Vitavon Racing Takes Traxxas Sledge to the NEXT LEVEL

Vitavon Racing Takes Traxxas Sledge to the NEXT LEVEL
Hey guys, welcome back to another ChriswithaC RC video! Today’s a big one, thanks to Vitavon Racing Developments (shoutout to Arthur!) for sending over some seriously awesome parts for my Traxxas Sledge.
If you’ve been following along, you know I recently admitted defeat with the Traxxas metal diffs after some heavy bashing. After talking with trusted friends and Arthur from Vitavon, it was clear the Traxxas composite bulkheads just weren’t cutting it-they expand and warp under tough conditions, which has been well-documented in videos and forums. While we had some good runs and proved the truck’s concept, it ultimately failed under pressure.
But now, with Vitavon’s bombproof diffs and their premium machined parts, the Sledge is ready for the next level of bashing-no more nasty diff clicks! Along with the Vitavon upgrades, I’ve also installed the upgraded Traxxas Sledge Differential Ring and Pinion Gear F/R (TRX9579R), which will help the truck handle the extra power I’m throwing at it.
In today’s video, I’ll show you the Vitavon parts in detail, explain how the truck failed, take it apart, go over the correct shimming method, and showcase the final result before we put it to the ultimate test in the next video!
A huge thanks to Vitavon Racing Developments for their support and for sending over these beautifully machined parts. Links to everything are in the description below. Stay tuned and let’s see how the Sledge handles after these upgrades!
Link to Vitavon racing here -
www.vitavon-ra...
www.vitavon-ra...
www.vitavon-ra...
VITAVON CNC Alu#7075 Front or Rear Bulkhead for Traxxas Sledge - Vitavon - www.vitavon-ra...
Link to Traxxas HD Machined Gearing from front and rear Differentials - www.appliancee...
Special Thanks:
A huge shoutout to Jules and the team at Modelsport for their support and excellent customer service. They made the purchase process smooth and hassle-free, with quick delivery and great aftermarket support.
Also Special Treat: Use code CHRISWITHACRC10 at checkout on RCSPARES.com for an instant 10% off your purchase.
Link to RCSPARES.com: www.rcspares.com/
Even more awesome: Garage Life has kindly given all my viewers a permanent discount code for you to use on all 3D printed parts on their site. Use code ChriswithaC for 25% off 3D printed parts.
Garage Life RC Website: garageliferc.com/
I sincerely hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. Your support means the world to me, whether you're a new subscriber or a longtime fan.
I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all my viewers at home for all the likes, shares, subs, and comments. The community we're building here on the channel is nothing short of sublime, and it's you at home that makes this all worth my time and effort. We're just on the verge of 3,500 subs, and I'm incredibly humbled to have you all come along for the ride. As I enjoy my journey through the RC hobby, I can't fully express how grateful I am for your support.
As we continue on this RC adventure together, I'm committed to sharing every moment, discovery, and thrill with you. So buckle up and get ready for more adrenaline-fueled fun ahead!
Modelsport Link to the Traxxas Sledge 1/8 4WD VXL-6S Brushless Monster Truck - www.modelsport...
Link to traxxas - traxxas.com/pr...
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ChriswithaC RC 🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙
#chriswithacrc #automobile #rcforall #rccar #thercnewbie #racing #rcmadness #rcobsessive #traxxas #traxxassledge #vitavon #radiocontrol #radiocontrolcars #radiocontrolledcar #hobbyist #hobby

[@gazzap6664]

Hi Chris, so buy the Sledge, replace the chassis, shocks , diffs, diff housing etc and now it will be a great Sledge... I think you should rename the car and call it Triggers Broom. :)

[@RC4us]

Yea you need aluminum bulk heads and new gears everything else is optional if you wanna gear up you will need a new motor mount and I'd throw away that esc as they really lack power same as I told Chris the day he got this

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Pretty much dude lol , well it keeps me smiling and thats what the point of this hobby is hey . im pretty sure i can find more upgrades cough cough lol .

[@ChriswithaCrc]

yeah mike i hear you buddy , there a awesome truck once right hey ! expensive exercise but there is just something about these sledge's ! Im going to run the stock electrics for now i need to recoup some cash lol

[@L2theWcarscoffeelife]

Your missing half the car now 😆😆 LOL I am a sucker for shiny blue parts they do look good luckily I am not needing anything mine keeps plugging along just fine the front bumper is a definite if you want to protect the body and the wing mount works great as well gives it the flex it needs to not stress the wing good video my friend you have more time wrenching on this just on this video than I have in 2 years lol I am horrible at maintenance I know You should move the shocks in that will help with ground clearance where you run

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Haha, I know right? 😆 It's like I’m slowly turning it into a Vitavon showroom! Those shiny blue parts are addictive! Glad to hear yours is still going strong without too much wrenching. I’m definitely going to look into that front bumper and wing mount, sounds like a solid move. Thanks for the tip on the shocks-I’ll give that a try to help with ground clearance where I bash. And hey, no shame in skipping maintenance if it’s still running like a champ! Appreciate you watching and for the great advice, my friend! 🙌 Stay awesome Larry Chris :)

[@daledavis8093]

I don't ever use Taxxas monkey metal, I look for stainless steel gears

[@RC-Closer1313]

It’s never “too much money” if it makes you happy! In my opinion. And upgrading is fun and when your RC performs better it’s all worth it!! And the next guy to get it is hooked up! Lol

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey buddy , thanks for the vote of confidence and encouragement , for me i love upgrading and updating my trucks , thats just how i am i update and upgrade everything thats just how i roll and what makes me smile . like adding your own touch to the trucks . As for the next guy , this ones a keeper for sure .

[@RC-Closer1313]

@@ChriswithaCrc I get it… everyone wants to buy my rigs. They know that they have been maintained correctly and they normally are built to the freakin’ hilt!! Lol

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Upgrade Everything Brother :)

[@precisiondiesel225]

After buying my first “fast” RC, which was a Slash 4x4 Ultimate, and upgrading parts as they broke. I’ve learned RC is like anything else and is cheaper to build, piece by piece, with the parts you want it to have.

[@ChriswithaCrc]

You’ve hit the nail on the head! Starting with something like the Slash 4x4 Ultimate is a great way to get into the hobby, and upgrading as you go definitely teaches you a lot. Piece by piece, you end up with a custom rig that’s exactly how you want it. Plus, it’s way more satisfying when you know you’ve built it yourself! Thanks for sharing your experience, and glad to have you along for the ride! 🙌

[@DaveKoko]

Jersey here buddy…. You just keep doing what makes you happy buddy….i got your back whatever the hobby throws your way

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey Jersey ! thanks my man i love this side of the hobby , making the truck my own and making them tough as a rottweiler fending off its food . Thanks for the kind words and the like wise thinking buddy Chris :)

[@Robertrc272]

Hi chris, nice to see another welsh man on yer, channel is awesome m8, your vids on the sledge are really great, now I know what to kind of do with mine now, cheers chris, all the best from, WALES,

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey butty , thanks for Watching yes buddy Welsh born and bread here and proud 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Thanks so much for the kind words means a lot. Also nice to find another Welshman here . Defo get that bulkhead buddy it’s worth every penny As they say in Llandow , chow for now buddy 🤙🤘👍🤩😎🛞🚀

[@readeracingRC]

ya, i think i was a bad design when they engendered the bulkhead. vivatvon has solved the issues. great video brou. very well detailed. keep em rollin. have fun

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey buddy thanks for the watch and comment , yes I have to agree with you on this one a combination of bad materials on the diff gears and also the poor design On the housing . Fingers crossed this truck should rock now. Keep up the awesome traxxas coverage on your channel . Chris 🤙🤘

[@chrisswallow2950]

Loving watching this truck progress, toying with getting a sledge in the near future and throwing a ton of Vitavon and M2C bits at it 👌🏻

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey dude ! , well ill be honest with you there are a few parts i would defo say is worth upgrading the rest is fun and making it your own . Get one there tons of fun to drive !

[@garyboulter4069]

You made the usual mistake of not shimming the pinion first.The teeth are tapered so the needs to be shimmed first and if the pinion can move in and out on the shaft any excess play needs to be shimmed on the outside this is especially true of spiral cut as the screw themselves in or out under power. Always align teeth before shimming sideways for play. I often shim behind the pinion bearings as there is usually a cut in the shaft just behind the pinion teeth that allows a shim to move off centre.

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Thanks for pointing that out! 🙏 You’re absolutely right-I should’ve shimmed the pinion first. That tapered tooth design and the in-and-out movement on the shaft are things I’ll keep a closer eye on, especially with spiral cut gears. I appreciate the detailed breakdown of your shimming process-it makes a lot of sense to shim behind the pinion bearings to keep everything aligned properly. I’ll definitely take your advice on board for future builds. Thanks again for the tips and for watching! 🙌 Chris :)

[@RC-Closer1313]

Oh yeah, and that truck looks great with the upgrades!!

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Wow thanks my man , really glad you approve on how the trucks come together. time to get this out now and bash it properly and maybe some air time let see how it goes !

[@RobbieBain-o7f]

Defo not a lot of the original sledge left m8 lol She's looking nice now m8

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Upgrade Everything brother ! Stay awesome Chris :)

[@RC-Closer1313]

I have those on several of my RC’s… I’ve had problems with my Vitavon drive shafts of any kind as well, but everything else works awesome!

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey buddy , Yeah the driveshafts myself i found to be problematic for sure . but i did find a fix with the exb that worked and included the 5mm shafts . maybe ill update that asap .

[@RC-Closer1313]

@@ChriswithaCrc sounds good🤙🏻

[@justinfolster2278]

Nice looks really sharp with all the blue parts u will have to get the blue body to finish it off with the blue scheme 👌 but ya hopefully the gears give ya no more trouble 👍.....

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey buddy , yeah man i think it looks awesome dont you . i have a plan for the body , im going to be doing it very soon . im going to go with a custom paint scheme . Stay awesome buddy Chris :)

[@justinfolster2278]

Nice I liked your paint u did on the habao looked fire 🔥 sure it's gonna be cool can't wait to see it...

[@RC4us]

Yeah man I don't think it has anything to do with heat I sure hope your diffs are not getting hot cause that wouldn't be good....and I haven't had a need to shim my sledge since I used the vitavon good luck my friend you should be good to go now and only break wing mounts

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hey buddy , if it's not heat i definitely picked up some damage on the rear bulkhead by the looks of it all . Thats Awesome news your bulkheads are holding up well and also the gearing man , As you say this should be pretty damned awesome now fingers crossed . Well funny you should say that i have a solution for the wing mount incoming from garage life . Hope your well mike Stay awesome Chris :)

[@RC4us]

@@ChriswithaCrc you will notice i do not use many 3d printed wing mounts i hope tysons sledge ones are better then b4 i thru away the old one for the sledge i had but hes been changing alot of things and ive been working very close with tyson on making these parts.... i just think the plastic is to thin and weak it only takes a few runs to weaken it to the point of trashing gears like i said i went thru exactly what your going thru now lol

[@ChriswithaCrc]

I really appreciate your insights! It’s always helpful to hear from someone who’s been through the same challenges. Your feedback on the materials will definitely be taken into account!

[@RC-Closer1313]

What about knuckles and bearing carriers?

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Hiya buddy , Well to be honest they have not broken so no need to replace yet i do find the traxxas suspension when wheel components to be good so far . if they break ill look to see what my options are dude . Chris : )

[@RC-Closer1313]

@@ChriswithaCrc I am watching Phillyswords run the Kraton as we speak.. lol

[@ChriswithaCrc]

Yeah Philly is a good bloke and loves his Arrma trucks :)