lieu of the links in the protrac kit. They are totally beefy looking, plus i like the pop of the red aluminum. Cudos to dread on that mod, very open minded thinking.

Thanks Digger, and I agree with the sticky suggestions. Excellent work Loot.

[AbSoLooT1]

The only thing I can add, is that my second protrac kit was not a direct fit. All of the suspension arms needed to dremeled and sanded to fit the bulk head, trans arm mounts, c blocks and rear carriers. Without the "massaging" these parts would not even fit into the arms. My first kit a year earlier was a direct fit, but that is the kit that seemed to break constantly. The most recent kit is tough as nails.

My 2nd A arms, I too had to widen the holes where the suspension goes. Putting the suspension in, made it not flow smoothly. So I dremeled it out with a very thin grinding wheel inside, very carefully until the A ARm holes let the suspension pins, flow smoothly without any slop, from making the hole to big. So id grind around 360 inside once, check, grind, check, repeat...

Also, with my Stampede, it was the opposite for me on the rear wheels. With the tranny I used, I had to add spacers to remove the wobble. As shown in picture. Made it fit perfectly though, But before there was to much play/slop for my liking.



And here, on the front. I also had to do the same thing.


Now, Next build. I used STRC bulkhead, with Protrac Arms again. Same exact set-up. And I didnt need to do this. Interesting how it goes. I think the conditions of the day, The temperature where its being manufactured, and .. most importantly, the Plastic mix they use in that specific batch, and HOW (fast,slow,temp) its cooled, plays a big part in how the results come out to be.

That being said, Anouther Tranny I tried it out with, it was alittle on the tight end. Really gotta take it as a case by case basis I think. But Those are variables right... Overall Ive found it to be consistent though. For example, when I had the play, it was on both arms. Not just one needed spacers, I wouldnt like that. And when I threw in STRC hinge pins on the Second arms, they both needed to be dremeled out. Where as on my Pede, I didnt need to bore out the holes, for the STRC hinge pins, but I did need to add spacers. Second I didnt need spacers, but needed to bore out holes. Both set-ups using the exact same parts, with slightly different results. Real interesting....

[AbSoLooT1]

First, Thanks guys for all the positive feedback. I created it so It could be reffered to on here cuz the Protrac questions were coming up often, So it could just be linked.

Awesome thread, should be a one stop info spot from here out. I'll be bookmarking for linking members that ask for info. Oh, thanks for linking my pushrods mod page. I have a set of toe links on order that may be the bees-knees lol. They look monstrous and strong. If it works out, I'll update my page with pix and info.

Thanks Dread, and my pleasure. I really like it. Feel free to post the part numbers and a quick couple pics and link to your thread(s) for the Protrac seperatly on here. Thatd be a nice addition.

First off let me say GREAT write up there Loot! IMO would be a great sticky!

I have been looking into getting/building another 2wd Pede, and was defiantly gonna go with this set-up.



Not that I'm scared of a little bit of dremel work, But interesting you mentioned this, I have heard a few others having some "fitting" problems around bulkhead (not so much rear mounts or C's and carriers)

Also is mentioned on Prolines site where a ProTrac installation/review was done on the Monster Mutt, where some "filing" was needed to fit front bulkhead. Also the guy claims he boiled his parts to increase flexibility and durability.

http://www.prolineracing.com/blog/rc...nstall-review/

On your set-up rag, was this using a stock bulk and such or alum? Just curious?

Or could it be a "new improved" batch thats just a bit beefier around the edges so to speak.

Wondering just how durable are the Protrac parts, not a skate park 20 ft free-fall basher, but like to run it hard when I feel like it.

Ya, Its definatly not a jump the house set-up. Then again, I dont think the pede or any RC is really... Broken parts are gonna happen. lol. As for the Skateparks, I think they are destructive for days anways...

And I agree, My first Protrac everything fit like a glove, except for I had some slop. So it was almost like the arms were alittle too wide. (or for some perfect fit) Than.... they were tigher, In Rags example he had to do some dremeling. So its like they shrunk em down a fraction of a mm, or changed something in the formula, or cooling process.

But regardless, all the changes were uniform, and consistent. So nothing I couldnt fix easily, and most importantly, nothing the one side didnt match to the other. That I liked... When I had to do something to one arm, I had to do it to the other. I appreciated the "even-ness"

But If you dont have it on you first pede, u must have RPM arms ya? Id definatly put in on your second one. Than u can make it more of a performer, and daily basher, and the other more capable of handeling the abuse.

My experiences were the same with the castors btw.. They were alittle tight on the second arms, I didnt do any dremeling, but I did put on the castor, than move it back and forth a bunch before mounting it to the truck to losen things up. I also put some white lithium grease, on the parts that rub between the castors and arms. I do that with alot of moving parts anyways.

[AbSoLooT1]

For the purpose of the thread, For those to witness up close, and mounted on the truck.....

Here is what the Proline Links, look like (their color, n such) mounted, along with the Protrac's Rear bearing carrier

[dave00bear]

Very cool, Thanks dread for your vid link there, looks like they will hold up to my use NO problems.

And again great job Loot on explaining the various installation "obstacles" if you will. These will all be taken note of, when the time comes.

Yes I did have RPMs on my pede, had sold that sometime ago though and have been into the Rustler for awhile now. Picked up a 4wd Pede also, But just something about the 2x4 keeps callin me back....

[BaldyDaniels]

Loot, quality work as always my friend. Great addition to the forum for sure! I'd like to add a couple things if I may.

In regards to fitment, I had come across binding at the front bulkhead suspension hinge on two of my trucks. For comparison I swapped the arms over to one of my trucks that didn't have this issue, and sure enough, no binding. So it seems that in my case, that the protrac arms aren't the inconsistent part that was causing this. So I will add, that anyone experiencing binding due to a tight fit at the bulkhead suspension hinge, use your file to take the excess off the bulkhead and not the arms. Otherwise, if you switch bulkheads you may end up with unwanted play in this area. < This is only for stock plastic bulkheads, you can use your own discretion as to the actions to take in regards to arm fitment on alloy bulkheads. My suggestion would be to file down the arms for best fitment with alloy bulkheads, as the bulkhead will likely outlast the arms.

The second thing I would like to add, is in regards to alternative turnbuckles for use with the protrac front arms. On all adjustable link rods, there is a right-hand thread on one end, and left-hand thread on the other end. A quick and easy mod I use, is to simply use a thread cutting die from a tap and die set that is the same size as the threads on the right-hand thread side of the rod. (a die can also be purchased individually at most hardware/tool stores) Use the die to cut the right-handed threads of the rod as far down as is needed, then use a dremel with a cutting wheel, or a hacksaw to cut off any unneeded or excess threads before putting the rod end on. This mod will allow you to retain the intended adjustment functionality of the link while installed on the vehicle, and will allow for many more, and stronger rod options for use as turnbuckles and camber links as well. Just make sure to only cut as many threads as needed, and only cut threads on the right hand threaded side of the rod. Any rod that you would like to perform this on must also be longer in length that is needed, to ensure a custom and perfect fitting link. You'll see in the pic below, that for turnbuckles I use large 4mm diameter steel rods, originally intended for use on the emaxx. They worked out very well, as they adjustment hex on the rod is now at the end of the rod, right next to the rod end.



Thanks again Loot for the great write up! Definitely "sticky" worthy.

[rag6]

This last kit I bought, none of the suspension arms would fit anything they attached to or attached to them. I tried an old ft alum bulk, a new alum bulk, and an old plastic bulk. An old alum and new alum trans, and a stock plastic trans, as well as old rpm and traxxas alum bearing carriers and nothing would fit. I used a dremel because that is what I have, but it could have been easily done with a file. Don't let the fitment issues deter you from buying this kit if you dont mind 10 min of filing the arms to fit.

I am really impressed with the durability of the last kit I bought. It was bashed pretty hard for 2 months, and has been raced for 2 months. Racing it has taken many full throttle hits in to the wall in novice mt class (my lead foot daughter lol) and in mt class with big tires and an under-protective bumper. I am using the proline camber links and this sample has been just fine. After the first continuous batch of broken parts, Proline seems to have the durability issues sewn up. Thanks to a bunch of reputable members on this forum, I did not give up on the kit, and glad that I did not.

[rag6]

Stickies are few and far in-between. A threads not to be forgotten thread like on the slash forum over at urc is a good idea for any rc forum though. Put all Stickies into 1 thread...

[AbSoLooT1]

This section is to those doing an install...

When u install ur Protrac, Ur going to need to pay attention to binding. That and play. The older Protracs, didnt have any problems fitting. The last two ive bought lately are. The front are to tight around the bulkhead, The rears will need some spacers. or, pay special attention to how it fits on ur truck. But remember. Ul want ur suspension parts to be free flowing with no binding, yet... No wiggle room, or SLOP.


First the STRC pins, are tight in the arm. This is what I used to make it so. I went in 360 degrees inside the hole VERY CAREFULLY so that I didnt over do it, and add slop. one rotaion... Than check.. extra, extra until done.



Your lookin for it to rotate freely..



The front arms I had to free up the room for the carriers to fit properly. Oh, and I dont have pics. But i had to do the same on BOTH sides. To the front carrier, and to the castor.



Your lookin for free flow of movement. Yet NO slop.




These are the tools I used to do so...



Its not the other parts, cuz the stock arms fit all in front just fine, and around the bulkhead was the same with two different bulkheads, built two years apart.

Dont let it phase u from doing it. Just while ur building it, Be careful and take a tiny bit away at a time, Check fit, repeat, check fit, extra...

It seems that their cooling has changed, or ingredients and the parts are warping, or contracting to quickly.

My theory is its because of the demand, they are not able to let them cool properly. For this reason, it needs to have special attention paid to eliminate any binding in the front. Any binding will cause the suspension to not function properly, things wont flex, and move like it should and the truck will traction flip over very easily if installed incorrectly. Pay special attention when installing.

Again, Dont let this change your mind about the kit. This kind of attention should be paid to every part of your vehicle. This is Hobby Grade RCin. And having built a few trucks from scratch now, I can personally tell u, this is not a unique situation. Building a truck requires alot of attention like this, when your the one putting it together, and not the factory, things like this come up through the whole build. Its important to take your time and do this RIGHT.

You want no slop, but u also dont want binding. Your looking for the perfect balance, and nice fluid movement that any movement part on any machine should have.



NOTE: You may or may not have to do this. Plastic RC parts are recommeneded even by RPM to install at room temperature. Shows how sensitive they are to condition changes. Out of the 3 kits ive purchased, the first didnt require any work on the front arms, just the spacers on the rear. The latest two front arms, required this time to make it fit perfectly.

**If someone has more quesitons on this matter. Feel free to PM me.

[Toyboarder]

Loot man, seriously. Thanks a lot. (Read that in a sarcastic tone)

Now I have like 3 hours of work to do. I noticed the rear was hanging up a bit...like with no shocks I'd lift it and let go and it wouldn't just drop back down. Way to give me lots of work to do man, I was just going to ignore it but since I know it's something that can/should be fixed I have to fix it now.

Thanks for the write up, as usual sir

[AbSoLooT1]

hahaha... U always crack me up brotha. I know though right. My ladies pede was suppose to be farther along, but this kinda stuff keeps popin up. lol

[O.G.]

This is not only massive but it's also EPIC. Nice work absoloot1.

Question, what size reamer did you use when fitting the strc pins?

[Stampedenit]

I too need to fix one of my rear arms. Weird things happened today though. After some hard bashing and cart wheeling, the rear shocks popped off of the ball heims. Also the bolts in front of the rear shock tower and behind the tower that bolt to the diff came loose. I fixed those bolts by removing them (OE is coarse thread) and replaced them with longer fine thread bolts.

[rag6]

After going through all this stuff, it makes you much more confident to make your own parts. If it dont work make it work. < my new sig as soon as I get time. Its all about the evolution of your rc madness

[Alex.Eklund]

Great Write Up ! ! ! I'm glad I got the Pro-Trac Kit on my Stampede, best $ spent !

[Oaks]

The old you: yes, protrac hotline, my bags didn't have any instructions in them.
Support: do you have email, yes, here you go http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...Massive-Thread.

Killer thread for the cause. it may not be sticky, but its TTT^!

[AbSoLooT1]

This is not only massive but it's also EPIC. Nice work absoloot1.

Question, what size reamer did you use when fitting the strc pins?

Sorry I didnt see this It was just a tiny little bit that came with my dremel kit. Its like one millimeter wide.... As long as it fits in there, and u can spin it on the edges a good 360 degrees to get that bad boy bored out evenly.

This one...




Thanks guys for all the positive comments.

Funny thing, My first Protrac kit, the fronts needed no adjustments, But the rear needed TWO washers. Latest one, the rear only needed one. Oh.... And the old ones needed none in the carriers, but new needed one in the carriers. Go fiqure! lol.

Its time well spent though, get things to fit right. . Well worth it, and I cant put a truck together without going through these motions. Stuff like this would keep me up at night if I skipped it. (literally..lol )



Use these washers here.



you want to preserve the freeflow of the proper movement. For the A Arms of course, that is up and down. And eliminate "slop" and play as this will make your suspension unpredictable, inconsistent.

[Oaks]

Sorry I didnt see this It was just a tiny little bit that came with my dremel kit. Its like one millimeter wide.... As long as it fits in there, and u can spin it on the edges a good 360 degrees to get that bad boy bored out evenly.

Absoloot1, Mr.Port and Polish I trust your aluminum cylinder heads would fetch a fair price and flow well!

[AbSoLooT1]

lol oaks. hehe.



Also, This still comes up all the time.... For those with the question of what happens if MIP CVDs for Rustler/Stampede (Part number 08123)are put on the Pede, WITH a Protrac... This is what happens. In short, dont get #08123 if u plan on getting Protrac kit. Will not fit, and will pop right out on first jump.

[Toyboarder]

hahaha... U always crack me up brotha. I know though right. My ladies pede was suppose to be farther along, but this kinda stuff keeps popin up. lol

Just took the whole thing apart and redid it along the lines of what you did. Everything was way too stiff and binding, with the shocks off the arms would just stay wherever you put them instead of dropping down. Sanded a little on the insides, cleaned out the bore with a 1/8 bit (while staying away from threaded side), and took apart and cleaned all the bearings too. Everything was so smooth that I had to readjust my suspension mounting points and pre-load because the binding had been adding so much friction!

[AbSoLooT1]

Here is anouther article by Proline on how to install the Protrac on the Monster jam trucks. Nothing special, or new... Except, Proline is stating to boil parts, AND are saying the same thing we have been saying which is Front arm fitment around the bulkhead. Found it useful to add, additionally...

http://www.prolineracing.com/blog/rc...nstall-review/

Here is the article, transfered over.




Pro-Line–best known for tires and bodies–also has a respectable history of making aftermarket performance parts. During the reign of the Traxxas T-Maxx, Pro-Line’s MAXX suspension kit and Power Stroke shocks were the hot setup. In fact, the shocks were ahead of their time and close to drool worthy. Fast forward to the current era and Pro-Line is once again proving that they are more than just treads and Lexan. When short course took off and tracks across the country were full of Traxxas Slashes, Pro-Line stepped up once again. Pro-line’s ProTrac suspension kit for the 2WD Slash was an instant hit.

I’ve run this kit on a Slash–as it’s intended to be used–and have seen firsthand how the ProTrac treatment improves the track prowess of the truck. This time, however, I installed the suspension system on a Traxxas Monster Mutt Monster Jam Replica truck. Since the Monster Jam Replicas are based off the Stampede and the 2WD Slash uses the same suspension as the Stampede, the kit is essentially a direct fit.



FEATURES
The ProTrac system includes wider front and rear suspension arms, new front and rear shock towers, new rear hubs and longer steering and camber links. The shock towers offer more tuning options for the upper shock mounts and inner camber links. The rear hubs offer additional outer camber link options. The wider stance increases stability in corners and when landing from bumps and jumps. The additional camber link mounting options allow for adjustments to be made to roll centers and camber gain. The additional upper shock mounting locations allow for a subtle changes in the progress feel of the shocks. The end result is a better handling truck that has more race truck like tuning capabilities. It’s worth noting that the ProTrac kit also includes four rims with the needed offset to keep the width of a Slash within the ROAR legal limits.




INSTALLATION
The ProTrac is a simple installation as all of the parts are designed to be direct replacements. No special skills required. Anyone of just about any skill level can perform this parts swap. I complicated the process a bit by electing to boil the plastic (nylon blend) parts before installing them. I did this to increase the flexibility and durability of the components since I was using it on an “open-wheel” truck. The front arms required a bit of hand fitting to fit properly on the front bulkhead. I’d say this is purely optional, but I used a large flat file to remove material from the bulkhead arm mounts until the arms fit without being tight





Instead of reusing the stock hinge pins, I installed STRC’s replacement hinge pins (item no. ST3640BK). The STRC hinge pins are heat treated, polished and use a lock nut instead of E-clips or by screwing in. They cost $16.99 and are simply worth every penny. Another worthwhile investment I made was the use of Pro-Line’s PowerStroke SC Universal Shock Mounting Hardware Kit (6063-05). The Traxxas family of vehicles using this suspension design (Rustler, Stampede, Slash, etc.) are all plagued by the hinge pins and shock mounting screws loosening during a run. The STRC hinge pin kit and the Pro-Line mounting kit are not only stronger than stock, but they completely cure the problem of lose screws.

The last part that needs to be mentioned about the installation is that since I was using a Monster Jam Replica, I had to get new rod ends (5525) for the steering and camber links. I lucked out and had these in my parts bin, but they are easy to find at most hobby stores. While I was rummaging around, I grabbed some ball bearings to replace the bronze bushings used in the hubs and scooped up a pile of stainless steel hex screws to replace the easy-to-strip stock Phillips hardware.

PERFORMANCE
If you’re looking for some instant performance gratification, you’ll get it with the Pro-Line ProTrac kit. Some bench time is required to install it, but you’ll be instantly rewarded with a better handling truck the second you plop it down and run it. The old Pontiac “Wider is Better” slogan is now cliche (it’s been used about a 1,000 times in RC alone), but it’s hard to avoid here. Even with rear offset rims mounted front and rear, my modified Monster Mutt was clearly more stable in the corners and that’s thanks mostly to just being wider. It was less likely to flip and just easier to drive fast. Staying on all four tires is undeniably, well, better. Since I’m using my Monster Jam Replica for some side-by-side racing that includes the classic sharp U-turn, the suspension gives me a distinct advantage.

If you just bash your Monster Jam Replica truck for fun, the ProTrac kit may be overkill. Now, if you want to modify and customize your truck, significantly up its cool factor and significantly up its performance, going with the Pro-Line ProTrac system is very much worthwhile.

Also check out Pro-Line’s PowerStroke Shocks (#6063-00 & #6063-01) to upgrade your performance even more.

[penskyc]

So I am assuming that it is very important to get the cambers and steering links just the right size, I thought I had everything all set up correctly, I through my front tires on, one wheel is severely tilted in and the other is as well, but not as much, I have not done the back, not going to until I get this front part set up right, but does anyone have suggestions, I am an r/c car newb, mostly fly helis. Thought I would be able to do this no problem, after taking the better part of 2 hours to put all the front stuff on, it doesnt even look like it would ride..

EDIT: Picture Included. steering servo is straight on

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i...608_115224.jpg

[dcsally97]

I printed the Protrac setup sheets off of the Proline site. You can put the links on the piece of paper to get the measurement that way. Digital calipers is probably the best way to go though.

[dcsally97]

I don't believe that I released rights to use this picture Loot, lol!!! I take such good pictures!

For the purpose of the thread, For those to witness up close, and mounted on the truck.....

Here is what the Proline Links, look like (their color, n such) mounted, along with the Protrac's Rear bearing carrier

[penskyc]

I printed the Protrac setup sheets off of the Proline site. You can put the links on the piece of paper to get the measurement that way. Digital calipers is probably the best way to go though.

Hmm. Maybe I'll take a trip over to home depot today.

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