Ever think of converting your ordinary completely stock Traxxas Slash 2WD into an aggressive Monster Slash? I  bet you have! In this article I am going to show you just that! We’ll review what parts I used and share everything you need to know to convert a new or old Slash 2WD XL-5 or VXL into the mighty Monster Slash.

Parts Used:

The first thing you will need to do is, obviously gather the parts you will need to complete the conversion.

1. Traxxas Slash 2WD Short Course Truck
2.  Pro-Line Trencher 2.8″ Nitro Rear Pre-Mounted Tires
3.  Pro-ine Extended Front & Rear Body Mount Set (2WD Slash)
4. Castle Creations Sidewinder SCT Waterproof Combo w/Sensored 1410 Motor (3800Kv)

Once you have all the parts needed, it is time to do some converting!

Change The Wheels & Tires

Now This step is pretty easy and self explanatory. Remove all four nuts that are holding on the wheels with a 7mm nut driver. Remove the stock tires/wheels and put on the new 2.8″ Trenchers wheels & tires.

I want to mention that Pro-Line offers mounted 2.8″ Trenchers in Nitro Rear and Electric Rear. I used the Nitro Rear, due to the fact that the Electric Rear offset would make the tires rub on the suspension when turning. The Nitro Rear works great on the front without any issues. The Electric Rear on the rear works fine but the offset makes them sit in making the front wider and the truck is less stable. For these reasons I used Nitro Rear on the front and rear of the truck.

Raise The Body

Now that I have the large 2.8″ tires on, I am going to need to lift the body for more tire clearance. Remove the Pro-Line Extended Body Mount Set and start assembling them. Don’t worry on setting the height correctly, we’ll adjust that last once the mounts are installed. You will need a 2mm hex driver.

To mount the front, gently pull the front shock tower towards the front of the vehicle, slightly flexing the plastic enough to get your 2mm hex driver in there. Remove the two screws holding the stock mount, and reinstall the Pro-Line mount using the same two screws, in the same two locations.

To mount the rear, remove the four screws used to secure the stock mount to the rear shock tower. Now use those same four screws and install the Pro-Line Extended Body Mount in the same location.

Once the Pro-Line Extended Body Mounts are installed on the vehicle, install the body and inspect it’s fit. Raise and lower the body mounts until you reach the desired height you want.

For my conversion, I found best results with the front posts mounted as high as possible, and the rear with five holes showing between the crossbraces.

Note: Despite the extended body mounts, our vehicle required some body trimming around the front and rear wheel well area. Please inspect your model for rubbing, and if necessary, use Lexan scissors to trim away these spots.

Install New ESC & Motor

The old Motor and ESC must be removed Before the new Castle ESC & Motor combo can be installed. Disassembly is very straight forward and painless. First, Unplug the motor and ESC leads. Open up the receiver box with a 2mm hex driver and unplug the ESC receiver lead from channel 2 on the receiver. Be careful not to lose or damage the large waterproof rubber seal that fits under the receiver box lid, you’ll need it later when reassembling. Use the 2mm hex driver again and remove the two screws that secure the Traxxas ESC to the chassis. The ESC should now be free to remove.

Now that you have the speed control removed from the vehicle, remove the two screws holding on the gear cover. With the gear cover removed, you have access to the motor and the two screws securing it to the vehicle. Remove those screws and remove the motor and carefully route the wires through the shock tower. Keep track of the screws, you’ll use them later for re-assembly.

Now the stock motor is out of the vehicle, it’s time to install the upgraded Castle Creations 1410 Motor. Use the original two motor screws and bolt the Castle motor to the motor mount and route the motor wires through the rear shock tower hole, exactly like the stock motor wires were. Don’t tighten the motor screws too much, the gear mesh still needs to be set! Use a 1.5mm hex driver and remove the pinion gear from the stock motor and install it on the Castle motor shaft. When installed, set your gear mesh, tighten the motor screws, and re-install the gear cover.

This Monster Slash conversion uses larger diameter tires and upgraded Motor/ESC combo, So I highly recommend checking the temperatures of the motor and the ESC the first time you take the truck out. If the temp is too high, Be sure to change to a smaller pinion gear. I use Duratrax Flashpoint temp gun.

The Castle Sidewinder SCT speed control doesn’t have the same mounting tabs as the original Traxxas ESC. Instead, to easily secure the Castle ESC to the chassis, use some double sided sticky tape. I used Apex R/C Products Double Sided foam servo Tape (3015) because it’s thick and vibration absorbent, which greatly helps handle the hard hits while staying secured to the chassis.

Connect the motor wires to the ESC as per the manual. Route the ESC receiver lead through the battery tray slot, and then into the receiver box. Plug the lead into channel 2 on the receiver. Re-install the box lid, and the watertight rubber seal, with the original screws. Where the receiver lead goes through the battery tray, you can add a little piece of tape over it to keep it down flat and flush.

Now that the Castle Creations ESC and Motor are installed, you need an ESC connector. When brand new, the Castle Sidewinder SCT does not include a pre-installed connector, so one needs to be soldered on. For this build, I used a ProTek R/C Male T-Style Plug PTK-5013.

The Last Step

The last step: Calibrate the Castle Sidewinder SCT before you go out and drive. The Castle calibration is a walk in the park, just follow the included quick step guide.

When everything is complete, add a fully charged battery and put on the body and go have fun with your new monster slash!