Bandit performance potential

[Saito]

I posted this on the Traxxas forum but probably should have done it here on RC10Talk.
Does the Bandit have any performance potential when compared to buggies like the old RC10 Championship Edition or Losi JR-X2? I'm not looking for something on par with todays mid motor cars or even an old B4, just something along the lines of the aluminum tub RC10. It seems to have a pretty long wheelbase, but then again, so did the TRX-1. Can it be made respectable on a track akin to those older rear motor cars or is just a toy?

[TRX-1-3]

You could add adjustable links for more tuning of the suspension. Factory Works has a double deck chassis option which essentially makes it a TRX-3 lookalike. In theory you could shorten the wheelbase in the chassis if you went that route. I believe that the trans is the same internal and final drive ratio as the SRT and Radicator 2/Hawk 2. I think you can still piece together a Proline aftermarket trans that would allow you to use some rear toe options...

With the Bandit I think the basic platform is there, but then you run into quality of parts, tuning limits and the modular type rear trans assembly.

I've seen some pretty wicked looking Bandits. But do they perform? I think it comes down to driving skill / practice and setup.

By the time you spend the time and money to bring it up to spec it might not be "worth" it. But if you want to be the Bandit guy that confounds people running more race-ready-out-of-the-box stuff by out-driving them with a Bandit. I say give it a shot.

More to your question, I think among fanatical vintage 2WD enthusiasts/ racers, the Bandit is thought of as a steamy pile/toy.

[TRX-1-3]

Like check this thread out. Maybe you've seen it over on the Traxxas forums...

https://forums.traxxas.com/showthread.php?9087887-Factory-Works-TRX-B-Carbon-Fiber-Bandit

But is it even a Bandit any more at that point?

[RC10th]

I built a "race" bandit a while ago but I don’t think I ever gave it a real workout. I think the key components to make a
Bandit (or any car for that matter) fast are...

Tires
Shocks
Diff

Then things like adjustable turnbuckles and plate towers etc..And with the possibilities of more performance oriented chassis like factory work I think you could build quite a potent car.

Like TRX said is it worth it? Probably not unless you want to be the guy with a fast Bandit

[Patrase]

I was having a similar discussion with some friends. Some clubs in Australia have a 540 class. The class was meant to be a bit of fun and lower cost. But always a few that don’t get the spirit of the class and spen $$$ on the latest and greatest cars and hop ups.
So my thought was 540 class should be vintage cars, juniors can run modern cars and also allow the those who aren’t juniors or don’t have a vintage car to use a Bandit to run, thinking that they are very similar to a Trx1 so by extension would give similar performance, especially with a 540 motor.

[Saito]

I guess my thinking is two fold. I like old rear motor buggies from that era. I'd like to re-live that driving style and performance with no guilt or fear of breaking parts. The Bandit is both tough and has great parts support. If RC10 stuff wasn't going up in price and getting rarer, I'd probably bash one of those, but I'm more into restoring those now. I wish AE would re-re some more of them but AE's Shawn Ireland alluded to some of the molds being lost in an overseas factory buy-out. My Tamiya stuff gets driven with a good amount of respect as Tamiya discontinues re-re models frequently and has miserable spares support for them. The other factor is my passing interest in older Traxxas stuff. I always wanted a TRX-1 BITD. You guys are right in pointing out how much is it worth spending on a Bandit that, in the end...is still just a Bandit. Thanks for the replies.

[RCveteran]

Take a look at the one above with the Carbon TRX-B kit. It is not all that different than what we think of as classic race buggies. The stuff I see guys do to old RC10's JRX's etc to modernize them and then call it vintage is no different. You can adapt most of one to an old TRX3 chassis if you use a 3D printed front bulkhead and willing to drill a few holes here and there or get creative hacking the stock bulkhead to narrow it. Gomach, factoryworks, took the hacking out of it if is not your thing. I think there are other carbon fiber or aluminum chassis option sometimes listed as Rustler stuff.

That said, there are videos on youtube of guys doing fine with them. I am on a vintage Traxxas kick right now and bought a Bandit just because and kind of like it, you have to be a man though and get over the Traxxas stigma many have around here

One thing to like about the Bandit, it's basically a plastic early's 1990's buggy that never stopped. No need for a rerelease when you still make it. Look into a hot racing gearbox and aluminum sealed diff to hold the diff goop of your choice if you are serious. Or add a TRA2520 ball diff if you really want some old school maintenance too but not necessary, the stock diff will hold goop and is hard to destroy and cheap to replace.

Don't think of it as "just a bandit", rather a cheap TRX1/TRX3/Blue Eagle plastic chassis hybrid with easy parts and upgrades you can race today hard and not worry about someone charging $65 for a replacement white A arm That said if you need some original TRX1 or TRX3 white arms I have one for $125, two for $237

[rc10nick]

If you're a little bonkers like I am then there's plenty of performance to be had from the 2wd Traxxas platform. You can check out my thread on my mid motor project if you want. Looking at your location there's even chance you might have seen it in person - I've had this car out a few times at various tracks across the central PA region. Right now it's a Rustler but in the near future I plan on converting it to a bandit to run at ScaleSpeed's new track.

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=45061

Definitely not a practical option for anyone, but if you want to be that guy then it's a great option.

[Saito]

Thanks all. I think RCveteran pretty much nailed my mindset on this. I'm not a fan of modern Traxxas and how they market nor their lawsuit-happy ways, but the Bandit/Stampede/Rustler came from a time before all that. They just kept making them. Their durability, plentiful cheap parts and old school design reeled me in (plus my interest in old school Traxxas). Despite the stigma, I'm giving the Bandit a shot!

[juicedcoupe]

Thanks all. I think RCveteran pretty much nailed my mindset on this. I'm not a fan of modern Traxxas and how they market nor their lawsuit-happy ways, but the Bandit/Stampede/Rustler came from a time before all that. They just kept making them. Their durability, plentiful cheap parts and old school design reeled me in (plus my interest in old school Traxxas). Despite the stigma, I'm giving the Bandit a shot!

Thats how I view it.

I still have a 90's Stampede that has been somewhat modified. Because of its durability and parts availability, it gets driven more than all my other cars combined.

[RCveteran]

The whole lawsuit thing comes up, whatever, it's a cruel world these are all big international conglomerate companies (with exception of Traxxas, ironically as the sole American owned survivor) at this point with lawyers doing what they do. It's not like Gil Losi and Roger Curtis are sitting in a shed in California hand making cars for us. Not worth worrying about it, if you like something, drive it and enjoy.

[rc10nick]

The traxxas 2wd cars aren't THAT durable, especially compared with modern race buggies.

On my mid motor conversion every broken part I've had was a stock traxxas part. The front steering parts are especially fragile - I've broken and upgraded the steering rack/posts, caster blocks, and spindles. The hinge pins aren't made from hardened steel so you'll be bending them fairly often. The shock shafts are pretty bendy, too. Speaking of the shocks, the o-ring retainers that thread onto the bottom of the shock body compress the o-rings and cause the shock to bind.

Here's a video showing the bind. Both shocks are empty. The shock on the right has the bottom o-ring retainer backed off a bit, and the shock on the left has the o-ring retainer threaded on the whole way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqM6m7TNR7E

I run all my shocks with the retainer backed off just a bit so it doesn't bind. It leaks oil a bit, but not too bad. For whatever reason even though I've drastically changed the rest of the car, I keep the stock shocks on because in my head I can tell myself it's still a Traxxas if it still has those shocks. I'm not sure how much sense that makes, but that's my thought process.

I've also had more problems with smaller things like screws backing out compared to other cars I've raced. Also, the shock caps are notorious for popping off and I can attest to that. I usually consider it a miracle if I can go a whole day without something minor like causing a DNF.

[juicedcoupe]

If people took expensive race buggies and trucks and did half the stupid things that I see people doing to Traxxas vehicles, I believe their limitations would be more known as well.

[rc10nick]

If people took expensive race buggies and trucks and did half the stupid things that I see people doing to Traxxas vehicles, I believe their limitations would be more known as well.

I absolutely get that. I cringe when I see people throw 6s BL setups on a car originally designed to run on a 6 cell nicad battery with a 540 brushed motor and then complain about how weak the car is. I'm not sure if your post is directed at what I said, but that's not what I'm getting at when I compare a traxxas to a modern car. In my personal experience I haven't raced my Traxxas any harder than I've raced any of my modern cars but I've certainly had more DNFs with the Traxxas.

[juicedcoupe]

In my personal experience I haven't raced my Traxxas any harder than I've raced any of my modern cars but I've certainly had more DNFs with the Traxxas.

I get that. But let's not forget what the 2wd Traxxas platform was designed for, being a budget beginner vehicle. They ARE cheap, and as an inexpensive vehicle, they will have limitations.

But all of those limitations can be cured and likely with less money than what a modern race car costs.

And I get that fixing and having to upgrade something gets old. But if someone wants a race car, they probably shouldn't buy a beginner's car.