3 Traxxas Rustler 4×4 Build Options Using Pro-Line Gear

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The Traxxas Rustler has been around for a long time and has seen a resurgence in its popularity thanks to the 4×4 VXL version. Although it is considered a stadium truck the 4×4 version complete with potent Traxxas VXL brushless motor system, has turned the 2WD Rustler into a type of super-nimble monster truck that can tackle all kinds of rough terrain while being able to lay down some serious speed. With more and more of these trucks out and about, we wanted to show you 3 Traxxas Rustler 4×4 build options using Pro-Line gear to highlight the possibilities of what can be realized with just one truck. Following are our Pro-Line product picks to create a high-speed street machine, a killer sand rail rig and a super-scale 4×4 pickup truck. This is a fantastic way to transform one truck into many different variants thanks to the aftermarket bodies, wheels, tire and accessories offered by Pro-Line.

Extended Front and Rear Body Mount Kit for Rustler 4×4—#6362-00

An essential Pro-Line accessory that is needed for two of the builds mentioned in this article is the Extended Front and Rear Body Mount Kit for the Rustler 4×4 (#6362-00). Without this body mounting kit, most aftermarket bodies would be a nightmare to mount on the Rustler 4×4 chassis. The reason being is that Traxxas gave the Rustler 4×4 its clipless body mounting system and this method does not use any body posts to secure the body onto the chassis. So Pro-Line came to the rescue and produced this Extended Front and Rear Body Mount Kit that includes body mounts that bolt onto the front and rear shock towers. This body mount kit also gives you the flexibility to use many different types of aftermarket bodies because the height of the posts are adjustable. As for body clips…you won’t need them with this kit because it uses Pro-Lines’s innovative screw-on body mounting system using Secure-Loc Caps. Just screw down the included setscrew into the body mount, place the O-ring over the setscrew, mount the body as you normally would and hold it in place with the Secure-Loc Caps. (NOTE: Only the Pro-Line Pre-Cut 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Clear Body was made to work with the stock Traxxas cage and body mounting system and does not need this accessory.)

High-Speed Street Machine

The Traxxas Rustler 4×4 VXL is a very fast truck right out of the box with speeds in the 40mph range when using a 3S LiPo battery pack. You can squeeze more speed out of this truck by simply changing the pinion and spur gear while using a 3S LiPo pack thus hitting highway speeds of 65+mph. With all this speed on tap, the High-Speed Street Machine build was born. Below are the two Pro-Line products we would use on this build.

Pre-Cut Brute Bash Armor White Body—#3518-15

If you have ever driven a high-power, high-speed RC truck on pavement, then you know they are quite a handful to keep in control. Flipping the truck onto its roof when launching off the line and high-speed cartwheels and tumbles are common occurrences. For this reasoning, it made perfect sense to select the Pro-Line Pre-Cut Brute Bash Armor body. The body is made of Pro-Line’s Bash Armor material which is twice as thick as your regular polycarbonate body and is also ultra-flexible to help keep it from cracking or shattering. All of the Bash Armor bodies come molded in solid white and include a nice set of detail stickers to help bring the body to life. And added benefit is that Pro-Line sells this body Pre-Cut to make it much easier to get it installed onto the Rustler. Now when you are performing those super high speed runs, you have some added insurance that your truck won’t become totally trashed if you have a bad wreck.

Prime 2.8” Mounted Street Tires—#10116-10

Stability becomes an issue when driving an off-road truck at high speed on pavement. One of the culprits that can cause instability are the tires so we figured to address this issue by utilizing a complete set of the Pro-Line Prime 2.8” Mounted Street Tires. The Prime 2.8” was purpose-made for high-speed fun. You will notice that it is nearly a complete racing slick that allows for the maximum amount of rubber to be in contact with as much asphalt and/or concrete as possible. What does this mean? An incredible amount of traction. Now check out the smooth sidewalls that will glide much easier over the surface for controllable slides and burnouts. Ordinary treaded tires can catch and cause the truck to flip. Pro-Line also selected M2 race rubber and created a special tire design that achieves reduced tire expansion. This is key because when tires overly expand, also called ballooning, there is less tire in contact with the ground. This makes it very difficult to keep the truck headed in a straight line and it is very easy for it to instantly get completely out of control.

Each Prime 2.8” tire comes factory glued onto the Pro-Line Raid 2.8” Removable Hex Wheel. Two sets of the most popular offset hexes are included. This makes it easy to change the offset of your wheel to work for different applications. This also makes it possible to replace a damaged hex instead of needing to toss the entire glued tire. In the appearance department, Pro-Line did a nice job in creating the detailed 10-spoke design complete with a beadloc-style outer ring for a realistic looking final product. High-strength, durable DuPont Nylon material is used to mold the Prime wheels and is just the thing you want on a high-speed run vehicle.

Killer Sand Rail Rig

Have you ever seen a full size sand rail ripping through the dunes? It is a spectacle with massive roosts of sand being thrown up into the air. Creating a RC version is not very hard and the Traxxas Rustler 4×4 VXL is a perfect candidate with its four driven wheels and very powerful brushless motor system.

Pre-Cut 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Clear Body—#3528-17

To top off the killer sand rail rig build, we chose the Pro-Line Pre-Cut 2017 Ford F-150 clear body. When installed on the Rustler, it has a cool low slung appearance that suits a vehicle intended for sand running. Pro-Line manufactured this body so that it is a direct fit on the stock Traxxas cage and body mounting system. Once you get the body painted, it is a cinch to install because it already comes pre-cut and clips right into place on the Rustler 4×4 chassis. Added to that convenience is the exceptional job that Pro-Line did in capturing the rugged Ford Raptor styling and attitude. As an officially licensed Ford product, you know you have something special and it will be a nice upgrade over the stock body.

Sand Paw 2.8” Mounted Sand Tires—#1186-10

Tires are the critical option part to properly create a sand rail and the Pro-Line Sand Paw 2.8” mounted sand tires are the ideal choice. The big paddles fixed around the circumference of the tires will dig into the sand and as they spin will rip through and shoot a massive roost of sand as the truck chargers forward. Getting them installed onto the Rustler 4×4 is a breeze since they already come pre-mounted on Pro-Line Raid 2.8” Removable Hex Wheel. These are the same wheels that are used on the Prime 2.8” tires mentioned above.

Super-Scale 4×4 Pickup Truck

The final build is a nod to the people who love to have their RC rides look like the real deal. In stock form the Rustler has a cool futuristic appearance yet it does not resemble a full-scale truck. Since the Rustler is a 4×4, it was only natural to create a Super-Scale 4×4 Pickup Truck. As we considered he different options that Pro-Line has to offer, we knew that the body and tires both had to be as realistic looking as possible. This is what we came up with.

2019 Chevy Silverado Z71 Trail Boss clear body—#3506-00

The 2019 Chevy Silverado Z71 Trail Boss clear body was not a difficult pick for this Super-Scale build. It is a licensed Chevy body and is loaded with the details that mirror the ones you would find on the full size 2019 Z71 pickup. Pro-Line has included all the aggressive body lines like what is found on the hood and front end. The body comes molded in clear polycarbonate body and once you lay down your own paint scheme followed by the placement of the included detail stickers, this truck will look like quite real. To help ensure you end up with a great looking finished body, overspray film and window masks come with the body.

Interco TSl SC Super Swamper 2.8” All Terrain mounted tires—#10110-10

Now we had to pick a tire and wheel package that would nicely compliment the 2019 Chevy Silverado Z71 body and offer some great off-road performance. Enter the Interco TSl SC Super Swamper 2.8” All Terrain mounted tires which gives you the best of both worlds. A tire that is officially licensed from Interco Tire Corporation so you know this tires looks like an actual full-size tire. Pro-Line has it molded in its legendary M2 compound and combined with the proven tread pattern, this tire is a beast on off-road terrain. Just like the other tires selected in this article, the Super Swampers are pre-mounted onto the Pro-Line Raid 2.8” Removable Hex Wheel.

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