As I have mentioned before my first hobby grade RC was a Traxxas Rustler RTR back in 1996. It came with a mechanical speed control, a 20t brushed Stinger closed endbell motor, a plastic gear 2018 servo and the TQ 27mHz radio with its 2 feet of telescoping antenna and matching lengthy receiver antenna wire. The body came out of the box clear, the tires weren’t glued, there were 5×8 bronze bushings in the hubs and plastic gears in the transmission. Was it the fastest thing on four wheels? No, but to me it sure seemed that way. Fast forward one lap around the sun and my parents had given me a new RC for my 12th birthday: the Rustler’s sibling, a Traxxas Bandit RTR. Despite being powered by the same 20t mill the Bandit was significantly faster thanks to its larger pinion and lighter rolling stock. I was hooked! Over the years I’ve replaced parts and upgraded things and the car has evolved into something that I consider to be “finished”. Nearly every part of the buggy has been addressed: power, durability, suspension, looks, traction, electronics, nothing was overlooked. Here’s a look under the hood,
This is how the car sits today. Underneath the JConcepts Illuzion Hi-Speed body and wing are a host of goodies aimed at making the Bandit faster and more durable. Beginning at the front I replaced the stock narrow arms with a set of Rustler 2wd rear arms. This was known back in the day as the JANG mod and makes the car significantly wider and more stable as well as providing two extra lower shock mounts. Replacing the stock short front shocks are a set of stock Rustler 2wd rear dampers that retain the proper amount of suspension travel. A handbuilt carbon fiber shock tower brace and custom carbon fiber turnbuckles maintain the proper geomety while a set of aluminum C-hubs and steering knuckles (with 5x11mm bearings) add a larger dose of tough to the nose of the Bandit. A set of aluminum, bearing supported bellcranks replaced the stock plastic bushed pieces and adds a touch of color to an otherwise drab area.
For electronics I replaced the stock 27mHz system with a Flysky FS-GT3B transmitter and GR3E receiver for glitch free running. A Hobbywing 35a brushless speed control is paired with a Turnigy slot can motor that is essentially a 380 rotor inside of a 540 size can. This relatively low power system is much more efficient than the stock 20t Stinger brushed motor and mechanical speed control but isn’t so powerful as to make the car hard to drive. Run times with a 5000mAh Ovonic 2s battery range from 25 to 30 minutes and the motor runs perfectly cool despite being faster than stock. A 25kg metal gear servo provides more than enough yank to keep the front tires pointed in the right direction and is attached to a carbon fiber upper deck and aluminum servo mounts and steering posts. This was done as much for the “chi-chi” factor as it was for performance, i must admit.
The above photo shows the Rustler 2wd rear suspension arms, matching Rustler XXL rear shocks and longer metal CV axles. New aluminum rear hubs with 5×11 sealed bearings match the front pieces and the transmission received a new style slipper clutch, steel idler, steer diff housing and a one-piece 272R top shaft, as well as a full set of sealed bearing. These upgrades ensure I never have to crack open the transmission to make a repair and things run so much smoother now with the steel gears and proper lubrication (I exclusively use Lucas Oil Red-N-Tacky waterproof, high temp grease in my cars). Behind the Pro-Line Velocity 12mm RC10B6 hex wheels are STRC aluminum front and rear wheel hexes for a Rustler 4×4 and the front received new Slash 2wd steel axles that are longer than the Bandit pieces and allow the use of 12mm hex wheels. The rear tires are a set of PL Suburbs in M3 compound and the fronts are an orignial set of PL rib tires in M2 (the M3 compound hadn’t been released when these tires were made).
As of now there is nothing else that I feel this car needs. It handles well, has enough power to be entertaining and doesn’t break when my driving is less than stellar. Traxxas hit a home run with the Bandit and considering it is still being sold 30 years after its release is a testament to how good this car truly is. Now if it was just a little more modern… stay tuned.