Hardcore racing heavy metal Maxx accessories

PRODUCT

the latest gear tested here

Likes

* Parts are superstrong, well made and nicely finished. Direct fit; no mods required.

* Most of us won't need them, but it's nice of Hardcore to include installation instructions.

Dislikes

Anodizing scratches easily (this is true of all anodized partsnot just Hardcore's.)

Hardcore Racing has been in the RC biz for only a short time, but its line of high-quality titanium and billet-aluminum components for the Traxxas Maxx trucks (and for many other brands of RC cars, for that matter) has struck a chord with monster-truck enthusiasts and racers. I decided to install a few choice accessories on my E-Maxx so I could see what all the hype was about.

TITANIUM SKIDPLATES

Because of my abusive driving, I've had to replace the molded skidplates on my E-Maxx a couple of times (OK, so I like driving my truck through rock piles and up and down staircases; does that make me crazy?). I decided to try Hardcore's seemingly bulletproof front, center and rear titanium skidplates (sold separately) to see whether they really were "hard core."

To allow you to customize your truck however you want, the titanium skidplates are available in four colors (purple, green, silver and blue, as shown in the pictures). All the necessary machine screws to complete the installation are included with each skidplate, and the parts fit perfectly without modification. The E-Maxx is a heavy truck, so I wasn't too crazy about the weight the Hardcore parts added compared with stock, but as it turned out, I didn't notice any decrease in top speed or acceleration from the extra weight nor did run times suffer. What I did notice is that I can now jump up curbs and plow into obstacles without worrying about breaking a skidplate. I also noticed that the chassis is a lot stiffer, thanks to the center skidplate that joins the two lower braces. But be warned: it's easy to scratch off the color anodizing.

BILLET-ALUMINUM CHASSIS BRACES

Hardcore's lower chassis braces perfectly complement the titanium skids because a completely metal lower chassis results when the parts are combined. Even on their own, the chassis braces are far more rigid than the stock molded pieces, and the Hardcore chassis braces also do a better job of securing the transmission to the chassis plate. It can be a little tricky to install the braces because the transmission is actually bolted down through the chassis and lower braces and is held together with locknuts. To allow you to coordinate your colors, the lower braces are brilliantly anodized in the same color choices as the skidplates.

BILLET ALUMINUM SHOCK TOWERS

Thanks to the beautiful color anodizing and artful machining, the aluminum shock towers look awesome installed on the chassis. They're stronger and more rigid than the stock components, too. I have to admit that the shock towers are purely eye candy because I've never broken a shock tower on any of my Maxx trucks. I guess if you're one of those extreme RC hobbyists who likes to sky his truck, it makes a great deal of sense to have aluminum shock towers.

THE VERDICT

The Hardcore skidplates, chassis braces and shock towers look great and are stronger than the pieces they replace. Overall, I'm impressed by the quality of the machining and the fact that the parts can be bolted on without any difficulty. I was also pleased that each component includes highquality hex-head fasteners to complete the assembly and that instructions are provided for the more complicated items such as the lower chassis braces. If you want to build a heavy-metal Maxx truck, check out Hardcore Racing's line of fine-quality titanium and aluminum components.

SOURCE GUIDE

HARDCORE RACING COMPONENTS 25435 Rye Canyon Rd, Valencia, CA 91355; (661) 294-5032; www.racinghardcore.com.

Copyright Air Age Publishing Oct 2001
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