There’s no hotter off-road-rated SUV within the full-scale universe than the brand new Ford® Bronco, and Traxxas’ high-performance TRX-4® mannequin of Ford’s massively standard 4X4 is simply as massive a success. Like all TRX-4’s, it’s super-detailed and formally licensed for display-worthy realism, and very nicely outfitted with premium options to deal with journey on the path identical to the “actual factor.” For our newest Venture construct, we’ve dialed in a TRX-4 2021 Bronco for competition-ready crawling efficiency whereas making it much more practical with practical Professional Scale® equipment. Our Bronco construct delivers jaw-dropping terrain-crawling functionality with out sacrificing the genuine appears and flexibility that makes the TRX-4 platform the selection of so many path truckers. Let’s get into it!
Chromoly, Machined-Metal, and Going Slipperless The Bronco rolls out with a full set of metallic gears within the axles and transmission, however we took sturdiness up even larger by putting in the non-compulsory hardened-steel ring and pinion gears and axle shafts. The additional-strong gears are significantly good for our construct as a result of we additionally eliminated the manufacturing facility slipper clutch in favor of a direct-drive setup utilizing the 8249 Slipper Eliminator. Because the title says, the slipper clutch will slip when overloaded to guard the drivetrain. Even when tightened down absolutely, the clutch will slip if sufficient torque (lots of torque) is utilized. For just about all off-road eventualities, it’s an ideal function. However for comp-style driving, we would like our Bronco to maintain placing torque into the tires irrespective of how a lot resistance an impediment is giving. The Slipper Eliminator replaces the slip mechanism with keyed metal plates that lock the spur gear to the enter shaft for complete torque switch.
Machined-steel ring and pinion gears and chromoly axle shafts beef up our Bronco’s drivetrain for severe comp work.
Right here’s the put in Slipper Eliminator and the clutch elements it replaces.
Understanding Overdrive Again to these machined-steel ring and pinion gears: as a substitute of utilizing gears with the identical tooth counts because the inventory gears, we selected the Overdrive and Underdrive gear units so entrance axle will spin its wheels sooner than the rear axle, although each axles are receiving the identical enter RPM from the transmission. Why do that? When an impediment or climb requires a steep chassis angle, a lot of the truck’s weight is transferred to the rear tires, lowering the entrance tires’ grip. Making use of the throttle transfers much more weight to the rear tires, leaving little or no grip for the fronts. It’s virtually totally as much as the rear wheels to push the truck up over obstacles. Overdriving the entrance axle helps the entrance wheels pull the truck up slopes and over obstacles, as a substitute of being pushed from the rear axle. That’s the brief model—check out How To Maximize Excessive-Terrain Crawling Capacity with Overdrive for a deep dive.
Right here’s a TRX-4 Sport with a 13% overdrive setup—regardless of the RPM the rear tires spin at, the entrance tires spin 13% sooner..
Relying on the gearsets you select, you may arrange your TRX-4 for 11%, 13%, or 27% overdrive. We put in Overdrive gears within the entrance axle and Underdrive gears within the rear to attain the utmost quantity of overdrive. .
Section 2: Aluminum Axle Elements & Portal Weights
The TRX-4 platform’s high-strength composite elements are engineered to ship all the sturdiness you want for any off-road journey, together with comp driving. Traxxas gives a lineup of aluminum axle elements which can be even harder than composite, however the profit you’ll really discover is the additional traction the heavier aluminum elements assist present. That, and the anodized elements merely look incredible. Within the case of our comp construct, including the aluminum outer portal covers additionally allow us to set up brass portal weights on the entrance axle. Extra weight up entrance is a plus it doesn’t matter what the chassis’ angle is, but it surely’s particularly useful when a steep strategy is required and weight switch to the rear of the truck robs entrance grip. Including weight to the entrance axle helps hold valuable grams over the entrance wheels.
Changing the composite elements proven with aluminum provides almost three ounces of traction-enhancing weight to the truck.
Rear aluminum axle elements put in. You may get the elements in purple, blue, inexperienced, and charcoal grey.
The brass portal weights are machined for a exact match over the aluminum outer portal covers and add just below 2.5 ounces of additional tire-squishing weight to the entrance axle.
Section 3: Shocks & Suspension Mods
All TRX-4s embody aluminum-body GTS shocks outfitted with twin X-ring seals and plated shafts for {smooth} damping motion and leak-free efficiency. To offer our Bronco the final word in slick shock motion, we upgraded to the hard-anodized variations with PTFE-coated bores and titanium-nitride coated shafts. These coatings cut back the quantity of friction that have to be overcome to get the pistons and shafts sliding via the seals and alongside the shock physique. That is significantly vital for a comp rig the place you’re crawling slowly over obstacles and low-velocity weight shifting is doing almost all of the shock activation, versus the sudden highly effective jolts that simply overcome “stiction” when off-roading at velocity. Whereas we had been swapping shocks, we additionally traded the plated metal hole balls for PTFE-coated aluminum balls to achiever even smoother suspension motion.
The hard-anodized GTS shocks are offered in pairs full with premium silicone oil
Simply switch your current springs over to the brand new shocks and also you’re good to go.
The 8274 PTFE hole ball set (left) replaces all plated metal variations within the suspension and steering system for silky-smooth low friction motion.
Section 4: Excessive-Energy Steering
Most TRX-4s come fitted with a 125 oz-in metal-gear servo and metallic servo arm, so there’s no scarcity of steering energy. However for comp responsibility, there’s no such factor as an excessive amount of servo torque. For this construct we outfitted the Bronco with the Excessive Torque Crimson 400 servo. This high-tech powerhouse makes use of a brushless motor to intention the entrance wheels with 400 oz-in of torque. That’s sufficient energy to drag 25 kilos, and the Crimson 400 does it with digital precision and the energy of full-metal gears.
The red-anodized mid-case appears trick and gives efficiency advantages too—it stiffens the case and acts as a heatsink.
The Crimson 400 servo works along with the 2262 Excessive Output BEC. The BEC ensures the servo received’t drain energy from the receiver when most torque is required. Study extra right here.
Section 5: Wheels & Tires
The Canyon Path’s aggressive tread design and gentle S1 compound match and even outperform all of the comparable aftermarket treads we’ve tried. So, no improve required within the tire division. The place we did improve is the wheels. Beadlock wheels clamp the tires in place mechanically, so it’s simple to reuse the wheels when it’s time for brand spanking new tires otherwise you need to check out a brand new tread. The Technique 105 duplicate 1.9″ beadlock wheels are offered in pairs in two finishes: charcoal grey (our alternative), and black chrome. The beadlock rings are offered individually in totally different colours, so we went with purple for a brilliant high-tech look. The rings embody mounting screws with a black-oxide end, however you can too swap them out for the non-compulsory chrome steel screws.
Reproduction Technique 105 wheels and beadlock rings make it simple to entry the froth inserts and change tires. You may’t beat soft-compound Canyon Path 1.9″ tires for trail-grabbing grip.
You may go along with conventional black-oxide beadlock screws or corrosion-resistant stainless-steel fasteners. Your alternative!
How a couple of Bronco construct on 2.2″ wheels and tires? Click on the graphic to take a look at our Excessive Path Bronco undertaking!
Professional Scale Realism
The 2021 Ford® Bronco and different officially-licensed Ford, Chevrolet®, Land Rover® and Mercedes-Benz® TRX-4 and TRX-6 vehicles are authentically proportioned and loaded with scale detailing. Professional Scale equipment carry much more life to those TRX machines, and the lineup consists of brilliant, custom-configurable LED gentle units for all fashions in addition to a high-torque electrical winch.
The headlight and daytime working gentle modes are chosen through the Energy Module mounted on the chassis.
The brake and reverse lights are triggered mechanically if you apply the brakes or again up, identical to driving a full-size car.
The flip alerts are operated by steering within the course you want to sign.
If you add the Traxxas Hyperlink Wi-fi Module and your iOS or Android sensible system, you may management and configure the Professional Scale Lighting System remotely for complete hands-off operation.
Accent winch bumpers are provided for different TRX-4s, however the 2021 Bronco is winch-ready proper out of the field.
The Professional Scale Lighting System throws brilliant white gentle far down the path to indicate the best way forward, whereas the rock lights make it simple to see what the tires are moving into.
That is one competition-ready Bronco! Present us what you’re engaged on! Put up and tag your pics in your favourite channels with #MyTRX4Build, and make sure you observe Traxxas on Fb, Instagram or Twitter—you simply would possibly see your machine featured for all of your fellow Traxxas followers to get pleasure from.
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