This is one of the first upgrades you should make for several reasons. When you first run your truck you will instantly see that it leans over to one side; this is because the standard shocks are too soft and mushy to take all the weight of the truck, that and it is a fundamental design flaw; the torque of the motors cause the chassis to rotate in the opposite direction to which the motors are turning. The only way to fix this is to install stronger shock springs, or, like me, buy some alloy shocks that are adjustable. You can also try fitting longer springs, or even stretching the existing ones.

When you first get your truck, you will notice alot of brass bushing, which are used on all the rotating parts. I highly recommend replacing these with sealed bearings, which come in two main types;-Metal sealed bearings & rubber sealed bearings. Rubber sealed ones are easier to maintain, but can be a little tight to begin with, but will loosen up and make your truck run really smoothly. metal ones are cheaper, but need oiling a little more often, but will also greatly smoothen your trucks handling. If you do run the truck with the plain bushings, after a while open up the gear boxes and you will notice that they have shiny patches on them, this is caused by wear and will eventually cause the transmission to strain and shake itself to bits, but only if you run it hard or for long periods.

These are essential if you want to drive fast, because they add stability over rough terrain and when cornering at speed. These were actually the very first thing I ordered for my TXT-1, even before the radio gear! They add a full 1"1/4 to the width ( doesnt sound much, but you really appreciate it when turning sharply at high speed ), and increase stability a great deal. They also give the truck a better stance, being wider and meaner looking, sort-of.

I started out with some skids from VERTIGO PERFORMANCE, but Ive decided to get some beefier ones made by NEW ERA, since these cover the front of the lower bumber, and not just the bottom. Plus the ones I originally got were blue, so these new silver jobbies will look much smarter on my all-alloy truck. If you need to ask "why do I need skid plates?", just drive over a few rocks and curbs, and you'll soon see why....

Again, you only need to upgrade to metal rod ends if you do alot of hardcore driving. The reason is because the plastic rod ends only press onto the little ball joint thingies, and when you smack into rocks, or do jumps, the suspension cant always aborb the full force, so the rod ends tend to stretch and 'ping' off of the ball joints. With metal rod ends, the ball bit is fitted inside the rod end, and then this is screwed onto the chassis members etc. This way, the rods will never come lose from the chassis, and it will be much more durable. You can also purchase heavy duty nylon rod ends; these are almost as strong as alloy, plus they add contrast, not being the same colour as the chassis.