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REVO 3.3 • 31

90mm Travel

Dot Color

Spring Rate

Yellow

14.8 lb/in 

(2.6 N/mm)

White

16.6 lb/in 

(2.9 N/mm)

Orange

18.3 lb/in 

(3.2 N/mm)

(Standard Front)

Green

20.0 lb/in 

(3.5 N/mm)

(Standard Rear)

Gold

21.7 lb/in 

(3.8 N/mm)

Tan

23.4 lb/in 

(4.1 N/mm)

Black

25.1 lb/in 

(4.4 N/mm)

120mm Travel

Dot Color

Spring Rate

Silver

28.0 lb/in 

(4.9 N/mm)

(Standard Front)

Pink

30.8 lb/in 

(5.4 N/mm)

Blue

33.7 lb/in 

(5.9 N/mm)

(Standard Rear)

Purple

36.5 lb/in 

(6.4 N/mm)

Note: 

90mm travel springs are  

not recommended for use with  
the Long Travel rockers.

BASIC TUNING ADJUSTMENTS

This tuning and setup guide is separated into two sections- Basic 
and Advanced. Revo does not require any specialized knowledge or 
understanding of its unique suspension and drive train to perform 
typical, everyday setup and track tuning adjustments. Adjustment 
procedures for alignment, spring rate, damping, steering, and ride 
height are covered in the basic tuning section. Adjustments for the 
gear ratio, two-speed shift point, slipper clutch, and brake are also 
covered. In most cases, the basic information is all that is needed to 
tune Revo to perform well on a variety of surfaces.  

Revo was engineered to provide sophisticated additional tuning 
options well beyond the basics that allow expert users to extract the 
maximum performance from the truck. The advanced tuning section 
(beginning on page 39) covers topics such as optional suspension 
rockers, roll center adjustment, caster adjustment, bump steer tuning, 
differential setup, and fine tuning the two-speed gear ratios. Make 
sure you fully understand the basic adjustments before experimenting 
with the advanced adjustments. Improper combinations of 
adjustments can adversely affect the performance of the truck, 
resulting in poor handling. If you don’t know why you are changing 
an adjustment then you should leave it at its factory setting. Also 
included are instructions for using the Long Travel rockers and springs 
supplied with Revo. The Long Travel rockers allow extreme suspension 
travel for rock crawling and rough, large-scale terrain. The Long Travel 
rockers allow the suspension to operate at its extreme mechanical 
limits and are recommended for advanced users.

SUSPENSION TUNING

Springs

The front and rear springs on Revo have different spring rates. The
rear springs are about 10% stiffer than the front springs. The 
spring’s pre-load tension can be adjusted by turning the spring 
pre-load adjuster. Adjusting the pre-load changes the suspension 
sag. Suspension sag basically defines how much the suspension 
compresses when the truck is at rest. Adjust the pre-load so that the 
suspension compresses about one third of its full suspension travel 
(see illustration). If suspension sag is severe and requires a large 
increase of the spring pre-load to compensate, then a firmer spring 
should be used. Firmer springs (supplied) must be used when the 
Long Travel rocker arms are installed.

Use a stiffer spring to reduce sag, reduce body lean, control brake 
dive, and provide a firmer, more responsive overall feel. If Revo is 

lightened significantly for 
racing applications, softer 
springs will be necessary 
to allow the suspension 
to sag properly. Heavier 
configurations will 
require stiffer springs. 
Ride height is adjusted by 
changing the length or 
position of the pushrods 
in the lower suspension 
arms. See the next 
section for ride height 
adjustments. The suspension sag and spring pre-load should be 
readjusted anytime the springs are removed and/or replaced.

Optional springs available from Traxxas are listed below. Refer to your 
parts list for a complete part number listing. Higher rate springs are 
stiffer. Springs can be identified by dots of color on one end.

Ride Height Adjustment

The rocker arm suspension uses push rods on each suspension arm. 
Changing the length and/or position of the push rod adjusts the 
ride height without affecting or compromising other suspension 
parameters. For example, you can raise and lower the ride height 
without changing up/down travel distribution, changing springs, or 
affecting your progressive rate. This feature is unique to Revo and is 
extremely beneficial in a racing environment where you can achieve a 
low center of gravity (by lowering the ride height) without losing any 
suspension capability. Increasing the ride height will increase ground 
clearance for rough terrain.

The ride height of the model can be changed by mounting the push rod 
in a different hole in the lower suspension arm. From the factory, the 

Compression 2/3

Sag (Droop) 1/3

Ride Height

Total Travel

Axle Centerline at Ride Height

Axle Centerline at Max Compression

Axle Centerline at Max Sag

Summary of Contents for Revo 3.3 53097

Page 1: ...MODEL 53097 owner s manual...

Page 2: ...rmance and adjustment potential that Traxxas engineers designed into Revo Even if you are an experienced R C enthusiast it s important to read and follow the procedures in this manual Revo contains ne...

Page 3: ...ur question at support Traxxas com Join thousands of registered members in our online community at Traxxas com Traxxas offers a full service on site repair facility to handle any of your Traxxas servi...

Page 4: ...careful not to touch the parts especially when refueling or stopping the engine Prolonged exposure to the engine exhaust can be harmful Avoid breathing the engine exhaust Always run your Revo outdoors...

Page 5: ...10 Glow plug wrench Extra glow plug 17mm wheel wrench 1 5mm L wrench 2 0mm T wrench 2 5mm T wrench 8mm slipper clutch wrench Shock wrench 5mm turnbuckle wrench Suspension multi tool 4 way wrench Susp...

Page 6: ...ressure Line Fuel Line EZ Start Motor EZ Start Plug Bulkhead under chassis Body Mount Post Chassis Slipper Clutch under roll hoop Spur Gear under roll hoop Driveshaft Half Shaft On Off Switch Shift Ro...

Page 7: ...for the transmitter sold separately Follow the break in instructions exactly to ensure the best performing longest lasting engine 5 Install the EZ Start battery See page 24 13 Tune your engine See pag...

Page 8: ...pack NiCad batteries have very high current handling high capacity and can last up to 1000 charging cycles Good charging procedures are required to reduce the possibility of developing a memory effec...

Page 9: ...onic Shift Module to monitor and control the input and output signals for the throttle and shifting servos channels The OptiDrive monitors the voltage of the on board RX Power Pack The Function LED wi...

Page 10: ...attery pack from the model for charging Follow these steps to fully charge the receiver battery before operating your model 1 Plug the charger into a wall outlet A Choose an outlet that is in a locati...

Page 11: ...tter or other source and running out of control Your model has electronic fail safes to prevent this type of malfunction but the first best defense against a runaway model is to always turn the transm...

Page 12: ...ng shipping Here s how 1 Turn the transmitter switch on The status LED on the transmitter should be solid green not flashing 2 Turn on the receiver switch in the model The switch is located on the rec...

Page 13: ...ceiver follow these instructions Note You will need to open the receiver box to access the receiver The receiver must be connected to a 4 8 6 0v nominal power source for binding and the transmitter an...

Page 14: ...ehicle speed and controls forward and reverse shifting Controlling the shift action electronically rather than by mechanical systems reduces the number of components in the transmission The transmissi...

Page 15: ...en on again and repeat the programming steps For instructions on how to use the OptiDrive with aftermarket radio systems or to access advanced programming options visit Traxxas com Large adjustments t...

Page 16: ...premature engine wear and failure is lack of care and maintenance BREAK IN The TRX 3 3 Racing Engine is manufactured to exacting tolerances and requires a specially designed break in procedure to acco...

Page 17: ...l Carburetor Air Intake Fuel Intake High Speed Needle Idle Speed Screw Clutch Bell Crankcase Two Stage Air Filter Glow Plug EZ Start Plug Positive Wire Negative Wire Fuel Line Fuel Tank Tuned Pipe Hea...

Page 18: ...ngine s body that contains all of the running mechanical components Crankshaft The main shaft of the engine that holds the reciprocating assembly Cooling fins The cooling fins are milled into the cyli...

Page 19: ...the first level of air filtration for the engine The majority of dirt and debris will be stopped by this filter Clean re oil and replace this filter after every hour of run time Always use both the p...

Page 20: ...limitations Engines are designed to run best within a range of nitro percentages How the engine is ported the size of the combustion chamber and other factors determine how much nitro can be efficien...

Page 21: ...pull straight up 2 Remove the pre filter element 3 Clean the pre filter element by thoroughly washing the foam element in hot soapy water dishwashing detergent works well Repeat twice 4 Thoroughly dr...

Page 22: ...lable air atomization THE FUEL MIXTURE NEEDLES The amount of fuel metered and atomized by the carburetor is controlled by the two mixture needles the high speed needle and the low speed needle The low...

Page 23: ...rt consists of a hand held control unit and an on board motorized starter Power for the EZ Start system comes from a 7 2 volt rechargeable battery pack installed in the hand held control unit The engi...

Page 24: ...has not been fully charged may not deliver enough power to crank the engine over at the appropriate rpm to keep the piston from sticking at top dead center TDC A new engine will typically have a tigh...

Page 25: ...break in Follow the instructions exactly for each of the first 5 tanks of fuel Starting Your TRX 3 3 Racing Engine for the First Time Before you start your TRX 3 3 Racing Engine for the first time mak...

Page 26: ...3 When the fuel tank is nearly empty shut off the engine and refuel From here on you do not need to let the engine cool between tanks Tank 4 1 Driving procedure Gently pull the throttle trigger to fu...

Page 27: ...then it is likely that it is over 220 F and needs to cool down If the water takes a long time or does not evaporate at all then the engine is too cool We do not recommend that you operate your engine...

Page 28: ...unterclockwise and retest This setting will extend engine component life Low Speed Fuel Mixture Adjustment The low speed mixture is always set after the high speed needle is correctly adjusted The low...

Page 29: ...ink application available separately see page 43 Engine temperature can be used as an effective tuning aid when you understand the relationship between engine temperature and ambient temperature The e...

Page 30: ...d by speed Towing creates a high load on the engine and at the same time limits cooling of the engine due to low vehicle speed If your Revo gets stuck stop driving immediately Move the vehicle and the...

Page 31: ...nd rear springs on Revo have different spring rates The rear springs are about 10 stiffer than the front springs The spring s pre load tension can be adjusted by turning the spring pre load adjuster A...

Page 32: ...n damping to be reduced Damping should be increased with higher viscosity oil if the model is bottoming easily over jumps Damping should be decreased with thinner viscosity oil if the model is hopping...

Page 33: ...see illustration below The camber angle changes as the wheel moves up and down through its range of travel Static camber is the camber angle at the wheel when the vehicle is set at its normal station...

Page 34: ...the hole in the end of the slipper shaft This locks the shaft for adjustments Turn the adjustment nut clockwise to tighten less slippage and counter clockwise to loosen more slippage The slipper clut...

Page 35: ...djusting the Spur Gear Clutch Bell Gear Mesh The ideal spur gear clutch bell gear mesh for Revo is 0 1mm To set the gear mesh place a strip of standard letter A4 size copy or printer paper about 0 1mm...

Page 36: ...f the following ways 1 Use a 0 50mm feeler gauge between the brake pad insert and brake disk 2 Push the outer brake pad firmly against the inner pad with your finger sandwiching the brake disk between...

Page 37: ...piston and sleeve should be replaced when they no longer seal effectively loss of compression Symptoms include the engine being difficult to start when warm stalling when warm and stalling when throt...

Page 38: ...blue glow plug wire to the glow plug 7 Reconnect the EZ Start controller 8 Do not prime the engine Pull the throttle to 1 2 throttle and push the EZ Start button The engine should start immediately P...

Page 39: ...to the opposite end For example increasing roll resistance in the rear by installing the upper arms in the lower holes will provide more traction for the front wheels and potentially more steering Ins...

Page 40: ...of the various rocker arms on wheel force as the suspension is compressed On the progressive rate wheel force is light at first and increases as the suspension is compressed Bump Steer Elimination Cha...

Page 41: ...on up and down always keeping it submerged in oil to release the air bubbles Let the shock sit for a few minutes to allow any remaining air bubbles to surface 10 Slowly thread the upper cap with the i...

Page 42: ...ts and to the rocker arms 2 Install Long Travel shock springs Replace all four of the 90mm travel shock springs with the four 120mm Long Travel shock springs The front shock springs are indicated by a...

Page 43: ...cles it has bound to and what settings were used for each up to 30 models total Traxxas Link provides a visual interface to name the models customize their settings attach profiles and lock them into...

Page 44: ...ashing fast green 0 1 sec on 0 15 sec off Throttle Trim Seek Mode Turn the Multi Function knob right or left until the LED stops flashing See sidebar for more information Flashing medium red 0 25 sec...

Page 45: ...ow setting you selected previously Likewise setting the Multi Function knob to disabled will prevent the knob from making further adjustments but the last setting of the Multi Function knob will still...

Page 46: ...ious settings and functions Press and hold MENU to enter the menu tree and use the following commands to navigate through the menu and select options MENU When you enter a menu you always start at the...

Page 47: ...to save each position Turn steering wheel to test settings IF END POINTS ARE OK Press hold MENU returns to driving mode IF END POINTS NEED TO BE CHANGED Press SET and repeat steps 6 8 To reset the END...

Page 48: ...6200 Traxxas Way McKinney Texas 75070 1 888 TRAXXAS 140401 KC2054 MODEL 53097 owner s manual...

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