I did a search here and didn't find anything other than the much tried idea of turning the electric tranny around backwards. That idea just didn't interest me. I posted about this on the Traxxas website a few weeks ago (LINK) but people on the Ultimate Traxxas site seem much more willing to actually work on their cars so I thought it may be worth posting up here as well. I'm surprised nobody here has done this using the Nitro Rustler chassis. The benefits of using the nitro chassis are many. You can find nitro rollers dirt cheap! COG is much lower. It already has rear toe built in. Squat is adjustable independent of the tranny case. 32 pitch gears. It's a cheap conversion. Did I mention it's CHEAP!

I picked up a beat up Nitro Rustler roller for $40.00 including in addition to the nice stock tires and wheels a set of brand new RPM wheels and brand new Pro-Line Road Rage tires. I spent just a couple of bucks to replace the normal bent shock shafts, suspension pins, bearings etc. All of the smelly, oily nitro parts that couldn't be reused went in the trash! The non Traxxas conversion parts cost me less than $13.00! I'm out of work so this conversion couldn't include any bling or high dollar parts whatsoever! Aside from the two Associated brand parts I used ONLY what I had on hand or bought only Traxxas brand parts to rebuild what needed rebuilding.

Someone may come up with a better fitting motor plate but the Associated motor plate p/n 9245 was the only one I found in stock local so that's what I used and it worked better than expected for me after a minute or two session with the Dremel and a 3mm tap. Some have done an "E" conversion using the nitro truck but used angle brackets to mount the motor to the chassis. I wanted no chance of having gear mesh issues due to chassis flex so the motor HAD to be mounted to the tranny with a plate or I wasn't going to do it at all. The Associated plate was the answer for me. For battery mounting I used Associated battery cups p/n 6334. Everything else I had laying around.

The pictures should be self explanatory but if someone has questions I'm happy to help them with a conversion. I'm finishing up a second conversion that started life as a Nitro Sport. I'm just waiting for some tranny rebuild parts to get here to finish that one up.

I keep looking at the finished first conversion and wonder what else I can do to make it better. Fact is I'm 100% satisfied with it as is and don't plan to do any further mods to it. It's lowered 3/8" and set up strictly for asphalt oval racing and the runs I've made on it so far have impressed the heck out of me. As close to a 50-50 weight balance as you're going to get. Miles ahead of my oval prepped Slash in the handling department. The second conversion truck will probably be oval prepped as well because I can't afford the money for the transponder, gas and $10.00 track fee to practice at the semi local off road track. Oval is close, only $5.00 to race and no transponder needed. I'd love to build one for off road because I believe it would be awesome with the weight distribution but I just don't have the spare bucks to spend to be able to run at the "local" off road track. I'm not a basher so that ain't gonna happen either.

Hopefully the pictures show just how easy and dirt cheap the conversion was using the fewest new parts possible. You could spend a lot more money but there is absolutely no reason to......

Joe

The picture of Frankenstein fits your truck perfect. Nice truck, thanks for showing it to us.

You're welcome. I absolutely love finding "el cheapo" ways to build projects. Without question this one has turned out the best of any mod I've ever done when conversion part cost is factored in. It's an awesome truck now!

Joe

This would probably work well in the snow in my front yard, my E Rustler is too rear heavy and the back sinks.

Weight distribution can be key in making a project work well in adverse conditions such as snow, deep sand or slick asphalt. Not much in the way of snow in mid state Arizona so I can't really help you there. I'm sure paddle tires in the snow would be a plus though....

I haven't had an "E" Rustler since 2002. I'd love to do a comparison to my latest truck with this mod against an "E" Rustler but that can't happen.

Most of the suspension parts would be usable. You could do as I did on conversion #2 if you have a Nitro Sport and buy a Nitro Rustler lower chassis plate, upper chassis plate and steering bellcranks. Virtually everything else fits together to make the conversion work out.


Joe

Very nice conversion! I like the simple, inexpensive design philosophy.

One thing I don't like about most mid-motor Traxxas conversions is that they flip the rear suspension, and actually introduce a bit of pro-squat in. Yours avoids that completely, as well as a host of other issues I've seen with mid-motor conversions.

Well done!

This is the first supposedly "mid-motor" that actually redistributes the weight, keeps the cg low, and allows the suspension to behave properly! Well done. Unlike the dreadful reverse tranny mod. (shudder)

This is getting crazy! The parts I needed got here Thursday so I'm finishing up my second E-conversion and now a third Nitro Rustler roller just showed up in the mail today.

I'll have to do something "different" with #2 now as I think I'll just use #3 for spare parts rather than convert it. I may try to make my new Parma Slash Dune Buggy body fit. I wish I could afford to buy some G-10 fiberglass so I could make my own slightly longer lower chassis plate that would let me be able to use all of the Slash bodies that are available. The options would pretty much be endless then. I can't find any G-10 local though and shipping costs just blow the whole idea out of the water. I hate all the tiny so called monster truck bodies that are made for the Rustlers. I want the tires/wheels covered by the body. Unless I can lengthen the chassis I'm stuck with what's on the market though.

Joe

great job, very cleanly done

working on something similar to this, only with the electric transmisson reversed.