Get Your Wrench On with the TRX-4 Sport Kit

Traxxas was the first company to introduce the RC world to the Ready-To-Race^® concept. Our vehicles are available fully assembled and painted, all electronics installed, radio included, so there’s no barrier to experiencing The Fastest Name In Radio Control just because you don’t have the time (or maybe just don’t feel like) building a kit.

If you do want to add kit-building to your RC experience, Traxxas has you covered there also. The Stampede 4X4 and TRX-4 trail truck are both offered in kit form, and easy to build over a few evenings—you set the pace. And when you’re done, you’ll know your truck inside and out! To show you what a kit-build is all about, we’re going to put together a TRX-4 Sport.

The Kit and Components
You can get the TRX-4 kit two ways: as the TRX-4 Sport, which includes an unpainted body with the Expedition Rack and scale accessories, or the TRX-4 Chassis Kit, which includes all the required electronics, but leaves the body choice up to you. See the chart for more detail. We’re going to build the TRX-4 Sport kit, so we can cover basic body-painting as well as kit assembly.

Completion Items
The TRX-4 Sport kit doesn’t include electronics, so you’ll need to choose the following items to complete the truck: transmitter and receiver, steering servo, electronic speed control, motor, and battery. We’re equipping this TRX-4 with genuine Traxxas electronics for easy factory-style fitment and guaranteed Traxxas performance. As we build, we’ll add the optional T-Lock remote-locking differentials to our TRX-4 Sport. The differential kit includes all the necessary parts and adds extra capability out on the trail.

Setting Up Shop
If you’ve got a workshop space in your home or garage, that’s ideal. Otherwise, any table will suffice, preferably one where you can leave your work spread out when it’s time to take a break. To protect the table and help prevent hardware form scattering, try one of our new Traxxas Pit Mats. Their tough, chemical-resistant, rubber construction protects underlying surfaces and the compartments will help you organize your tools and parts while you build your kit. If you don't have a Pit Mat, spread out a thick towel to protect your table and to keep things from rolling around.

Choose the Right Tools
The TRX-4 kit includes the wrenches you’ll need for the hex fasteners, and a 4-way wrench for the nuts. With a large project like this you should consider upgrading to the 8712 Premium 7-Piece Tool Kit. The 8712 tool kit includes premium hex bits and nut drivers to perform upgrades or maintenance on your Traxxas model. The kit also includes a comfortable overmolded grip and convenient embroidered storage case. Add a pair of need needle-nose pliers, a hobby knife, and side cutters, and you’ll have everything required to assemble and maintain your TRX-4—and any other Traxxas model.

Kit-Building Basics
The kit groups all the parts in bags that correspond to steps in the manual. Give the manual a read-through before you start building the model, so you’ll be familiar with what’s ahead before you dive in. You’ll notice each step in the manual shows the required fasteners, bearings, spacers, and gears actual-size, so it’s easy to make sure you’re using the right parts. The intro explains everything you need to know about identifying hardware and the icons used throughout the manual. There are also metric measurements along the bottom of each page. Click here to download a copy of the manual now.