The PRO-2 Performance Short Course Truck has quickly caught on as a top of the line, Durable Racing and Bashing Performance SC Truck. The PRO-2 takes everything we have produced in SC Accessories into one complete Kit. For those of you on a budget, The PRO-2 May seem out of reach.
The good news is that most all the PRO-2 components are interchangeable with your stock Traxxas Slash 2WD. This means you can purchase key PRO-2 Components over time with the end result being a truck just like the 4001-00 PRO-2 Kit.
Gather Your PRO-2 Performance Parts
In part 1, we will be installing some of the key components that will make other parts of the upgrade smoother. For part 1, I have chosen to install the 6062-00 ProTrac suspension kit, 6070-00 Extended Front / Rear Body Mount Secure-Loc Cap kit, a 6096-00 Hinge Pin Set, The 6102-00 Hard Anodized Pivot Ball & Rod end set, the 6104-00 Hard Anodized Hinge Pin Brace, and the 6097-00 Front / 6098-00 Rear Aluminum Clamping hex drives.
Gather Your Tools
First you’ll want to gather up your tools and prep your work area so it is clean and open. You will need 2.0mm and 2.5mm hex drivers, some side cutters, needle nose pliers, 5.5mm Nut Driver and a 7mm wheel nut wrench. I use a muffin pan to keep my parts organized (these can be purchased at any dollar store), and a digital caliper that reads millimeters. These can be picked up at most any tool store. Check on line, I found one for $10 on sale! With any build, take pictures as you go. Most cell phones have great cameras these days so take pictures you can refer back to later on re-assembly.
Make Up Your Camber and Steering Links
After you have your tools and your work area set, the first stage of assembly is to make up your camber and steering links. Use the 6102-00 Rod end kit and the turnbuckles supplied in the 6062-00 Pro-Track kit. Print out the base set up sheet from the Pro-Tac web page. This sheet will give you the steering / camber link measurements as well as base suspension settings.
When setting up the proper lengths of these rods, always check with a measuring device like digital calipers to make sure you have the correct lengths. Do not use the printed instruction sheet as an actual guide or your rods will be too short. When installing the ball inserts, make sure you get the correct balls and orientations based on the stock ball sizes as this will save time and frustration later in the assembly.
Front Disassembly / Reassembly
Starting with the front of the truck, Remove the front bumper, disconnect the steering arms and separate the bulkhead from sub assembly from the chassis. Assemble the new longer front arms to the bulkhead with the hinge pins and brace.
Attach the front shocks to the lower parts of the arms. Now attach the new shock tower and the front shock tower brace from the 6070-00 Body mount kit. Attach the steering links to the steering arms before you re-install the front bulkhead.
Connect your upper camber links and re-attach the front bulk head assembly to the chassis. Finish off by attaching the steering links to the outer steering blocks and installing the 6097-00 Front clamping hex’s.
Rear Disassembly / Reassembly
Now we tackle the rear in the same manner, disconnect the stock motor and separate the rear sub assembly by removing the top two screws forward of the shock tower and two forward rear skid plate bolts. Remove the rear bumper and set aside for re-assembly later.
Attach the rear camber links to the new rear shock tower included in the 6062-00 Pro-Trac kit. Important, when attaching the shock tower to the transmission, be sure to use the included longer screws. Do Not re-use the original / shorter screws.
Next, remove the stock rear arms and replace with the Longer ProTrac ones. Use the hinge pins from the 6096-00 kit to secure them and the new rear bearing carriers. Attach the camber links to the bearing carriers as shown. At this time, install the rear shock tower mount from the 6062-00 Kit.
While I have the transmission out, this is a great time to upgrade the motor. I have chosen a NOVAK #3197 Vulcan 17.5T LP sensored based brushless motor, GTB Low profile X-Drive ESC Combo to replace my stock 550 brushed equipment. This NOVAK Combo is Roar approved and will give me the mid range control as well as top end performance I want. Installing a pair of 6098-00 Rear clamping hex’s and re-attach the transmission sub assembly to the chassis, completes my rear suspension upgrades.
Finishing Up
At this point, I have finished up the installation of my electronics. I’m leaving the wires a little longer this time but I will finalize their shorter / correct lengths once we complete the installation of the 6093-00 PRO-2 Performance Chassis Kit. Remember it’s easier to take it off later than it is to add it back on.
I’m not a big fan of Body pin clips so I have modified my battery hold down by removing the stock stud / pin and adding a thumb washer nut from the 6070-02 Cap Kit. If you need a longer stud, you can make one by cutting off the head of any length M4 Screw. Simply screw it in and cut it off to the desired length.
For wheels and tires, I’ve installed a set of 1190-01 Trencher X on a set of 2731-01 Renegade bead lock wheels (These wheels have the correct ProTrac PRO-2 offset) and adjusted the 6070-00 body post to secure my body to the correct height.
Re-mounting the stock body: adjust the 6070-00 vertical body posts to secure your body to the correct height. If your stock body post holes do not align up with the new body posts, do not panic! Simply install the rear holes first then pull the front posts into place. This will help to re-set the memory of the plastic and over time it will be much easier.
So there you have it, we have made it though Part 1 and you now have some awesome performance upgrades. These are going to drastically improve the performance and handling of your truck. You are also well on your way to a full blown PRO-2 trucks. In my upcoming part 2, we will cover the 6093-00 PRO-2 Performance Chassis Kit as well as a few other little goodies, so start saving now!
See You Soon!
