Traxxas Jato 3.3 delivers you the combined power of a 3.3 TRX engine and a Jato. It’s amazing acceleration and top speed makes it one of the most wanted trucks in the RC community.
With all these amazing stock features, can you get more? What upgrades can you make to get a better RC? And how much will it cost you?
In short, you can! I will discuss the best part upgrades for a Jato 3.3 which will optimize its performance for the best racing experience of your life. So stay tuned!
Upgrades and Costs At A Glance
| Part | Reason of Upgrade | Cost |
| Motor & ESC | Faster speed | $150-300 |
| Carburetor | For providing power support | $40-50 |
| Battery | Power supply, compatibility with mods. | $40-100 |
| Shock Towers | Protection, weight, smooth drive etc. | $50-70 |
| Hub Carriers | Stability | $35-50 |
| Fuel Filter | Keeping the fuel tank clean and engine safe. | $40-50 |
| Brakes | Making the car stop instantaneously. | $4-30 |
How Much Does Its Cost to Upgrade?
The entire upgrade will cost you about $380-730.
You can upgrade the Motor & ESC at $150-300, up to $40-100 on Battery, $4-30 on brakes, and $40-50 on fuel filters.
you can upgrade other accessories within $20-80 dollars.
7 Traxxas Jato 3.3 Upgrades:
The most amazing thing about Traxxas Jato is that it runs perfectly. 60mph in 4.2 seconds? Yes! It s the most reliable nitro out there. But there’s always room for improvement. And sometimes, second hand nitros come a bit beaten up.
The battery, motor and ESC are easy switches. Sometimes other upgrades are necessary too.
1. Motor & ESC
For a nitro this powerful, the engine is quite small. Most RC cars have a 0.28 size engine whereas the Jato has a 0.21 size. If you run these too cold or rich during break-in, you will end up with a failed engine.
Now you need to know how fast Jato 3.3 can actually go? I know an engine setup that will give you 61.5mph. Keeping the stock Traxxas, change the rod (a Sirio rod) and the carburetor (a bored & modified Macy 427). The carburetor should be modified so that it fits the 3.3 case. This can be done with 24/54 gears.
High-End Suggestion: Spektrum Firma 160A Brushless Smart ESC / 1250Kv
Budget-Friendly Option: HOBBYWING Ezrun Max10 ESC with 3652SL (4000Kv) Motor Combo
2. Carburetor
So you know how the 3.3 runs on plastic gears and all? Well, the gears are okay. But it’s the carburetor that’s the issue. The 3.3 has more than enough power. But the carb is really small compared to that. It has a lot of higher revs. It makes more power with a bigger or a better carb with hotter timing. There are better engines for speed, to be honest.
Here are my suggestions:
Traxxas 2.5 2.5r 3.3 Engine Carburetor
3. Battery
NiMH batteries work nicely with whatever mod you have on a GH. But if you are looking for LiPO options, you will need a LiPO charger.
You can find LiPO packs equivalent to the same dimensions as the NiMH packs.
You will find that LiPOs are lighter than NiMH. In this case, additional weight might be needed for the LiPO batteries.
Now getting to the 2S, 3S of the LiPO is essential. I have a few suggestions for you that will provide you variations:
2S Option: Gens ace LIpo Battery 7.4V 5300mAh
3S Option: Multistar High Capacity 3S 4000mAh
4. Shock Towers
There’s a shock tower from Atomik RC that you can get. Both front and rear ones are available. These aluminum towers will fit the Jato 3.3 nicely but the front one might need a bearing.
These towers will stay put even through violent jumping.
While you’re getting the shock towers, you might also want to get the Traxxas Revo Aluminium Shocks with Jato Springs.
5. Hub Carriers
The stock hub carriers aren’t very exciting. They look feeble too. You can upgrade these with new aluminum ones.
You can get these blue ones from eBay. These are sturdier too. And while you are upgrading the hub carriers, I suggest you get some caster blocks that go behind the tires.
6. Fuel Filter
It’s good to get a fuel filter. Whether you are doing normal, everyday kind of bashing, or if you’re doing the off-road bashing. Because sometimes when you are refilling your tank, there could be dirt getting in there. This can severely damage your engine and a fuel filter prevents that.
A bit expensive for a fuel filter, but something like this should do.
7. Brakes
The stock brakes are not very good in a Jato 3.3. After applying the brake it takes forever to just stop. The Jato is in fact a very fast car so it needs a better brake, this is common sense.
Before I go to suggestions, here are some tips:
Replace the spring on the brake linkage with a piece of fuel tube. This provides the brakes with a little more power. Moreover, you can replace the pads. Change them with carbon pads. The same goes for the disks. Try to add some weight to the front wheels. This weight helps to make the brake work better by making the grip more effective.
Adjust the brake screw after you’re done with all this.
Brake Set: Hot Racing, SJT39DG, Brake Kit (Carbon Dual Steel)
Brake Disc: Jato 2.5 & 3.3 Replacement Brake Disc
Traxxas Jato 3.3 Accessories Upgrades
I have previously mentioned a carburetor upgrade. But the port timing and the exhaust system are not up to the mark either. A better pipe can make a difference. As much difference as it can make in an RTR engine that is.
For some marked power gains: Add a larger carburetor with a tunable end-bleed full-wave pipe. Then adjust the 3.3 head for a .012-.017″ head spacing. To see the change, use 30% fuel.
Another thing to add is an air filter. The ones from RV innovations would do fine. And while you’re at it, maybe a roof roll bar too (aluminum of course). And all these aluminum parts remind me of aluminum front bulkheads too!
The exhaust timing can be changed to 180* which will increase the blow-down timing.
Finally, I would suggest you get RPM A-arms, shock towers along with big bore shocks.
The transmissions and bearings fail frequently too. So you may want to change those too.
Conclusion
So you see, there are layers of upgrading the Jato 3.3 nitro. You can spend a few bucks to hundreds to get what you like. But even if it gets expensive sometimes, it’s worth it. However, the Jato remains to be the most reliable nitro out there still!
This is an investment you won’t regret!
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