Scx24 mods questions, I need some insights

[Genghis Ken]

So, I’ve watched Harley’s and Scale Builders budget build off and found them very helpful. But I’m curious about some of the weight vs performance trade offs and how they scale down to 1/24th. I watched a scaler comp of 1/10th scale rigs and virtually all of them had aluminum axles. Non rotating mass weight down low it makes a lot of sense plus the rocks those guys were crawling were just gnarly so the extra strength and ability to take punishment was also a big plus. So what about in a 24th scale rig? Does it make sense in a rig that can’t actually do the things the 1/10th scales can? I mean yes they can do some pretty cool crawling, but is it better to keep them as light as possible and only add the minimum weight needed? And if so would an aluminum axle trump a brass diff cover and brass knuckles? I’m also seeing brass wheel weights and brass hexes which get into rotating mass which was one of those things I thought the current thinking was to avoid. So basically where’s the best place for the weight to be? I’ve seen a brass axle, would that be better than brass steering knuckles, dif cover and wheel weights? In theory it’s more centralized weight so maybe yes? I dunno, so for you guys that actually crawl yours what seems to be working the best and why, and if you had to do it over again would you go the same route or are there new items out now that you would go with instead. For what it’s worth I’m planning on a stock ish C10 and a Deadbolt set up for the best crawling it can do. Money is limited so getting the best bang for my bucks is important and I live in the UK so I can’t go nuts on a main and get free shipping and likewise making gradual updates is gonna come at great cost in shipping. See why I need your help?

 

[redneckwraith]

New tires are a must in my opinion. I run Mudslingers with no foams on a 3 piece beadlock wheel.

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[Genghis Ken]

Thanks Redneck, I forgot about tires, kind of dumb since a lot of folks say it’s the upgrade that does the most for upping crawling performance, I’m thinking mudskippers, lil guys or mebbe pro line Hyraxs, wasn’t sure which way I was gonna go wheel weight wise, the hyraxs come with lightweight plastic bead locks, there’s aluminum wheels at 11grams, or aluminum brass at I think 26 grams, I haven’t weighed the RC4WD stamped steel wheels but steels pretty heavy.

 

[redneckwraith]

The stock wheels are pretty stiff without much flex.

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[WarpedWheel]

I did a lot of free mod stuff to mine and added some brass parts. It crawls WAY better than stock now (see my video I posted here yesterday). Next up are wheels and tires because I am being limited by traction with the stock tires now.

 

[vinceherman]

If you are looking for improving the crawling performance while also saving the bank, then you should watch the SCX24 videos put out by BugSung
https://www.youtube.com/c/BigSungHobbies
He does a lot on the low cost upgrades and is very detailed. He covers a lot of ideas on only adding weight to reach specific goals.
I do not think aluminum axle housings get you anything in these small slow crawlers. The brass dif covers add more weight where you want it.

 

[ChilliBreath]

As a general rule of thumb, what you want is a low center of gravity to prevent toppling over. From a physics standpoint rotating mass will cause more resistance getting the wheels or axles up to speed, but wheel weights are a very straightforward way to add weight in the lowest possible location as well as doing so evenly across all four corners of the car, so the benefit outweighs the cost.
Personally I think you wont notice too much difference in these small, slow applications. Any weight added will give more traction but also increase the load on your motor under climbing, so keep the scale of your vehicle in mind.
I have wheel weights on both my scx24's and brass diff covers on one of them, and find that it helps with traction as well as tipping over - more traction and tipping over is a bit bore difficult.
I've got some plans to use sticky weights (the kind used for wheel or fan balancing) in strategic locations; I will update my own thread when I do this.

 

[2471:24]

If you’re balling on a budget, visit injora.com. It’s really cheap, and they offer free shipping if you buy over 35$. I wish I had known that before, everything here costs at least 20€, but at injora it’s like 5$…

 

[Genghis Ken]

I’m definitely in the budget category, so I’ll be checking Injora out. The handy part of the cars being tiny is the parts are cheaper than a 1/10th scale rig, BUT the shipping costs add up so I’m going to make up a list of parts I want and try and order them all at once. Suggestions?

 

[redneckwraith]

Do the Injora size 50 motor upgrade. $12 US and comes with the necessary motor plate. It's similar to the barrage swap.

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[ChilliBreath]

Do the Injora size 50 motor upgrade. $12 US and comes with the necessary motor plate. It's similar to the barrage swap.

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I hear mixed results about the Injora motor lifespan... any issues? Do you run it in before driving under any load?

 

[redneckwraith]

I haven't had any issues. I have however received 2 Dynamite barrage motors that never worked out of the package.

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[2471:24]

I have the barrage motor, and it’s working fine. Cost maybe 8€ in Finland. I had wheel weights, brass counterweight steering cups with the original motor and it was doing fine, although it was getting a bit hot. So I changed the original motor before it broke.

The thing is, I watched someone on youtube that said it’s a good thing to put wd40 on all the bearings, which I did. I also opened the diffs and put vaseline there. And it’s really important to not over tight the wheel nuts. When I have tightened all the wheel nuts, I always spin the front and rear shafts to check that they roll easy and free.

I suggest that you also check on youtube this guy: 2FM RC. Check his vid: scx24 barrage motor install c10 gets upgraded! After I installed the motor the mesh was fine, but the motor was very noisy. In that vid he also explained how to align the shafts, in order to minimize binding and extra noise. After I followed his advice, the results were amazing!

He also recommended the barrage motor, one of his rigs weighs a pound and is doing fine with the barrage motor. Mine weighs a bit over 300grams, and I never use the “high” position on the transmitter, medium is all I ever need. The man is really nice, and has also tested the injora 050 motor. He knows A LOT about rc, so I suggest you check his other videos as well.

And at injora, you really only have to order for 35$, and the shipping is free! I live in Finland, which is between Sweden and Russia, and the delivery is free! Although I have to pay 24% in taxes, but at injoras prices it still is really cheap. I ordered 9 different things, and the price was like 82€. 60mm tires, another set of 54 mm tires, beadlock wheels made of metal with tires, axle wideners, metal steering links, front brass diff cover, metal covers for the diffs and motor base plate, 43mm telescopic shocks and carbon fiber frame rails.

 

[2471:24]

Double post

 

[DeadBolt987]

It seemed a bit pricy (Around $17), but I got a Hot Racing brass diff cover for the front axle of my scx24. It weighs 9 grams and gives a little bit of weight. Still need to test it, but just a thought. There is also a 13-gram option that comes with a skid plate.

 

[Cycle.Cats]

I’ve got two SCX24s, one is completely stock except a Power Hobby 030motor and RC4WD tires on stock plastic wheels. The other truck is pretty “built”. All the bolt on brass: knuckles, diff covers, steelies and full send weights, Furitek w/outrunner, reefs servo, lcg front battery, sliders with electrics low mounted.. It’s excessive but I went through multiples of all the powered parts until I got sick of replacement and went for ultimate durability. It drives amazingly well, but is probably on the edge of too heavy. I would consider losing the wheel weights, but nothing else. It’s very stable and hardly rolls over, where the stock truck is fun to bash but can’t stay on its wheels.

IMOthe Patagonia tires and steel wheels are the best bang for the buck for actual crawling. I’ve got several RC4WD micro tires, and the Patagonia def has the best traction on stone and best mud/sand clearing tread, though doesn’t exactly excel on those conditions. Big knobs do not always equal traction, though they do have their place. Im not afraid to get wet, but try to avoid nasty mud in the micros, it just doesn’t go very far and can wreck geartrains if silt gets in(been there).

I think wheel weights/rotation mass is a bit of a moot point on these tiny trucks. Wheel speed is so low that I don’t think it’s a significant difference. More important is the torque that puts on things when you crash and tumble. Heavy rig crashes harder! Been through lots of Emax servos and axle shafts from tumbling. Hey, I like to take risky lines that I would never do in a full size rig!

Lastly, having smoked lots of brushed motors of the 030/050 variety, I think the best solution is a better speed controller. The Furitek unit on a brushed motor has excellent throttle control, and my motors run much cooler and therefore last longer due to the FOC. Stock ESC just dumps amps until the motor either overcomes the physical resistance, or let’s out the smoke. Furitek FOC has very deliberate amperage output based on conditions and demand.