We Trick Out the TRX-6 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 for Peak Trail Performance
Project Plans
- Overdrive the front axle
- Outfit all three axles with aluminum parts and chromoly driveshafts for maximum durability
- Install beadlock wheels and S1-compound Canyon Trail tires
- Boost steering power with a High-Torque 400 brushless servo
- Add the Traxxas Link Wireless Module for inclinometer functionality
Metric Hex and Nut Driver Essentials Set
Before starting a project like this, it’s important to have the right tools. You can perform all of these upgrades with the tool kit that came with your TRX-6, but you'll notice the benefits of a high-quality tool kit almost immediately. We recommend the 8712 7-Piece Metric Hex and Nut Driver Essentials Set. This set includes all the hex- and nut-driver bits required to work on all Traxxas models, plus a convenient carrying and storage pouch. TIP: The optional 8720 large handle allows you to apply more torque with less effort for easier tightening and loosening of fasteners.
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Overdriving the Front Axle
The first thing we’ll do is “overdrive” the front axle by giving it a higher (numerically lower) gear ratio than the two rear axles. This helps the front wheels pull the truck up slopes and over obstacles, instead of being pushed from the rear axle—or axles, in the case of the TRX-6. Click here to see how overdrive works, and this page shows how to install overdrive gears.
The stock axle gears have 3.09:1 ratio, meaning the pinion gear spins 3.09 times to turn the differential gear once. The 8287 12-33 overdrive gearing delivers a 2.75:1 ratio, for an overdrive percentage of 11%. Traxxas offers other gear sets that can be combined to offer 13% and 27% overdrive. You’ll need to remove the axle ends, driveshafts, and T-Lock shift fork to access the differential and replace the ring gear.
12-33 overdrive gears
Remove the shift fork
Replace the ring gearDon’t forget to replace the factory pinion with the overdrive part before reinstalling the differential. All TRX-series trucks use waterproof grease in the axles. Use Traxxas Marine Grease when installing the overdrive gears to maintain Traxxas-certified performance and corrosion resistance.
Replace the differential pinion gear
Use Marine Grease in the differentialAluminum Axle Upgrades
Our TRX-6 is getting the full aluminum, brass, and steel treatment to add ounces and make this big rig even stronger than stock--and score a few bonus style points. All three axles are getting aluminum inner and outer portal housings and mounts in charcoal-gray anodizing. You can also get these parts in red, blue, or green if you prefer a brighter look.
Screws that thread into metal should get a drop of thread-lock before installation, but don’t reach for your bottle of blue stuff just yet. The aluminum parts include screws with patches of thread-locking compound already applied. While we have the axles apart, we’ll take the opportunity to upgrade to chromoly driveshafts with machined gears shown below alongside the stock shafts. The stock shafts are strong, the chromoly shafts are even stronger. In case you were wondering: all of the aluminum parts together weigh 6.7 oz., versus 2.7 oz. for the plastic parts. That’s an extra quarter-pound of heft to help press the TRX-6’s tires into the terrain.
Screws come with threadlock applied
Chromoly shafts (top)
More weight = more tractionWe replaced the standard black differential covers with the 8280X chrome covers for a little extra style. Before installation, we sprayed the covers with matte clear paint, to knock the shine down for a more “aluminum” look. All three axles are now fully fortified with aluminum and steel, ready to go back onto the chassis.
The matte differential cover is on the right
All three axles ready to installOur TRX-6 is also getting 8267 portal weights. Each machined-brass weight adds 34 grams (1.2 oz) to the truck, for a total of 68 grams (2.4 oz.) tucked inside the front wheels. Note: the weights are not compatible with the stock plastic housings, they’re designed to be used in conjunction with the optional aluminum outer housings. We’ve still got a few screws to turn, but removing, outfitting, and replacing the axles represents the bulk of the wrenching for this build.
Portal axle weights
Installed axle weights
Stylish Shocks
The TRX-6 rides on gray-anodized GTS shocks with red-, green-, and blue-anodized versions as options. We traded the gray shocks for blue. Same specs, just a different color. If you want the ultimate GTS shocks, get the 8260X hard-anodized shocks with PTFE-coated bores and TiN-coated shafts. The special coatings reduce friction to near zero, and extend seal and piston life. The shocks are sold assembled in pairs, minus springs. Just fill the shocks (oil is included) and swap your springs over. When reinstalling the shocks, don’t forget to check the springs. The four rear shocks have “white” springs (as indicated by a spot of paint), and the front shocks have plain springs.
The blue-anodized finish really shines
White banded springs mount in the rear
Superior Servo Strength
The TRX-6’s stock, 2075X metal-gear servo is well-suited for trail adventuring, but more torque is always better. The High Torque 400 servo twists with 400 oz.-in. of torque (over twenty pounds!), a 220% boost over the stock servo’s already-strong 125 oz.-in rating. The 400 servo’s all-metal geartrain and brushless motor make it Traxxas’ most powerful and responsive servo. While we had the servo out, we also upgraded from the plastic output arm to the 8247X metal arm.
High Torque 400 brushless servo
The metal servo horn is a must for the added torqueThe High Torque 400 servo requires the 2262 High-Output BEC. Without the BEC, the 400 servo may draw more power than the speed control is designed to deliver to the receiver, causing the receiver to glitch or “brown out.” The High-Output BEC makes certain the servo and receiver always have full voltage, even when the servo is pulling maximum power. The 2262 High-Output BEC kit includes the 2260 BEC plus everything you need to install it in the TRX-6.
2262 High-Output BEC
The BEC kit includes everything you needThe BEC mounts on top of the receiver, and the kit includes a taller receiver box lid so your electronics remain fully waterproof. It’s all covered in the instructions, of course. For a detailed look at servo and BEC installation, take a look at Part 3 of our Ultimate TRX-4 Defender build. There’s no missing that red-anodized case! This powerhouse servo makes a big difference when a difficult line requires maximum steering torque.
BEC installed inside the receiver box
The kit includes a taller receiver cover
Trick Treads
There’s nothing wrong with the TRX-6’s stock wheel and tire combo of course, but Traxxas’ best tire for rock and trail grip is the Canyon Trail in soft S1 compound. The tires are sold unmounted, so you have the option of gluing to one-piece wheels or going beadlock. We chose the latter and opted for Method 105 replica wheels in charcoal gray, which are also available in black chrome. The aluminum beadlock rings are sold separately, so you can choose the color: blue, red, green, orange, or satin. If you're looking to save time, the setup is also available assembled in pairs and ready to go as part 8174.
Sticky S1 compound tires
Method 105 wheels with blue beadlock ringsThe Canyon Trail’s tread design has wider spacing between tread blocks to help with grabbing edges. It also has a taller, more compliant sidewall, despite having the same outer diameter as the TRX-6’s tire. That’s because the TRX-6 has 2.2″ wheels, while the Method wheel is 1.9″ in diameter. The dotted lines shows the difference in wheel and sidewall size.
Stock tire (left) Canyon Trail (right)
Sidewall comparisonRock Lights
The TRX-6 arrives ready for nighttime running with bright LEDs in every position on the body, but we can still put even more lumens on the trail with the optional rock lights. There are ten positions molded into the fenders ready for LEDs, and installation is easy.
The LEDS are prewired and installed in molded housings that bolt right into the inner fenders. To fully outfit the TRX-6's ten rock-light positions, you’ll need the 8-light set for the TRX-4 (8026X), plus the 2-light kit (8897) for the TRX-6’s additional two light positions. Remove the covers in the fender wells and replace them with the lights. The wires have some slack to prevent stressing the connections. If you like, you can wrap the wire around a screwdriver shaft before installation to create the coiled look seen here.
8026X Light Kit + 8897 for TRX-6 models
Installing the front rock lightsThe 8-light set (in red) installs just like it does on a TRX-4, then the 2-light pair (green) fills in the last two fender positions. Just plug the lights into the chassis’ LED lighting module to complete the install. The TRX-6 will look amazing after dark, and the rock lights make it easy to see where the tires are stepping.
Route the wiring as shown
Plug the lights into the lighting moduleStick-On Style
One more style addition: a vinyl stripe, made with “trim tape” from the RC airplane department at the hobby store. It’s easy to do and allows you to make custom-fit graphics. Trim tape is adhesive-backed vinyl, and you can get it all sorts of colors and patterns—even chrome.
We used Photoshop to mock up a few stripe designs before we started cutting—this one looks good, and it’s all straight lines, so it’ll be easy to cut out. After cutting the blue stripe elements and white background using a hobby knife with a fresh blade, the surrounding vinyl was removed.
Do a mock-up to get an idea how your truck will look
Use a hobby knife to cut the patternTo transfer the blue stripe elements to the white background, painters’ tape was used to lift all the parts at once, so their alignment is maintained (you’re looking at the adhesive side of the blue stripe parts in this shot). Stick the blue onto the white and then stick the whole thing onto the truck. Now that our graphics are complete, there's just one more thing we need to do.
Transfer the stripes to the tape
Apply the entire strip to the truck
Traxxas Link Ready
The TRX-6’s TQi transmitter is Traxxas Link Enabled, so it’s ready to accept the 6511 Traxxas Link Wireless Module. Once installed, the transmitter can communicate with your phone or tablet and the free Traxxas Link app. The app makes it easy to configure transmitter settings and manage model memory via touchscreen, and the customizable dashboard displays telemetry data including speed, RPM, and voltage (when you install optional sensors) and even real-time inclinometers for pitch and lean angles—no extra sensors required. Installing the wireless module is easy, it simply replaces the rear cover.
6511 Wireless Module
Installation is simpleOnce connected via Bluetooth, you can add the inclinometers to the Traxxas Link app’s dashboard. For all the details, check out this tech article. You can set the app to warn you with an alarm if your truck exceeds an angle you set. If your rig tilts past 90 degrees, the gauges go red.
Connected screen
Inclinometer screen
Rollover screenOn the Trail with the Ultimate TRX-6
The Traxxas Link app’s dashboard is fully customizable, with photo-realistic gauges and “grid” layouts, as well as a “just speed, displayed nice and big” option. The TRX-6 is a monster on the trails right out of the box, and even more capable still with our mods. The 11% overdrive is mild, but still makes a noticeable difference in obstacle-attacking performance without making it feel like the axles are fighting each other in less challenging terrain. The softer, more-aggressive S1 tires help it generate more traction, everywhere, all the time—especially with the extra heft of the portal weights and aluminum parts helping press them onto the terrain. Unless you exceed the truck’s roll limits, this TRX-6 simply does not let go. If you’re looking for the ultimate in trail-grabbing traction and gravity-defying grip, our modded TRX-6 is tough to top.
For more helpful Traxxas how-to videos, be sure visit the Traxxas Support channel, Like, and subscribe. Click here to go to the channel now.
